The term "bottom of the pyramid" (BoP) refers to the four billion people who live on less than $2 per day in developing countries who have been recognized as comprising a large market for productivity-enhancing goods and services. In recent years, interest this group has grown substantially, with the understanding that increasing the well-being of the poor while increasing the profits of the private sector can simultaneously be a sound development and business strategy. However, while much has been written on the BoP, the claims and assumptions behind variations on this model and the pathways through which it works on the ground remain unclear. There is surprisingly little research on how, and for whom, the principles of development-through-entrepreneurship work "in practice".

This workshop will bring together leading social scientists and scholars from academia and industry in order to provide a more informed understanding of the bottom of the pyramid as a development and business strategy, particularly through the lens of information and communication technologies. It will explore BoP opportunities, practice, and criticism by looking at a variety of services including: the implementation of financial services, education, health and governance services for the poor. In particular the mobile phone and ICT telecenters have taken a prominent role in delivery strategies.

• Read about the event at the Virtualpolitik blog
• See select PowerPoint Presentations from the conference.
• Schedule for "The Bottom of the Pyramid in Practice"
• Presenter Abstracts
• Annotated bibilography on the Bottom of the Pyramid concept
• Download BoP flyer

The conference will be open to the public June 1-2, 2009 at The University of California, Irvine in the Doheny Beach conference room, first floor of the student center. Parking is $7 at the Student Center Parking Structure. There is no registration cost. To register, please email imtfi@uci.edu or call (949) 824-2284 by May 27, 2009.

"The Bottom of the Pyramid in Practice" is being sponsored by the Institute for Money, Technology and Financial Inclusion, the Center for Research on Information Technology and Organizations at UC Irvine (CRITO), and Intel Research.

For hotel accommodations you may contact Ayres Hotel & Suites of Costa Mesa and ask for Bottom of the Pyramid Conference rates. The nearest airport is John Wayne (SNA), but you may also fly into Long Beach (LGB) and Los Angeles International (LAX).