Prof. Muhammad Yunus
Professor Muhammad Yunus is the creator of Grameen Bank, widely regarded as the father of microcredit, and Social Business, a social enterprise that has assisted in removing millions of people from poverty across the world. Since its founding, Grameen Bank has financed more than USD 12.5 billion to over 8 million borrowers, the majority of whom are women. The Nobel Peace Prize was given to Professor Yunus and Grameen Bank in 2006 "for their efforts to generate economic and social development from the bottom." In 2009, Forbes listed Professor Yunus as one of the "10 Most Influential Business Gurus." He received an honorary doctorate from the Asian Institute of Technology in 2004.
About
Professor Yunus has steered the development of more than 50 social businesses, proving the viability of the idea in more than 30 nations. His best-selling books "Building Social Business" (2010), "Banker to the Poor" (2003), "A World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism" (2008), and "A World of Three Zeros" (2017) continue to define and impact enterprise-led development as an emerging subject. He is also the recipient of numerous international awards for his ideas and endeavors, including the Mohamed Shabdeen Award for Science (1993), Sri Lanka; Humanitarian Award (1993), CARE, USA; World Food Prize (1994), World Food Prize Foundation, USA; independence Day Award (1987), Bangladesh’s highest award; King Hussein Humanitarian Leadership Award (2000), King Hussien Foundation, Jordan; Volvo Environment Prize (2003), Volvo Environment Prize Foundation, Sweden; Nikkei Asia Prize for Regional Growth (2004), Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Japan; Franklin D. Roosevelt Freedom Award (2006), Roosevelt Institute of The Netherlands; and the Seoul Peace Prize (2006), Seoul Peace Prize Cultural Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea (ROK).