SM Global Goals Summit Register - Business Fights Poverty

“The global community is at a critical moment in its pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)...The global extreme poverty rate rose for the first time in over 20 years, and 119 to 124 million people were pushed back into extreme poverty in 2020.”

António Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations

The pandemic has had and continues to have a devastating impact on the lives, livelihoods and learning opportunities of millions of people around the world, especially the most vulnerable. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2021 shows the profound impact that the pandemic has had on the gains that have been made towards the SDGs - from progress on gender equity to the rise in poverty.

At the same time, with the COP26 climate summit imminent, it is clear that we need to put people at the centre of our strategies to tackle climate change: understanding the disproportionate impacts on the most vulnerable people and communities, and ensuring that the transition to a green economy is also a just one.

As the world convenes for the UN General Assembly this September, join us to explore the role that business can and must play in partnership with government and civil society to ensure that we rebuild better from the pandemic. Together, we can protect the gains already made, and ensure we accelerate progress towards the equitable and resilient future envisioned in the SDGs.

Access Insights. Build Relationships. Drive Collaboration on the SDGs.

We invite you to join us for a week of highly interactive events bringing together voices and insights from across the globe, from business, NGOs, academia and government. Access and share the latest thinking on the role of business in tackling the SDGs. Deepen connections and build new relationships to drive forward collaborative action on the SDGs.

Each day, we will come together to explore a different theme about business and the SDGs. Don’t miss out on the chance to:

Hear how businesses are driving social and environmental innovation internally, with valuable advice on how you can overcome challenges to do the same.

Access the latest practical insights and tactics from real-world examples of businesses tackling the SDGs so that you can scale the impact of your own efforts.

Tap into current thinking and best-practice lessons on priorities for collaborative action, and identify new connections to take forward your own partnerships.

They say 'the more you tell, the more you sell' which is true... but only if people actually read what you write. People read text that's punchy, interesting and helps them make a good buying decision.

This event is part of Global Goals Week, a shared commitment of partnership between civil society, business, academia and the UN system to accelerate action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the Decade of Action to Deliver the Global Goals.

Global Goals Week will take place virtually this year (17-26 September), focusing on making this a turning point to recover better for people and planet, as the pandemic threatens to reverse decades of progress. Our coalition of more than 100 partners will mobilize on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly High-level Week to cultivate ideas, identify solutions, and hold leaders accountable.

To view the full calendar of events, click here.

Meet some of our amazing speakers and panelists

Sergio Rincon

President of AB InBev-Backus, Peru

Andy Bird

CEO, Pearson

Ester Baiget

CEO, Novozymes

Jane Nelson

Director, Corporate Responsibility Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School

Mark Breitbard

President & CEO Global Gap Brand, Franchise, Strategic Alliances & Licensing, Gap

Abby Maxman

CEO and President, Oxfam America

Cathy Pieters

Senior Director Sustainable Ingredients & Cocoa Life, Mondelez

Keith Kibirango

Director of Philanthropy and Private Sector Engagement, Crown Agents

Myriam Sidibé

Founder,
Brands on a Mission

Barry Parkin

Chief Procurement and Sustainability Officer, Mars Inc

Emily Dalton Smith

VP, Social Impact, Facebook

John Blood

Chief Legal and Corporate Affairs Officer & Corporate Secretary, AB InBev

Jephthah Mensah

Agricultural and Environmental Manager of Cocoa Life Ghana, Mondelez

Richard Fox

Director of Sustainability, Flamingo Horticulture Ltd

Payal Dalal

Senior Vice President, Social Impact, International Markets, Center for Inclusive Growth, Mastercard

Henriette Kolb

Manager Gender and Economic Inclusion Department, IFC

Sharath Jeevan

Thought leader in motivation and Founding Head of eBay for Charity

Susanne Palsten Buchardt
Vice President, Agricultural & Industrial Biosolutions, Novozymes Europe

Adenike Adeyemi

CEO, FATE Foundation Nigeria & Trustee, Youth Business International

Scott Ratzan

Distinguished Lecturer, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy

Richard Rogers

Managing Director, Rogers MacJohn

Cristina Bortes

Director, Sustainable Value Creation. PwC

Mamadou Biteye

Vice President, Inclusive Growth, Global Social Impact, Visa Inc

Caroline Read

Director for Economic Cooperation and Growth, UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Isaya Muiru

Technical Manager/Senior Trainer, FlowerWatch

Catalina Garcia

Global Director of Corporate Affairs, AB InBev and Board Director, AB InBev Foundation

Leslie Crutchfield

Executive Director, Business for Impact, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University

