Last June 27 to 28, I had the privilege of attending Social Business Day (SBD) 2025 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Organized by the Yunus Centre in collaboration with the Grameen Group, the event gathered over 1,000 participants from 36 countries. Attended by leaders in microfinance, healthcare, digital innovation, and youth empowerment, it was more than just a conference; it was a global call to action for building a world that is not only sustainable, but just.

SBD is an annual gathering that celebrates the work of social business entrepreneurs — those who use business as a force for solving social problems, believing that a better world is not only possible but already in the making.

This year’s theme, as framed by Nobel Peace Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, was clear and urgent: “Social Business is the Most Efficient Path to Ensure Healthcare For All.” In his keynote, Professor Yunus reminded us that healthcare is not a luxury — it is a right. He stressed that healthcare for all must be reimagined through values-based business models that prioritize people over profit.

Over two days, we heard powerful stories of innovation and impact. Mr. Mitsuru Izumo, a young entrepreneur from Japan, talked about developing nutritious biscuits to combat childhood malnutrition. Ms. Kady Kanoute Tounkara, an Olympian Champion from Mali, spoke passionately about how sports can be a powerful medium for promoting peace and entrepreneurship among youth. Several sessions highlighted how digital technology is expanding access to healthcare. From mobile diagnostics to telemedicine, we saw how social businesses are closing the gap between innovation and affordability. These are not futuristic ideas—they are real solutions already reaching underserved communities!

The Yunus Centre, which organized the event, continues to lead the global social business movement. As a hub for advocacy, research, and learning, it partners with universities around the world to establish Yunus Social Business Centers, promote academic programs, and support youth-led innovation. These efforts are nurturing a new generation of changemakers, grounded in both vision and values.

I was invited to speak during a “Spotlight Session” on access to finance and social impact. Here are excerpts from my message:

“Let me begin with a provocation: Access to finance is not always the solution. Sometimes, it is part of the problem.

“We have spent decades building financial systems that claim to be inclusive. And yet, billions remain excluded—not by accident, but by design. Too often, finance serves capital, not communities. We glorify growth but ignore inequality. We invest billions in fintech, but fail to ask: are the poor truly empowered — or just more efficiently exploited?

“At CARD MRI, we took a different path. We believe the poor — especially women — deserve not just access, but ownership. Not just credit, but control. That means dismantling systems that treat them as borrowers, and rebuilding systems that see them as co-owners and change-makers.

“Truly inclusive finance cannot be a side dish. No app can substitute for patient, values-driven capital. Yet, the models that work — the ones that empower — are often the least funded. Why? Because they do not promise quick returns. Because they disrupt power, instead of preserving it.

“As we look ahead, we must ask: Whose interests are we serving when we talk about financial inclusion? Are we building systems that liberate — or ones that bind?

“Let’s stop romanticizing access and start demanding accountability. Let us build a financial ecosystem that doesn’t just include the poor—but is co-created with them. One that values trust over technology, relationships over transactions, and dignity over data.

“If we’re serious about social business, then we must be serious about reimagining finance—not as a tool for profit, but as a tool for justice.”

The response was deeply affirming. Many participants echoed the need to reshape finance through empathy, inclusion, and courage. The need to challenge dominant narratives and champion models that empower the poor—not extract from them – was recognized.

The summit left me feeling both inspired and challenged: inspired by the passion and creativity of fellow practitioners; challenged to push further, to deepen impact, and to stay grounded in the realities of those we serve.

Social Business Day 2025 reminds us that social business is not a trend—it is a movement. It calls for a fundamental shift in how we define success, value communities, and measure impact. It is about putting people and the planet first, not last. It is about hope, backed by action.

In a world strained by inequality, climate change, and fragile health systems, the need for social business has never been greater. But the opportunity is also greater—because we now have the tools, the models, and the stories that prove: when business is guided by purpose, it can build a future that is inclusive, resilient, and just.

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“Finance, when driven by values and not just profit, can be a powerful force for equality.”