Entrepreneurship as a solution to poverty

•The authors initially review 10 years of literature on poverty including base of the pyramid and entrepreneurship in the journals listed in Financial Times.•The resulting 83 articles are examined along their contributions to entrepreneurship, management, and economics. These contributions are then discussed in terms of future research by entrepreneurship scholars.•Five articles that are published in the special issue are the outcome of the initial 71 submissions to the call for papers•The future research needs in entrepreneurship as scholars build on the existing 83 articles on connecting poverty and entrepreneurship plus the five new ones in this special issue are discussed.

Individuals living in poverty remain a critical issue. This special issue focuses on how entrepreneurship can help to solve such poverty. Rather than viewing those in poverty as a market for goods, the solution lies in understanding how to help those living in poverty create their own businesses. Ultimately, entrepreneurship among those in poverty will create a long lasting solution to their poverty. Herein, we initially examine the extant knowledge about entrepreneurship. We then examine where future research on this important topic should move. Finally, we introduce the five articles that make up this special issue. These five articles came from the initial 71 submissions and enhance our knowledge about entrepreneurship as a pathway to reducing poverty.