The conference, attempted to bring together the Foundation’s partners and grantees to collectively take stock of our progress and to dialogue about the Sandbox and what we can do moving forward. Secondly, the conference served as a vehicle for outsiders to learn about development, NGOs and nonprofits, and their challenges and what type of philanthropy and activism they may wish to undertake. It brought together hundreds of practitioners, academics, investors, grassroots activists, philanthropists and entrepreneurs from across the world. The key theme of Development Dialogue 2012 was ‘Thriving in the Ecosystem’. Panel topics included: Building Institutions for an Inclusive Ecosystem; the Art of Institutionalizing ‘Value Chain’ Work; Making Market Work for: the Bottom of the Pyramid; Building Human Resources for Development: Insights and Livelihoods through a Rights-Based Approach, etc.