Ian Michell

Group Technical and Procurement Director, Flamingo

Richard Stallings

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Manager, Novozymes North America

Esha Sheth

Senior Global Sustainability Manager - Social Equity Diversity & Inclusion, Global Sustainability Team, Unilever

Mario Elias Gonzalez Lupercio

Shared Value and Innovation, CEMEX

Monique Ntumngia

Founder of the Green Girls Organisation and CEO, Monafrik Energy

Rebecca Calder

Director and Co-Founder, Kore Global

Sana Kapadia

Project Director, Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (JEDI), GenderSmart Investing

Erin Tansey

Director, Sustainable Inclusive Economies, International Development Research Centre

Laís Higashi

President, Litre of Light Brazil

JP Suarez

Chief Administration Officer, Walmart International and Regional CEO, Massmart

Jennifer D Wilson

Lead of Emerging Topics - Global Responsible Business, Accenture

Mansi Kulshreshtha

Executive Assistant to Head of India, Novozymes South Asia Pvt. Ltd

Lorena Guillé-Laris

Global Fellow, League of Intrapreneurs

Barry Clavin

Ethics & Sustainability, The Co-op

Mike Quinn

Author, "Failing to Win", and Co-Founder & CEO at Boost Technology

Olabisi Akinbajo

Director and Founder, Toke Cosmetics

Marta Krupinska

Chair, Youth Business International & Head, Google Startups UK

Jiselle Steele

Private Sector Gender Advisor, Oxfam

Anne Breum

Lab Technician, Union Chairperson, Novozymes A/S

Julie Jenson Bennett

Practice Lead for Intergenerational Fairness, The School of International Futures

Monica Romis

Private Sector Human Rights Advisor, Oxfam

Yogesh Gawande

Founder, NIYO Innovative Solutions LLP

Elvis Kadhama

Co-Founder, Pearl Entrepreneurs Academy, Uganda, & Fellow, One Young World

Dr. Claus Runge

Senior Vice President, Global Head of Market Access, Public Affairs & Sustainability at Bayer Pharmaceuticals

Sofía del Valle Trivelli

Engagement Manager, Social Transformation, Gender and Human Rights at World Benchmarking Alliance

Alison Ward

CEO, Cotton Connect

Sunita Pitamber

Associate Director, Gender Mainstreaming and Access to Services, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Katie Hyson

Director of Thought Leadership, Business Fights Poverty

Alice Allan

Collaboration Director, Business Fights Poverty

Andrew Bovarnick

Global Head, Food and Agricultural Commodity Systems (FACS), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Mildred Nadah Pita

Head Global Healthcare Programs/Sustainability Middle Africa, Bayer

Rafael Flor

Senior Program Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Sheetal Nischal

Sustainability Projects Manager, Primark

Karen Smith

Agriculture Portfolio Lead, Business Partnerships for Global Goals

Clare Flannery

Sustainability Manager, AB InBev

Cecilia Retegui

CEO, Zolvers

Lorenzo Pavone

Deputy Head of Networks, Partnerships and Gender Division, OECD Development Centre

Charlotte Hugman

Leading Research on Climate & Energy at World Benchmarking Alliance

Eliza Natividad Robles

Business Owner, Lima, Peru

David Adler

Technical Director, MWW Ltd

Inge Jacobs

Senior Manager Human Rights and Income – Cocoa, Mars Wrigley

AGENDA

MON 20 SEP
LEADERSHIP

Business innovation to deliver the SDGS.

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WELCOME

1.00 - 1.30 PM BST
8.00 - 8.30 AM EDT

Welcome by Zahid and Yvette Torres-Rahman, Founders, Business Fights Poverty

Followed by a Fireside Chat with:

Eliza Natividad Robles, Business Owner, Lima, Peru

Sergio Rincon, President of AB InBev-Backus, Peru

Jane Nelson, Director, Corporate Responsibility Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School (moderator)

Join to hear how AB InBev has been supporting small businesses during the pandemic via new technology and capacity building to enhance the impact their customers are having in their communities.

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WEBINAR

1.30 - 2.30 PM BST
8.30 - 9.30 AM EDT

Business Leadership for the SDGs

Hosted with Harvard Kennedy School Corporate Responsibility Initiative

Mamadou Biteye, Vice President, Inclusive Growth, Global Social Impact, Visa Inc

Elvis Kadhama, Co-Founder, Pearl Entrepreneurs Academy, Uganda, & Fellow, One Young World

Mike Quinn, Author, "Failing to Win", and Co-Founder & CEO at Boost Technology

Caroline Read, Director for Economic Cooperation and Growth, UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Jane Nelson, Director, Corporate Responsibility Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School (moderator)

In this session, we will consider business leadership and the SDGs, from the point of view of panellists from the inter-governmental, government, business, and youth communities. What are the expectations on business to act on the significant challenges the world faces, and what does good leadership look like?

