Business Council for Peace

What Business Council for Peace does

Bpeace (Business Council for Peace) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2002 and headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, that delivers free, pro bono business consulting to vetted small and medium-sized businesses in crisis-affected and underserved communities. Its core service model pairs each entrepreneur — called a "Fast Runner" — with senior-level volunteer business experts (600+ "Skillanthropists") sourced from major consultancies and corporations including ZS Associates, PwC, Accenture, Barclays, and Morgan Stanley. Services are delivered through sector-specific programs: Maximizer Forward, Travel Maximizer, Pharma Maximizer, Food Maximizer, Jobs Maximizer, and the Leaders Circle leadership program, supplemented by Learning Labs and Ask the Expert advisory sessions.

Bpeace operates with a small paid staff of 1-10 employees and does not develop proprietary technology products; the platform is service-based, relying on direct program delivery, in-person engagements, virtual consultations, and partner channels (corporate volunteer pipelines, foundation-funded programs). Programs are delivered in the United States, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, with prior operations in Afghanistan, Rwanda, and Lebanon. Bpeace funds its operations through donations, corporate giving, and grants from institutional partners such as USAID, Truist Foundation, Nasdaq Foundation, and Argidius.

The organization reports 20 years of cumulative impact: 660+ businesses advised, 69,000 jobs created or maintained, 250,000 lives improved, 74% women-led businesses in the portfolio, and $2.3 billion in revenue contributed to local economies. It is governed by a board chaired by former Accenture managing partner Mark Fleming, with CEO Caroline Basso and co-founder Toni Maloney in founder/board roles.

Name

Business Council for Peace

Legal name

Business Council for Peace

Website

https://bpeace.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bpeace is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2002 that pairs vetted small businesses in crisis-affected communities across the U.S., El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras with 600+ senior volunteer business experts (Skillanthropists) for free pro bono consulting and job creation support, with 74% of supported businesses women-led.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Winston Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Bpeace is a nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The organization accepts charitable contributions and has a donate button on its website.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Business Council for Peace (Bpeace) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free, customized business consulting and management development to vetted small and medium-sized businesses in crisis-affected and underserved communities. Its model pairs entrepreneurs with 600+ senior-level volunteer business experts (called "Skillanthropists") through a portfolio of sector-specific Maximizer programs (Forward, Travel, Food, Pharma, Jobs) and the Leaders Circle leadership development program. Services are funded by donations, grants, and corporate/foundation partnerships (USAID, Truist Foundation, Nasdaq Foundation, ZS Associates, PwC) and focused on job creation, revenue growth, and women's economic empowerment.

Product overview

Bpeace (Business Council for Peace) is a nonprofit organization that operates as a single, unified service model rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The organization delivers high-quality, customized business consulting and management development through volunteer business experts to carefully vetted small and medium-size businesses. The core offering consists of multiple Maximizer programs (Forward, Travel, Food, Pharma, and Jobs) that are tailored to specific sectors and geographies, complemented by the Leaders Circle leadership development program. All programs are powered by Bpeace's unique Skillanthropist network of 600+ volunteer experts. Additional support services include Learning Lab workshops for group training and Ask the Expert advisory sessions for targeted guidance. The organization primarily serves entrepreneurs in crisis-affected and underserved communities across Central America (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras) and the United States, with a focus on women-owned and led businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Maximizer Forward Program
• Travel Maximizer Program Sector-specific program focused on enhancing the competitiveness and growth of the Salvadoran tourism sector, including hotels and tour operators, in partnership with the USAID Economic Competitiveness Project.
• Food Maximizer Program Sector-specific program supporting food and beverage businesses in Central America (e.g., Guatemala) with expertise in operations, supply chain, and market expansion.
• Pharma Maximizer Program Sector-specific program supporting Salvadoran SMEs in the pharmaceutical sector with workshops on regional expansion, Amazon marketplace optimization, and U.S. market export strategies.
• Jobs Maximizer Program U.S.-focused program launched in 2021 that connects minority-owned businesses (Black, Latino, Asian-owned) with experienced business volunteer mentors to accelerate growth, revenue, and job creation, developed in partnership with the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) and supported by the Truist Foundation.
• Leaders Circle Program Leadership development program focused on unleashing leadership potential in women entrepreneurs through peer learning cohorts and expert mentorship.
• Skillanthropist Program Bpeace's volunteer expert network of 600+ business professionals (Skillanthropists) sourced from leading firms including ZS Associates, PwC, Accenture, and Barclays, who provide pro bono consulting services to entrepreneurs in crisis-affected areas.

