 Over 70 senior executives from top Brazilian and international companies attended a three-day Business Linkages workshop co-hosted by CSRI, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) in Rio de Janeiro in June 2008. This event was third in a series looking at the opportunities and challenges of incorporating small businesses and “base of the pyramid” entrepreneurs into their value chains – whether as suppliers, distributors, retailers, or customers. Business linkages are critical to broad-based, inclusive economic growth in developing countries, and they represent one of the core contributions of business to societies of all income levels. The event in Brazil specifically focused on supporting entrepreneurs at the base of the economic pyramid.
Those attending openly shared their experiences of engaging with entrepreneurs in poorer communities and explored the opportunities and challenges that these linkages present particularly in terms of building skills and improving access to finance. Participants report having valued the opportunity to exchange questions and insights with colleagues within and across geographies and industry sectors, and to discuss constructively what hasn’t worked, in addition to what has.
The Business Linkages roundtables have generated a richness of examples and best practice approaches. They have also seeded a richness of relationships, helping to cultivate what one participant has called a “constellation” of professionals who can offer mutual guidance and support in this space. |
