10 Years Of Social Business: Anniversary Report And 2021 Annual Report
10 Years Of Social Business: Anniversary Report
Has it really been ten yeas? Looking back, it is staggering to see how far we and the social-impact sector have come since that first fateful encounter between our Chairman Nobel Peace Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus and our CEO Saskia Bruysten.
The concept of picking up the tools of business and applying them to tackle social and climate challenges was, at that time, almost unheard of. When we brought the idea to funders and corporations, we were almost always met with a roomful of blank stares and raised eyebrows.
Now, a decade later, we are happy to see that we have been able to prove this model. Our portfolio of social businesses overall has served 17.8M customers, supported incomes for 1.3M people, and avoided 5M tons of carbon emissions in India, East Africa and Latin America.
Discover the facts, figures and faces behind our journey in our 10-Year Anniversary Report.
It takes a village to build a world of three zeroes
Needless to say, the increased global focus on business as a force for good has not by a long shot been the work of our team alone, nor, for that matter, has even our own success. Rather, both have been the patchwork tapestry of thousands of hands: social-business entrepreneurs, forward-looking funders, intrepid social intrapreneurs, our teams in all our operating countries and supporters in manifold forms.
For this reason, we have made our theme for this year ‘It Takes a Village.’ That is, it takes a village to create a world of zero poverty, zero unemployment and net-zero carbon emissions. We wish to take this opportunity to highlight some of the incredible partners who have shared our vision, taken chances on us, partnered with us and worked together towards achieving our ambitious goals. For those of you reading this to whom this refers - and you know who you are - a big, big thank you goes out to you!
This electric rickshaw social business in India are cleaning up polluted streets
Naveen was born and raised in a small village outside Varanasi in Northern India. All his life, he grew up around manual rickshaw drivers carrying people to and from the city, it’s backbreaking work for very little pay. He saw that very often the rickshaw cyclists came from some of the most vulnerable communities, frequently associated with drug and alcohol abuse.
Supporting Growth. How does YSB support one waste management social business in Brazil?
A social business needs to deliver results in three core areas; social impact, financial sustainability, and organisational resilience. But in order to mature in these areas businesses need more than just capital; they also require non-financial support, training and access to networks.
YSB launches landmark research into Social 'Intra'preneurship at The World Economic Forum
Released at the World Economic Forum in Davos, our global study interviewed 50+ executives and social intrapreneurs (SIs) from almost 50 blue-chip multinationals, including IKEA, Morgan Stanley, BASF, Allianz, Renault, and SAP .
