The second Global Social Business Summit, a two-day conference designed for the academics, businessmen, technology leaders and young people practicing and promoting social business, starts tomorrow in Germany.
The November4-5 summit will dwell on social business experiences, its structure and management, lessons learnt from the existing social businesses around the world.
Expert meetings, social business panels and a marketplace for social businesses will be the main attractions of the event, where approximately 250 persons from all over the world are expected to attend.
Social business, championed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, is a cause-driven business, which allows the investors or owners to gradually recoup the money invested but not to take any dividend.
The purpose of the investment is purely to achieve one or more social objectives through the operation of any company, and no personal gain is desired by the investors.
Confirmed speakers at the summit include among others Prof Yunus, Danone Group Co-chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Faber, Adidas CEO Herbert Hainer, chemical giant BASF CEO Dr Humbrecht and Otto Group Chairman Michael Otto.
Brazilian author Paulo Coelho, Indian film director Shekhar Kapur and Grand Duchess Maria-Teresa of Luxembourg will also attend the global event, said organisers.
Delegations, including ministers, governors and mayors, from several countries will attend the summit to be held at the conference centre of the Volkswagen car company in Wolfsbug, Germany.
The Grameen Creative Lab, a joint venture between Prof Yunus and serial entrepreneur Hans Reitz, which aims to raise awareness about social business, will host the summit, as part of Grameen’s efforts to share and address the impact of social business.
The first-ever such summit took place in Germany in the same month a year ago.
