Professor Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank, which he founded, were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 “for their efforts to create economic and social development from below.” Since then, Professor Yunus has focused on spreading and implementing the concept of “social business” — companies created for social good rather than private profit — through Yunus Social Business — Global Initiatives. Professor Yunus is one of only seven in history — along with Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela — to receive all three of the United States’ highest honors awarded to civilians. In 2012, Fortune magazine recognized Professor Yunus as “one of the 12 greatest entrepreneurs of our time.”
