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Social Business Day

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki


Social Business Day
StatusActive
GenreInternational conference / Awareness day
FrequencyAnnual
VenueVaries (primary venue in Dhaka, Bangladesh)
Location(s)Bangladesh and internationally
CountryBangladesh (host country)
InauguratedJune 28, 2009 (2009-06-28)
Organised byYunus Centre, Grameen Group
Websiteyunuscentre.org

Social Business Day is an annual international conference and awareness day held on or around 28 June each year, organised by the Yunus Centre in collaboration with the Grameen Group and hosted by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. The event brings together social entrepreneurs, academics, corporate leaders, policymakers, youth advocates, and civil society representatives from around the world to celebrate, discuss, and advance the concept of social business — a model of enterprise designed to solve social problems rather than to maximise private profit.

The date of 28 June was selected to coincide with the birthday of Professor Muhammad Yunus, who was born on that date in 1940 in Chittagong, Bangladesh.[1] The inaugural edition was held in 2009, making the 2026 gathering the 16th Social Business Day.[2]

Background: Social Business

Concept and Definition

Social business is a category of enterprise conceived and formalised by Professor Muhammad Yunus. Unlike conventional profit-maximising companies and unlike traditional charities or non-governmental organisations, a social business occupies a distinct middle ground: it operates as a self-sustaining commercial entity, generating its own revenue to cover costs, but dedicates all profits to the expansion of its social mission rather than distributing dividends to investors or shareholders.

Yunus has described social business as a "non-loss, non-dividend" company dedicated entirely to achieving a social goal.[3] Investors may recover the amount of their original capital investment, but beyond that, all surplus is reinvested into the enterprise for growth, innovation, or seeding new social business ventures.

The concept differs markedly from corporate social responsibility (CSR), in which a fraction of a profit-making company's earnings is set aside for charitable or social activities. In social business, the entire business model is oriented toward a social objective. As Yunus has stated: "A charity dollar has only one life. A Social Business dollar has endless life."[4]

Intellectual Origins

The intellectual roots of social business lie in Yunus's work with microcredit and Grameen Bank from the 1970s onward. Observing extreme poverty in rural Bangladesh — particularly following the devastating famine of 1974 — Yunus began lending small sums of his own money to impoverished villagers near Chittagong University, where he was then a professor of economics. From this experiment grew the Grameen Bank, formally established in 1983, which pioneered the provision of small, collateral-free loans predominantly to poor women.[5]

Over time, the Grameen model expanded into a constellation of social enterprises — Grameen Phone, Grameen Shakti (energy), Grameen Danone Foods, and others — each designed not to generate profit for shareholders but to address specific social problems sustainably.[6] These enterprises became the empirical foundation on which Yunus formalised the social business concept in his books Creating a World Without Poverty (2007) and Building Social Business (2010).[7]

Types of Social Business

Yunus distinguishes two types of social business:[8]

  • Type I — A non-dividend company in which investors receive back only their invested capital. All profits are retained within the enterprise to expand its social mission. The company is dedicated to solving a defined social problem (poverty, disease, environmental damage, etc.).
  • Type II — A profit-making company that is owned by poor people, either directly or through a trust. The profit generated benefits the poor owners by improving their income, assets, and standard of living.

Seven Principles of Social Business

In Building Social Business, Yunus articulates seven core principles that guide the establishment and operation of a social business:[9]

  1. The business objective is to overcome poverty or one or more social problems, not to maximise profit.
  2. The business will attain financial and economic sustainability.
  3. Investors receive back their investment amount only; no dividend is given beyond the return of the original investment.
  4. When the investment amount is paid back, the company's profit stays with the company for expansion and improvement.
  5. The business will be environmentally conscious.
  6. The workforce receives market wages and better-than-standard working conditions.
  7. Do it with joy.