Join to deep-dive into the multiple ways that business can take action and partner across sectors to create a more sustainable and resilient future.

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MASTERCLASS

2.30 - 4.00 PM BST
9.30 - 11.00 AM EDT

Embedding Purpose into Brands to Deliver the SDGs

Hosted with AB InBev

John Blood, Chief Legal and Corporate Affairs Officer & Corporate Secretary, AB InBev

Mark Breitbard, President & CEO Global Gap Brand, Franchise, Strategic Alliances & Licensing. Gap

Emily Dalton Smith, VP of Social Impact, Facebook

Myriam Sidibe, Founder, Brands on a Mission

Leslie Crutchfield, Executive Director, Business for Impact, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University (moderator)

In this masterclass, we bring together leading practitioners to share their advice on why and how to embed purpose in brands. We will focus on how businesses can leverage the reach and trust of their corporate and/or consumer-facing brands to drive positive change in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Join this session if you are looking for practical guidance and inspiration from real-world examples. Hear about the powerful impact for people and planet, as well as for business growth and competitiveness

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PEER CIRCLES

4.00 - 5.00 PM BST
11.00 AM - 12.00 PM EDT

Building Self- and Corporate Motivation

With Sharath Jeevan, thought leader in motivation and Founding Head of eBay for Charity

Interactive peer support sessions (by application). Places are limited.

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TUE 21 SEP
EQUITY

Delivering a fair and equitable future.

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WELCOME

1.00 - 1.30 PM BST
8.00 - 8.30 AM EDT

Welcome by Zahid and Yvette, Business Fights Poverty

Followed by a Fireside Chat with:

Ester Baiget, CEO, Novozymes

Anne Breum, Lab Technician, Union Chairperson, Novozymes A/S

Mansi Kulshreshtha, Executive Assistant to Head of India, Novozymes South Asia Pvt. Ltd

Susanne Palsten Buchardt, Vice President, Agricultural & Industrial Biosolutions, Novozymes Europe

Richard Stallings, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Manager, Novozymes North America

Join to hear different perspectives and insights from across Novozymes on what they are doing to drive equity via inclusion and what more they can do to drive "The Inclusion Economy" forward.

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WEBINAR

1.30 - 2.30 PM BST
8.30 - 9.30 AM EDT

Business and the Care Economy

Hosted with International Development Research Centre (IDRC)

Rebecca Calder, Director and Co-Founder, Kore Global

Sana Kapadia, Project Director, Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (JEDI), GenderSmart Investing

Cecilia Retegui, CEO, Zolvers

Esha Sheth, Senior Global Sustainability Manager - Social Equity Diversity & Inclusion, Global Sustainability Team, Unilever

Erin Tansey, Director, Sustainable Inclusive Economies, IDRC (moderator)

This webinar focuses on overcoming unpaid care and domestic work as key barriers to women’s and girls’ empowerment. It will highlight concrete strategies for the private sector to address the gender and social disparities associated with vulnerable or unpaid care jobs and transform them into sustainable business and fair employment opportunities.

Join us to learn about emerging market-based solutions and how we can bring them to scale; and to understand the roles of large and small businesses alongside capital allocators in transforming the care economy.

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WEBINAR

2.30 - 3.30 PM BST
9.30 - 10.30 AM EDT

Harnessing Digital to Drive Inclusive Economic Opportunity

Hosted with Walmart

Payal Dalal, Senior Vice President, Social Impact, International Markets, Center for Inclusive Growth, Mastercard

Henriette Kolb, Manager Gender and Economic Inclusion Department, IFC

Lorenzo Pavone, Deputy Head of Networks, Partnerships and Gender Division, OECD Development Centre

JP Suarez, Chief Administration Officer , Walmart International and Regional CEO, Massmart

Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership, Business Fights Poverty (Moderator)

UN Deputy Secretary General Amina Mohammed declared that “Without decisive action, the digital divide will become the new face of inequality.”
We will explore how to harness digital transparency tools to drive inclusive economic opportunities. From bringing small and micro enterprises into supply chains, to the inclusion of women through digital.

Together, we’ll hear leading edge insights on cross-sectoral opportunities in order to engage; learn about best practices on digital transformation and supply chains; whilst meeting the leading thinkers to expand your network and forge new partnerships.