Quantifiable outcome

• $2.3 billion in revenue contributed to local economies over 20 years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEO partnered with Bpeace to develop the Jobs Maximizer program for minority-owned businesses in the U.S., combining AEO's enterprise opportunity expertise with Bpeace's volunteer consulting model.
• ZS AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZS Associates is a key corporate partner that channels employee volunteers (86+ employees) into Bpeace programs. The partnership includes learning labs, OKR training, and direct consulting support for Fast Runner businesses. ZS employees volunteer their consulting expertise through various Bpeace engagements.
• PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPwC has partnered with Bpeace with over 100 PwC professionals involved in volunteering. PwC partners serve on the Bpeace board and support business consulting engagements in Central America.
• The ExCo GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ExCo Group has forged a partnership with Bpeace to empower entrepreneurs through executive coaching and mentoring connections.
• Thunderbird School of Global ManagementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThunderbird is listed as a partner organization supporting Bpeace's mission.
• GLG (Gerson Lehrman Group)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGLG is listed as a partner organization supporting Bpeace's mission.
• PalladiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLuis Soto, Chief of Party at Palladium, provided testimonial about Bpeace's productive work on the USAID Economic Competitiveness Project.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Opportunity International: Nonprofit microfinance institution providing loans, training, and advisory to small entrepreneurs in developing countries, including Central America. Comparable focus on job creation via SME support, with an additional capital provision layer.
• Mercy Corps: Large humanitarian and economic development NGO that runs livelihood and SME support programs in crisis-affected countries. Operates at much larger scale across many regions; comparable in addressing economic stability through entrepreneurship in fragile contexts.
• Accion: Global nonprofit committed to financial inclusion that supports microfinance and SME development across Latin America and other emerging markets. Comparable target beneficiary (underserved SMEs) and Latin America footprint.
• Ashoka: Global organization supporting social entrepreneurs and changemakers. Comparable in championing entrepreneurship as a tool for social impact and operating a network model of fellows/mentors across many countries.
• Grameen Foundation: Nonprofit focused on alleviating poverty through microfinance and support for micro-entrepreneurs in developing countries. Comparable mission and beneficiary profile, though delivery model differs (digital tools and microfinance rather than volunteer consulting).

Direct peers

• Root Capital: Nonprofit impact investor that provides capital and advisory services to small and growing businesses in Latin America and Africa, including in post-crisis regions. Comparable in combining SME advisory with development-finance orientation.
• Palladium: Global advisory firm implementing donor-funded economic development projects (including USAID programs in El Salvador referenced by Bpeace partners). Comparable as an implementer of bilateral-funded SME and competitiveness programs in crisis-affected regions.
• TechnoServe: Nonprofit that provides business consulting and capacity-building to entrepreneurs and SMEs in developing countries, including Central America. Most directly comparable organization to Bpeace in mission, methodology (pro bono/field-based advisory), and target beneficiary profile.
• Kiva: Nonprofit crowdfunding platform providing microloans to small businesses and entrepreneurs, including in Central America. Comparable in mobilizing a distributed supporter base to fund underserved entrepreneurs, though Kiva's mechanism is capital rather than consulting.

Others

• International Finance Corporation (IFC) SME Programs: World Bank Group member focused on private-sector development in emerging markets, including SME advisory and capacity-building programs in Central America. Operates at vastly larger scale and is a funder/ecosystem player rather than a direct competitor, but shapes the SME-advisory landscape in the same geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bpeacehq
• Facebookfacebook.com/139050159462627
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bpeace-business-council-for-peace-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Business Council for Peace