Distinction from Related Concepts

Social business is sometimes confused with related but distinct concepts. It differs from:

  • Social enterprise (a broader term that includes profit-distributing businesses with social objectives)
  • Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) (which rely on external donations and grants and do not need to be self-sustaining)
  • Corporate Social Responsibility (a subsidiary function of an otherwise profit-driven business)
  • Philanthropy (one-time or recurring charitable giving without expectation of financial sustainability)

As Yunus has explained, social business is "not charity" but is "more effective, much more transparent than charity," because investors remain engaged and must design the enterprise meticulously to ensure both social impact and financial sustainability.[10]

About Social Business Day

Purpose

Social Business Day serves as an annual global gathering to:[11]

  • Celebrate and share accumulated experiences of social business leaders and entrepreneurs worldwide
  • Highlight new developments, innovations, and case studies in the field
  • Foster connections between entrepreneurs, academics, policymakers, corporations, and youth
  • Discuss strategies to address major global challenges through the social business framework
  • Announce new social business ventures, joint ventures, and institutional agreements

The event typically features plenary sessions, interactive workshops, country forums, a social business marketplace or showcase, and a 3ZERO Club Convention — the latter dedicated to Yunus's vision of a world of zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions.

Significance of the Date

The date of 28 June was chosen deliberately to mark the birthday of Professor Muhammad Yunus.[12][13] This connection between the person and the movement is deliberate: Yunus is universally regarded as the founder and chief advocate of the social business movement, and his birthday serves as both a personal tribute and a symbolic anchor for the global celebration of the concept.

Organisation

Social Business Day is primarily organised by the Yunus Centre, a Dhaka-based think tank and global resource hub established initially as the Yunus Secretariat in October 2006 following Yunus and Grameen Bank's joint receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize, and renamed to its current form in July 2008.[14] The event is organised in collaboration with the Grameen Group of organisations. In years where the event is held outside Bangladesh, a local co-host institution (typically a university or social business centre) serves as the primary on-the-ground organiser.

History

Origins (2009–2010)

Social Business Day was first organised in 2009 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with local business leaders and Grameen partners.[15] The proclamation of Social Business Day that year officially institutionalised the groundbreaking concept pioneered by Professor Yunus, drawing from his 2007 book Creating a World Without Poverty and the practical record of Grameen social businesses.

The following year, in 2010, a more formal 1st Annual Social Business Day celebration was held at the Pan-Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka, with approximately 300 guests and participants.[16] Video messages of support were delivered by notable figures including former US President Bill Clinton, the CEOs of Groupe Danone and BASF, and academics from affiliated Yunus Centres in Japan and the United Kingdom.[17] The day was simultaneously observed in cities including Hangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Karachi, Mumbai, Porto, New York City, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Wiesbaden, and Johannesburg.[13] In the same year, the movement expanded to Latin America and Europe, with special forums in Germany, Colombia, and Albania.[18]

Growth and Internationalisation (2011–2018)

Through the early 2010s, Social Business Day grew rapidly in scale and geographic reach. The conference moved from a single-day event with a few hundred participants to a multi-day international summit drawing thousands of delegates from dozens of countries.

A key parallel development was the establishment of Yunus Social Business Centres (YSBCs) at universities around the world, beginning with the Yunus Centre at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2009 — the first such centre established outside Bangladesh.[19] These centres became hubs for local Social Business Day events and regional outreach. By 2025, 114 YSBCs had been established at institutions worldwide.[20]

The 4th Annual Social Business Day was held on 28 June 2013 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, described as "a platform for you to understand the concept of social business and how you can participate in this global movement."[21] The event featured plenary sessions, interactive workshops, and a social business marketplace showcasing Bangladeshi and international social enterprises.

The Bangkok Summit (2019)

The 9th Social Business Day, held on 28–29 June 2019 at the Centara Grand and Bangkok Convention Center at CentralWorld in Bangkok, Thailand, was the largest Social Business Day to that date, with over 1,500 delegates from 62 countries.[22] The event was co-hosted by the Yunus Centre at AIT, the Yunus Social Business Centre Kasetsart University, and the Thailand Social Business Initiative. Video messages were delivered by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yusufzai, and co-founders of Water.org including actor Matt Damon.[23] Eleven landmark agreements were announced, spanning renewable energy democratisation, waste reduction, social procurement, and new Yunus Centre establishments.[24] Professor Yunus noted: "Bangkok has outdone everybody, and it has established a new benchmark for organising Social Business Days."[25]

The theme of the 2019 event was "Making Money is Happiness, Making Other People Happy is Super Happiness."[26]

Editions by Year

The following table summarises each confirmed edition of Social Business Day:

Edition Year Date(s) Location Theme
— 2009 28 June Dhaka, Bangladesh Inaugural observance
1st (formal) 2010 28 June Pan-Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, Dhaka, Bangladesh Launch of International Social Business Day
2nd 2011 28 June Dhaka, Bangladesh —
3rd 2012 27–28 June Dhaka, Bangladesh —
4th 2013 28 June Dhaka, Bangladesh —
5th 2014 28 June Dhaka, Bangladesh —
6th 2015 28 June Dhaka, Bangladesh —
7th 2016 28 June Dhaka, Bangladesh —
8th 2017 28 June Dhaka, Bangladesh —
9th 2018 28 June Dhaka, Bangladesh —
9th (Bangkok) 2019 28–29 June Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Center, Bangkok, Thailand "Making Money is Happiness, Making Other People Happy is Super Happiness"
10th 2020 28 June Virtual / Dhaka, Bangladesh (COVID-19 restrictions) —
11th 2021 28 June Virtual / Dhaka, Bangladesh —
12th 2022 27–28 June Dhaka, Bangladesh —
13th 2023 27–28 June Dhaka, Bangladesh "War, Peace and Economics: Future of Human Beings"
14th 2024 27–28 June SMX Aura Convention Center, Manila, Philippines "Social Business: An Exit Route from the Current Self-Destructive Civilisation"
15th 2025 27–28 June Samajik Convention Centre, Zirabo, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh "Social Business is the Most Efficient Path to Ensure Healthcare for All"
16th 2026 27–28 June Samajik Convention Centre, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh "Social Business: The Language of Peace in a Fractured World"

12th Social Business Day (2022)

The 12th Social Business Day was held on 27–28 June 2022, organised by the Yunus Centre. The event reflected on the compounded global challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and extreme wealth concentration, with Yunus remarking that "combined forces of global warming, extreme wealth concentration and the pandemic have unexpectedly created a very special moment in world history."[27]

13th Social Business Day (2023)

The 13th Social Business Day was held on 27–28 June 2023, organised by the Yunus Centre in Dhaka. The conference focused on the theme "War, Peace and Economics: Future of Human Beings," addressing the global economic consequences of armed conflict and the role of social business in building more resilient, peaceful societies.[28]

14th Social Business Day (2024)

The 14th Social Business Day was held on 27–28 June 2024 at the SMX Aura Convention Center in Manila, Philippines — the first time the event was hosted in Southeast Asia outside of Thailand. The theme was "Social Business: An Exit Route from the Current Self-Destructive Civilisation," centred on the idea that social business can steer humanity away from destructive economic practices by emphasising social and environmental responsibility.[29] Local co-host was NWTF (Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation). On 29 June 2024, the Academia Dialogue and the 3ZERO Club Convention were also held as satellite events.[30]

15th Social Business Day (2025)

The 15th edition was held on 27–28 June 2025 at the Samajik Convention Centre in Zirabo, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, organised by the Yunus Centre in collaboration with the Grameen Group.[31] The theme was "Social Business is the Most Efficient Path to Ensure Healthcare for All," focusing on persistent global inequities in healthcare access and the potential for social business models to reach underserved communities. Field trips to social business project sites were arranged for delegates as part of the programme.[32]

16th Social Business Day (2026)

The 16th Social Business Day is being held on 27–28 June 2026 at the Samajik Convention Centre in Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, organised by the Yunus Centre in collaboration with the Grameen Group. The event carries the theme "Social Business: The Language of Peace in a Fractured World."[33]

The 2026 edition holds particular historic significance, as it coincides with two major milestones: the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Grameen movement (which traces its origins to Yunus's 1976 microcredit experiment in the village of Jobra, near Chittagong) and the 20th anniversary of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded jointly to Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank in 2006.[34] The anniversary of the Grameen movement will be observed as a year-long global festival, formally opening during the Social Business Day 2026 event in Dhaka.[35]

Approximately 1,500 participants are expected, including nearly 200 international guests, delegates, entrepreneurs, academics, policymakers, and youth leaders.[36] The two-day summit features five plenary sessions and seven breakout sessions covering global challenges including poverty, healthcare, financial inclusion, climate action, education, food security, and youth empowerment.[37] The Academia Dialogue and the 3ZERO Club Convention are scheduled for 29 June 2026 at the Yunus Centre as satellite events.

Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank

Professor Muhammad Yunus, the founder and host of Social Business Day, was born on 28 June 1940 in Chittagong, Bangladesh.[38] After earning a doctorate in economics from Vanderbilt University on a Fulbright scholarship, he returned to Bangladesh and joined the economics department of Chittagong University in 1972. Motivated by the 1974 famine, he began a rural credit programme that evolved into Grameen Bank, formally chartered in 1983.[39]

In October 2006, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly to Professor Yunus and Grameen Bank "for their efforts to create economic and social development from below."[40] Following the award, Yunus established the Yunus Centre (initially as the Yunus Secretariat) to serve as the central coordinating body for social business initiatives globally.

In August 2024, following widespread popular protests in Bangladesh and the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed, Yunus was appointed Chief Adviser of Bangladesh's interim government, a position through which he continued to advocate for social business alongside his governmental responsibilities.[41]

Global Social Business Movement

Yunus Social Business Centres

Social Business Day is one component of a broader global ecosystem of social business promotion. Central to this ecosystem are the Yunus Social Business Centres (YSBCs), academic units established at universities and research institutions to introduce, analyse, and advance the concept of social business among students and scholars. The first YSBC was established at the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok in 2009.[42] As of 2025, 114 YSBCs have been established globally at institutions including Harvard University, HEC Paris, the Asian Institute of Technology, Bocconi University, McGill University, the University of Glasgow, the University of Florence, and the University of Salford.[43]

Global Social Business Summit

Alongside Social Business Day, the Global Social Business Summit — organised jointly by the Yunus Centre and Grameen Creative Lab of Germany — serves as the other major annual gathering of the international social business community, generally held in November in a globally prominent city.[44]

Yunus Social Business (Germany)

Yunus Social Business (YSB) is a non-profit organisation with an impact-investing arm (Yunus Funds) and a corporate social-innovation consulting arm (Yunus Corporate Innovation). It was co-founded in 2011 by Muhammad Yunus, Saskia Bruysten, and Sophie Eisenmann in Germany, with the mission to "harness the power of business to end poverty and the climate crisis."[45] YSB operates in Brazil, Colombia, India, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, covering sectors including agriculture and livelihoods, health and sanitation, education, and energy and environment.

3ZERO Club

A distinctive feature of Social Business Day is the 3ZERO Club Convention, typically held on the day following the main conference. The 3ZERO Club is an initiative aligned with Yunus's broader vision of creating a world of three zeros:

  • Zero net carbon emissions
  • Zero wealth concentration (ending poverty)
  • Zero unemployment (by unleashing entrepreneurship in all)

The convention brings together 3ZERO Club members, 3ZERO Support Persons, and 3ZERO Support Organisations from around the world.[46]

Social Business Academia Network

A parallel academic track accompanies Social Business Day: the Social Business Academia Conference, which is coordinated through the Social Business Academia Network. The Network facilitates the annual Pre-Conference, generally held the day after the main Social Business Day event, to prepare for a larger Social Business Academia Conference later in the year.[47]

Significance and Legacy

Social Business Day has grown from a modest gathering of approximately 300–400 participants in Dhaka to an international summit routinely drawing over 1,500 participants from more than 60 countries. The event has served as a platform for announcing major social business partnerships between multinational corporations (including Danone, BASF, Adidas, and others) and Grameen entities, as well as for new Yunus Social Business Centre designations globally.

Lamiya Morshed, Executive Director of the Yunus Centre, has described Social Business Day as "a vital platform for sharing experiences, exchanging ideas, and exploring innovative solutions to address deep-seated social and economic challenges."[48]