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WED 22 SEP
OPPORTUNITY

Supporting incomes and livelihoods.

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WELCOME

1.00 - 1.30 PM BST
8.00 - 8.30 AM EDT

Welcome by Zahid and Yvette, Business Fights Poverty

Followed by a Fireside Chat with:

Abby Maxman, CEO and President, Oxfam America

Barry Parkin, Chief Procurement and Sustainability Officer, Mars Inc

Join to hear Mars and Oxfam debate whether we are brave enough to fix a broken food system and how they are working together through the Farmer Income Lab to improve farmer livelihoods.

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WEBINAR

1.30 - 2.30 PM BST
8.30 - 9.30 AM EDT

Business and Agricultural Transformation

Hosted with Mars Inc

Andrew Bovarnick, Global Head, Food and Agricultural Commodity Systems (FACS), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Clare Flannery, Sustainability Manager, AB InBev

Rafael Flor, Senior Program Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Inge Jacobs Senior Manager Human Rights and Income – Cocoa, Mars Wrigley

Richard Rogers, Managing Director, Rogers MacJohn (Moderator)

In this panel discussion, we will focus on lessons for companies from countries that have successfully and sustainably reduced smallholder poverty at scale, as part of the country’s rural agricultural transformation process. Drawing on brand new research by The Farmer Income Lab, founded by Mars Inc, as well as practical examples, we explore the role business can play in building smallholder resilience.

Join this session If you want to hear about some of the latest thinking on supporting smallholder farmers, with valuable and practical insights that you can take back into your own organisations.

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WEBINAR

2.30 - 3.30 PM BST
9.30 - 10.30 AM EDT

Unleashing the Potential of Youth Enterprise

Hosted with Youth Business International

Adenike Adeyemi, CEO, FATE Foundation Nigeria & Trustee, YBI

Olabisi Akinbajo, Founder of Toke Cosmetics (young entrepreneur), Nigeria

Yogesh Gawande, Founder of NIYO Innovative Solutions LLP (young entrepreneur), India

Marta Krupinska, Chair, YBI & Head of Google Startups UK

Jennifer D. Wilson, Lead of Emerging Topics - Global Responsible Business, Accenture

Faced with a dire job market, entrepreneurship gives young people an opportunity for unlocking income generation and creating decent work for themselves and others. But what support is available to succeed? Together we’ll explore what challenges and effective support for young entrepreneurs look like.

This session provides you with the opportunity to build your case for why supporting young entrepreneurs makes business sense; explores specific challenges and shines a light on opportunities as we hear first-hand testimonies from young entrepreneurs.

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THU 23 SEP
CLIMATE

Putting people at the heart of climate.

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WELCOME

1.00 - 1.30 PM BST
8.00 - 8.30 AM EDT

Welcome by Zahid Torres-Rahman, Business Fights Poverty and Monique Ntumngia, Founder of the Green Girls Organisation and CEO, Monafrik Energy

Followed by a Fireside Chat with:

David Adler, Technical Director, MWW Ltd

Barry Clavin, Ethics & Sustainability, The Co-op

Ian Michell, Group Technical and Procurement Director, Flamingo

Masarrat Syeda, Public Affairs and Stakeholder Engagement Manager, H&M Bangladesh

Join to hear the view of senior business executives on the importance of climate to BP4GG partners in agriculture and the role of partnerships as a modality for delivering climate action.

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WEBINAR

1.30 - 2.30 PM BST
8.30 - 9.30 AM EDT

Business Partnerships Tackling Climate Change

Hosted with Business Partnerships for Global Goals / UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Richard Fox, Sustainability Director at Flamingo Horticulture Limited

Jephthah Mensah, Agricultural and Environmental Manager of Cocoa Life Ghana, Mondelez

Isaya Muiru, Technical Manager/Senior Trainer, FlowerWatch

Cathy Pieters, Senior Director of Sustainable Ingredients and Cocoa Life, Mondelez

Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership, Business Fights Poverty &
Karen Smith, Agriculture Portfolio Lead, Business Partnerships for Global Goals
(moderators)

Approximately 2.3 billion tonnes less carbon was emitted during 2020 due to the pandemic. Join this panel to explore how businesses partnered, innovated and pivoted to ensure value chain continuity, save jobs and reduce carbon. Simultaneously, understand why farmers and growers need to be at the heart of climate action and how businesses are doing this.

Curious what business is doing to support people as they mitigate against climate change? Together we’ll hear how innovation can trigger greener trade-led growth so that it can be scaled and replicated. With an opportunity to explore multi-party partnerships acting as a force for good.

