News Desk
The 154th Social Business Design Lab organized by Yunus Centre took place today on 21 December 2015 at the Grameen Bank Auditorium. One hundred and sixty-five participants from national and international organizations with diverse background attended the program, including a large number of international participants.
The Design Lab was chaired by Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. Professor Yunus welcomed the audience and reported that since the Labs began in January 2013, a total of 2726 projects have been presented in the last 153 Lab program, of which 2701 projects have been approved for investment, and most were in operation.
Six new social business plans were presented at today’s Lab. Four were Nobin Udyokta businesses presented by young entrepreneurs coming from Grameen Bank borrowers’ families. These four included Shoma Fashion Cloth & Cosmetics Store by Soma Rani Das, Awlad Lungi by Md Awlad Hossain, Jibon Traders, a recycling enterprise by Asma Begum, Badhan Box House, a cardboard making Business by Badhan Saha.
Other two projects are Kisholoy School by Social Development Rural Society (SDRS) and Honey Processing Social Business by Bangladesh Association for Social Advancement (BASA). This honey project is aimed at producing high quality locally produced honey, which is a nutritional supplement containing a host of vitamins as well as iron. It also creates local employment. BASA aims to target the growing export market for honey to meet demand in countries such as Japan, Slovenia and other European countries.
These business plans were presented by each of the young entrepreneurs including all details of project plan, marketing plan, and sustainability plan and then discussed in depth in groups. All six projects were approved for funding. The social business projects would be monitored through reports on Social Business Pedia.
In the last segment of the Lab, Professor Muhammad Yunus unveiled the logo of ‘Photopreneur Social Business’. The social business, which was presented in an earlier Design Lab, provides Photography Courses at affordable cost for rural youth to give them a chance to become photography-entrepreneurs.
Professor Yunus thanked the participants for the innovative social businesses and noted that it was exciting that so many ideas were now a reality. Professor Yunus also invited participants to join next Social Business Design Lab which will take place on 15 February 2016.
