About Yunus Social Innovation
About us
Who we are
We are YSI - Yunus Social Innovation, a Europe-based social innovation consultancy with a global footprint. We believe that doing good makes business sense. We partner with corporations, philanthropic entities and social enterprises to create businesses with impact. We design and implement strategies that align business success with positive societal impact. We are a team of dedicated innovators and change makers, with a mission to make our time on this planet count. Co-founded in 2012 by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus as a sister organisation to Yunus Social Business, we remain committed to exploring new ways of collaborating and expanding the boundaries of business.
Our Theory
of Change
We integrate social impact at the core of every initiative, whether it's an innovation programme or an accelerator for system-changing social enterprises. We work with organisations, ranging from social enterprises, to corporates and foundations, and the individuals inside them, to forge solutions that stand the test of time. Our work is rooted in our own, unique trajectory between today's societal problems and our desired long-term impact.
| | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Activites | Co-developing and delivering innovation programmes that align with impact and business strategy and empower innovators | Engaging in partnerships and ecosystems making the case for social innovation | Cultivate impact-first organisational and governance practices internally and with partners |
| Outcome | Organisations integrate social innovation in business operations as well as strategy, becoming more resilient | Commitment and collaboration to social innovation is built by innovators | Innovators are empowered, feel ownership, confidence and capability to lead impactful businesses |
| Impact | Social innovation becomes mainstream business practice, markets shift to favour impact-driven organisations and organisations that prioritise people and planet outperform those that don't |
Our trajectory - delivering
impact from day one
Since our founding days, we’ve grown from a small network of likeminded freelancers into a global impact innovator. In our programmes and initiatives today, we draw on our heritage and accumulated expertise to create lasting impact and deep change.
Bringing the concept of ‘social business’ to the world
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prof. Muhammad Yunus and Saskia Bruysten co-found Yunus Social Business (YSB), a social business fund that invests in social business in the Global South. Corporations and philanthropic entities from across the world support the mission financially.
Corporate interest to collaborate with social businesses
YSB Corporate, a pilot project that led to YSI, comes to life to feed the increasing interest of corporations to establish non-financial support and collaborations with social enterprises.
Launch of our first accelerators
Launch of our first global social enterprise accelerator with MAN Truck & Bus. More acceleration programs with partners such as Vodafone and Reckitt Benckiser will follow.
Social intrapreneurs at the centre
With Business as Unusual and Unusual Pioneers, we launch two global research-based social intrapreneurship initiatives, supporting the rise of corporate and philanthropic intrapreneurship and fostering collaborations between corporates and social enterprises.
The launch of Yunus Social Innovation
We launch Yunus Social Innovation (YSI), inviting social innovators from corporations, philanthropic organisations and entrepreneurs to collaborate. We work with corporate and ecosystem partners to make social innovation mainstream business practice.
Frequenty asked questions
What does YSI mean?
YSI stands for Yunus Social Innovation. Our name embodies two important elements: our connection to our Co-Founder Prof. Muhammad Yunus's vision of "A World of Three Zeroes“ and the "Seven Principles of Social Business", and our mission to bring social impact into the world through strengthening innovation capabilities and entrepreneurship.
What is social innovation?
Social innovation is about developing solutions - whether products, services, or processes - that address systemic social and environmental challenges. It’s grounded in the principles of social business and in the understanding that meaningful change is a systems effort. This means that social innovation does not occur in a vacuum, it is a process that requires a shared mission and the involvement of diverse actors across sectors to create impact. This includes thought-leaders such as academics and sector experts, business-builders like social enterprises and corporate intrapreneurs, policymakers in the public sector, enablers within the social sector, and funders ranging from philanthropic organisations to impact investors.
What advantages do social innovators bring to corporations?
Social innovators bring fresh, purpose-driven solutions to complex social and environmental challenges and can apply these in corporate settings. Social innovators often have a deep understanding of local needs and can create impactful, scalable models. By partnering with them, corporations can drive meaningful change while enhancing their own innovation capabilities, brand reputation, and long-term sustainability. These collaborations can open new markets, engage customers and employees, and align business strategies with global goals, such as the SDGs. By working with social innovators, corporations not only become more responsible but also more innovative, competitive and future-ready.
Why should social innovation be part of strategic philanthropy?
Social innovation can support philanthropic organisations including foundations, family offices and individuals to deliver tangible, measurable impact. By aligning organisational principles with strategic pathways, funders can tackle the root causes of global challenges. Supported by tangible frameworks including a theory of change and impact measurement and management feedback cycles, social innovation uses purpose to drive outcomes.
Are Yunus Social Innovation and Yunus Social Business connected?
Yunus Social Innovation (YSI) and Yunus Social Business are two separate organisations. While the organisations have a shared founder and a linked history, today they operate individually. YSI focuses on connecting corporate entities with social enterprises through capacity building, shared knowledge exchange and creating communities of practice. YSB retains its focus on providing flexible loans and growth support to social businesses.
What is the difference between a social enterprise and a social business?
A social enterprise is a financially self-sufficient organisation with a social mission. Social enterprises can be large or small and can take various different legal forms, depending on the jurisdiction they are registered in. Social businesses apply stricter rules regarding the distribution of any profits, with shareholders only recouping their original investment without any dividends. Additional profits must be re-invested in the business.