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WEBINAR

2.30 - 3.30 PM BST
9.30 - 10.30 AM EDT

Women and the Net Zero Economy: Business Opportunities and Challenges in Supply Chains

Hosted with Work and Opportunities for Women / UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Cristina Bortes, Director, Sustainability and International Development, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Sheetal Nischal, Sustainability Projects Manager, Primark

Sunita Pitamber, Associate Director, Gender Mainstreaming and Access to Services, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Alison Ward, CEO, Cotton Connect

Alice Allan, Collaboration Director, Business Fights Poverty (moderator)

This interactive panel discussion focuses on the twin challenges of realizing women’s economic empowerment and tackling climate change. How do these critical social and environmental issues relate and how can a transition to net zero still achieve economic empowerment for women in global value chains?

Join us to gather insights from the Work and Opportunities for Women (WoW) Programme’s recent report; hear about examples of action; and help shape a toolkit for business which will inform an in-person event at COP-26.

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PEER CIRCLES

4.00 - 5.00 PM BST
11.00 AM - 12.00 PM EDT

Collaboration: Learning from the Pandemic

With Jennifer Ekelund, Director of Engagement & Green Transition, The Partnering Initiative (TPI)

Interactive peer support sessions (by application). Places are limited.

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FRI 24 SEP
PARTNERSHIP

Collaborating for system-level change.

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WELCOME

1.00 - 1.30 PM BST
8.00 - 8.30 AM EDT

Welcome by Zahid and Yvette, Business Fights Poverty

Followed by a Fireside Chat with:

Mildred Nadah Pita,
Head Global Healthcare Programs/Sustainability Middle Africa, Bayer

Dr. Claus Runge,
Senior Vice President, Global Head of Market Access, Public Affairs & Sustainability at Bayer Pharmaceuticals

The past two years have put massive pressure on healthcare systems and work in supporting those who are most vulnerable. Join this session to hear about Partnerships for Family Planning – from Global to Local. Collaborating for change.

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WEBINAR

1.30 - 2.30 PM BST
8.30 - 9.30 AM EDT

Health Literacy and Access: The Role of Business Partnerships

Hosted with Business Partners to CONVINCE

Catalina Garcia, Global Director of Corporate Affairs, AB InBev and Board Director, AB InBev Foundation

Keith Kibirango, Director of Philanthropy and Private Sector Engagement, Crown Agents

Scott Ratzan, Distinguished Lecturer, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy

Moderator:
Zahid Torres-Rahman, Co-Founder and CEO, Business Fights Poverty

In this session, we explore the role of business partnerships in ensuring vaccine literacy and access, recognising the role prevention strategies will play in helping us recover from the pandemic. Drawing on live examples, we will unpack the challenges and opportunities of business engagement - whether through their workforce or by harnessing their logistics and marketing capacities.

Join this session if you are actively seeking to understand how best to engage your business or business partners in prevention efforts efforts around the world. Get practical advice, and hear the latest thinking.

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WEBINAR

2.30 - 3.30 PM BST
9.30 - 10.30 AM EDT

Building Skills for a Sustainable Future: From Learning to Action

Hosted with Pearson

Opening:

Andy Bird, CEO, Pearson

Zahid Torres-Rahman, Co-Founder & CEO, Business Fights Poverty

Panel:

Els Howard-Polman, Vice President Enterprise & Institution Research and Innovation Pearson

Natasha KwaKwa,
Global Head, Community Programmes & Impact, Group Sustainability, Standard Chartered

Mario Elias Gonzalez Lupercio, Shared Value and Innovation, CEMEX

Katie Hyson, Director of Thought Leadership, Business Fights Poverty (Moderator)

This interactive session focuses on how the private sector can both support - and benefit from - collaborative initiatives to build the skills that are essential to our future prosperity. What knowledge and skills do we need now, and can we best put our learning into action?

Join us to reflect on our take-home messages from the week, and explore how business can equip their employees and wider community to play their part in tackling the challenges ahead.

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Agenda subject to change.

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About Us

We are a global community of people, companies and organisations passionate about building an equitable and resilient future.

We believe in the power of business to help improve the lives, livelihoods and learning opportunities of the most vulnerable people and communities.

We know that driving system-level change for a better future requires people to unite across traditional divides and come together in fresh and creative ways.

We curate purposeful collaboration to help companies and their partners access the insights and relationships they need to unlock new opportunities for business and social impact.

Join us. We are Business Fights Poverty.

Business Fights Poverty is proud to be a Founding UK B Corp.

© 2022 Business Fights Poverty. The Business Fights Poverty logo and tree device are registered trademarks. View Terms and Conditions.

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