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The Business Call to Action News Bite | August 2018

Studio Elias

Dear BCtA Community


Business Call to Action is “a landmark opportunity for global business leaders to come together to develop new and innovative ways to spread growth, prosperity and opportunity across the world”. Those were the wise words of then-Prime Minister for the UK Gordon Brown during BCtA’s inauguration ten years ago. That statement is as true for BCtA now as it was then. As a platform that convenes and unifies private sector in its efforts to contribute meaningfully to the Sustainable Development Goals, we at BCtA are continually inspired by the efforts of our member companies to improve the lives of those living at the bottom of the economic pyramid.

Recognizing that the unprecedented speed of technological change is testing companies’ business models, innovative capacities and foresight, we’ve decided to focus this year’s Annual Forum on how technological disruption is influencing the world of inclusive business. Our event speakers will share their own experiences on how they are adopting new and innovative technology to make lasting and positive change in the lives of many by accelerating their reach and impact.

AI, blockchain, drones, 3D printing and many other digital technologies present both risks and opportunities in how business engages with low income communities. While it can offer greater transparency, traceability and reach to provide affordable products and services, it also presents the risk of increasing inequalities and leaving many more further behind. As we reflect on a decade of service and deepen our understanding of disruptive technologies and inclusive business, we see this as a timely opportunity to renew our call to action with our member companies to leverage these technologies for good to ‘leave no one behind’ and work towards building a more inclusive global economy.

We look forward to seeing many of you at our Annual Forum on 28 September in New York. Until then, please take a moment to read through our latest news and updates.

The Voice of our Community


For our 10th Anniversary, we're looking towards the future! We are delighted to commemorate our 10th anniversary as the world's leading Inclusive Business platform. Since 2008, Business Call to Action has reached truly global scale. Our 200+ member companies serve low-income populations in growing and emerging economies in 68 countries. We invite you to reflect on our shared history by checking out our interactive timeline and take part in the great work ahead—to eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities.

News from the Guardian Lab – Don’t miss the latest stories on our Guardian Lab site, Improving Lives through Business Innovations. Read how blockchain can be a force for good among vulnerable communities, how one startup is bringing an end to single use plastics in Chile, and how microfinance is creating opportunities to youth and marginalised communities in Georgia.

Doing Good through a Profitable Business – Vava Angwenyi , self-proclaimed ‘chief coffeeholic’ at Vava Coffee, spoke with Azao for L'Observatoire du BoP about her journey taking an idea and transforming it into a successful for-profit social enterprise that now helps to improve living standards for 30,000 Kenyan farmers, while producing quality coffee that is exported around the world. Read the full story here.

New Additions to the BCtA Family – We have welcomed two new members to BCtA, Kuli Kuli and Ecoloo. Explore their models and discover their contribution to the SDGs here.

This brings our community to 215 members in 68 countries. As members, don't forget you can leverage this large network to connect with other members by logging on to the member portal on our website.

What's on the Horizon? 


BCtA Annual Forum 2018: How disruptive tech is changing the way we do business – We’re super excited about the calibre of speakers we have for our upcoming Annual Forum, which will be held on 28 September on the margins of the UN General Assembly, as part of the Global Goals Week. Technological Disruption in the World of Inclusive Business, organised in partnership with the Inclusive Business Action Network (IBAN), will showcase practical applications of innovative digital technologies by inclusive business and set out supporting strategies to leverage their use to improve lives at the Base of the Economic Pyramid (BoP).

Our Impact Lab is live! – This interactive online tool is free for inclusive businesses to use to measure their social and environmental impact, helping them align their business models to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Inclusive Business and Human Rights 101 – We will soon be announcing our online courses on Inclusive Business and Human Rights developed with BSR to be launched in October. It is specifically tailored to inclusive businesses to help them better understand what human rights are, how they impact business, what can be done to avoid human rights violations, and what other peer businesses do as best practices. Don't miss it!

State of Inclusive Business Survey – Thank you to all of you who shared your prespectives on the State of inclusive business; if you haven’t done so yet, please take 10 mins of your time to complete this survey before 28 September. Findings will be shared by BCtA and GlobeScan through a webinar and report.

Upcoming events: We’re on the move!
The remainder of the year is a busy one for the BCtA team, who will be speaking on inclusive business and SDG-related issues at the following events:

Insights from the Field 


How to start measuring the impact of your business to advance the SDGs – Thinking about measuring your business’ social and environmental impact but don’t know where to start? Our Impact Management Rabayl Mirza shares five simple steps you can take today to start measuring your business impact.

Will the march of AI be a bane or boon for global development? Ahead of our Annual Forum, which focuses on how disruptive tech is changing the face of inclusive business, this topical piece by Tatsiana Hulko examines whether artificial will be a game changer in eliminating global poverty.

How WhatsApp and SMS are being used to save mothers’ and babies’ lives – Jacaranda Health talks to The Guardian about how by providing vital maternity services via mobile phones, they are transforming childbirth survival rates in Kenya.

Rethinking Collaboration for the SDGs – Business Fights Poverty partners with Barclays and GSK to lead this thought-provoking discussion on how business, government and civil society can better collaborate to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals on 24 September on the margins of the UN General Assembly. Find out more and register here.

ANDE launches online Data Visualization Tool to Identify Market Gaps in Emerging Market Economies: The Ecosystem Snapshots platform aims to identify gaps and opportunities for the small and growing business sector, providing an in-depth look at the web of financial and non-financial support that exists for entrepreneurs globally.

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