See Also

References

  1. ↑ "Professor Muhammad Yunus Biography" (PDF). African Development Bank. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  2. ↑ "Yunus Centre to host 16th Social Business Day, marking 50th anniv of Grameen, 20th anniv of Nobel Peace Prize". New Age. 2026-06-23. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  3. ↑ "Social Business: A Solution to Ills". Yunus Centre. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  4. ↑ "Professor Muhammad Yunus Biography" (PDF). African Development Bank. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  5. ↑ "Muhammad Yunus". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  6. ↑ "Muhammad Yunus Bio". Nelson Mandela Foundation. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  7. ↑ Yunus, Muhammad (2010). Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism that Serves Humanity's Most Pressing Needs. New York: PublicAffairs. ISBN 978-1-58648-956-4. Search this book on
  8. ↑ Yunus, Muhammad (2010). Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism that Serves Humanity's Most Pressing Needs. New York: PublicAffairs. ISBN 978-1-58648-956-4. Search this book on
  9. ↑ Yunus, Muhammad (2010). Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism that Serves Humanity's Most Pressing Needs. New York: PublicAffairs. ISBN 978-1-58648-956-4. Search this book on
  10. ↑ "Social Business: A Solution to Ills". Yunus Centre. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  11. ↑ "14th Social Business Day 2024". Social Business Pedia. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  12. ↑ "Professor Muhammad Yunus Biography" (PDF). African Development Bank. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Social Business: A Solution to Ills". Yunus Centre. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  14. ↑ "Yunus Centre". Yunus Centre official website. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  15. ↑ "Social Business Day 2025: A Movement for People, Planet, and Purpose". South Asia Journal. 2025-06-21. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  16. ↑ "The 1st Annual Social Business Day Celebration in Dhaka: A Great Success for Social Business!". Yunus Centre. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  17. ↑ "The 1st Annual Social Business Day Celebration in Dhaka". Yunus Centre. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  18. ↑ "Social Business Day 2025: A Movement for People, Planet, and Purpose". South Asia Journal. 2025-06-21. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  19. ↑ "AIT Co-hosts Biggest-ever Social Business Day". Asian Institute of Technology. 2019-07-03. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  20. ↑ "Yunus Centre". Yunus Centre. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  21. ↑ "About Social Business Day". Social Business Pedia. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  22. ↑ "AIT Co-hosts Biggest-ever Social Business Day". Asian Institute of Technology. 2019-07-03. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  23. ↑ "AIT Co-hosts Biggest-ever Social Business Day". Asian Institute of Technology. 2019-07-03. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  24. ↑ "AIT Co-hosts Biggest-ever Social Business Day". Asian Institute of Technology. 2019-07-03. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  25. ↑ "AIT Co-hosts Biggest-ever Social Business Day". Asian Institute of Technology. 2019-07-03. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  26. ↑ "Social Business Day 2019". One Young World. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  27. ↑ "12th Social Business Day sponsored by Yunus Centre kicks off on June 27th". Yunus Centre. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  28. ↑ "Event Brief: 13th Social Business Day 2023". Social Business Pedia. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  29. ↑ "14th Social Business Day 2024". Social Business Pedia. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  30. ↑ "14th Social Business Day 2024". Social Business Pedia. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  31. ↑ "Event Brief: Social Business Day 2025". Social Business Pedia. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  32. ↑ "Event Brief: Social Business Day 2025". Social Business Pedia. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  33. ↑ "16th Social Business Day scheduled to take place in Savar June 27–28". United News of Bangladesh (UNB). Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  34. ↑ "Yunus Centre to host 16th Social Business Day". New Age. 2026-06-23. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  35. ↑ "16th Social Business Day scheduled to take place in Savar June 27–28". United News of Bangladesh (UNB). Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  36. ↑ "Yunus Centre to host 16th Social Business Day". New Age. 2026-06-23. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  37. ↑ "16th Social Business Day scheduled to take place in Savar June 27–28". United News of Bangladesh (UNB). Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  38. ↑ "Muhammad Yunus". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  39. ↑ "Muhammad Yunus". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  40. ↑ "Muhammad Yunus Biography" (PDF). African Development Bank. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  41. ↑ "Muhammad Yunus". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  42. ↑ "AIT Co-hosts Biggest-ever Social Business Day". Asian Institute of Technology. 2019-07-03. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  43. ↑ "Yunus Centre". Yunus Centre. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  44. ↑ "YSBC FAQ". Yunus Centre. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  45. ↑ "About Yunus Social Business". Yunus Social Business. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  46. ↑ "Event Brief: Social Business Day 2025". Social Business Pedia. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  47. ↑ "Social Business Day 2019". One Young World. Retrieved 2026-06-28.
  48. ↑ "Yunus Centre to host 16th Social Business Day". New Age. 2026-06-23. Retrieved 2026-06-28.

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