The young generation is born with technology. It makes them more powerful then ever to solve the world problems.

Professor Muhammad Yunus, known as the 'banker of the poor', is a Bangladeshi economist and entrepreneur. He founded the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. Martin Hirsch, is President of France's Civil Service Agency. Professor Muhammad Yunus and Martin Hirsch are co-presidents of the HEC Paris Social Business/Enterprise and Poverty Chair.

Martin Hirsch is the co-president of the HEC Paris Social Business/Enterprise and Poverty Chair. Launched in 2008, the Chair seeks to promote social business by an action that is threefold: a) Teaching: training a new generation of managers, aware of societal challenges and who aspire to be part of the solution, regardless of thier professional activity, b) Research: developing quality research on strategic innovation in societal fields on the theme of social business, and the ways in which...

Professor Yunus stresses that there is a broad range of possible business solutions available to solving the world's problems. While many tend to focus on the dichotomy of either the profit-maximisation or totally non-profit models, there is a whole spectrum of business options in between that is largely neglected. Business, he says, is an excellent tool for solving problems, but at present the creativity and technology we have at our disposal is almost all devoted to making money.

Martin Hirsch is co-president of the HEC Paris Social Business/Enterprise and Poverty Chair with Prof.Yunus. He is also co-president of the Action Tank "Entreprise et Pauvreté" with Emmanuel Faber, co-COO of Danone. The Action Tank aims to catalyse and facilitate synergies between companies who have decided to tackle a social issue in France, and other actors they need to work with like NGOs, public authorities. The Action tank is a privileged partner of the Social Business/Enterprise and...

Prof.Yunus has spent decades helping the world's poor. His social business projects include creating Bangladesh's largest seed bank after learning that poor children's night blindness was caused by a lack of vegetables in their diet. Along the way, Prof.Yunus saw many problems and everytime he tried to create a business to solve it. Which incentive? Why not happiness. Making other people happy is a good incentive, says Prof.Yunus

How can firms help alleviate poverty? Corporate led initiatives are diverse which is why HEC Paris invited three young social entrepreneurs along side multinationals to present their social businesses. Professor Yunus and Martin Hirsch share their feed-backs on the three projects. Prof. Yunus: "They saw a problem and looked for the solution in a sustainable way." M.Hirsch: "No one is un-employable. No one is useless." Prof.Yunus: "Poverty is like a bonsai tree."

How can firms help alleviate poverty? Corporate led initiatives are diverse which is why HEC Paris invited three young social entrepreneurs along side multinationals to present their social businesses. Fedecovera is a successful social business in Guatemala. Based in the city of Coban in Guatemala, the Federation of Cooperatives of the Verapaces (FEDECOVERA, R.L) is an autonomous cooperative founded on February 23th, 1976. Its activity is the production of cardamom, allspice, coffee, tea,...

How can firms help alleviate poverty? Corporate led initiatives are diverse which is why HEC Paris invited three young social entrepreneurs along side multinationals to present their social businesses. S.P.E.A.R. means in French "Société Pour une Epargne Activement Responsable", i.e. a company for active and socially responsable savings.

How can firms help alleviate poverty? Corporate led initiatives are diverse which is why HEC Paris invited three young social entrepreneurs along side multinationals to present their social businesses. MACADAM Journal helps its vendors find social integration through work.

The inability to get around, and in particular the impossibility to acquire or maintain a vehicle, are major factors of social and economic exclusion. Renault MOBILIZ aims to deliver sustainable mobility for all.

The Schneider Electric BipBop program was created in collaboration with Professor Yunus to bring solar-powered electricity to the world's poor, including 200,000 rural Bangladeshis.

Martin Hirsch is co-president of the HEC Paris Social Business/Enterprise and Poverty Chair with Prof.Yunus. He is also co-president of the Action Tank "Entreprise et Pauvreté" with Emmanuel Faber, co-COO of Danone. The Action Tank aims to catalyse and facilitate synergies between companies, who have decided to tackle a social issue in France, and other actors they need to work with like NGOs, public authorities. The Action tank is a privileged partner of the Social Business/Enterprise and...

Poverty can be alleviated through human ingenuity. This is the belief of Prof.Yunus. And there are no limits to social business.

Martin Hirsch is a graduate of the Ecole Normale Supérieur and the ENA. He is the former President of the "Emmaus France" charity organization. He was until recently High Commissioner for Active Solidarities and High Commissioner for Youth in the French government. He is now President of France's Civil Service Agency. Since 2008, Martin Hirsch is co-president of the HEC Paris Social Business/Enterprise and Poverty Chair with Professor Yunus.

Poverty can be alleviated through human ingenuity. This is the belief of Prof.Yunus. He has spent decades helping the world's poor. He invented social business and developed the concepts of microcredit and microfinance, notably through his work with Grameen Bank. His social business projects include creating Bangladesh's largest seed bank after learning that poor children's night blindness was caused by a lack of vegetables in their diet.

Frédéric Dalsace, holder of the the Social Business/Enterprise and Poverty Chair, and Olivier Maurel, Social Innovation & Animation Manager of danone.communities, present the evening program. The conference, entitled "How can firms help alleviate poverty?" attracted a packed crowd to listen to young social business entrepreneurs, corporate and government representatives, and Professor Yunus debate the solution.

Prof. Bénédicte Faivre-Tavignot and HEC Paris welcome Prof. Yunus for the third time on the campus. Prof. Yunus visited HEC in 2005. He gave a conference on "Micro-credit: a road towards a world without poverty". Prof. Yunus came a second time in December 2010 on the campus for a unique event: "Digital4Change". The topics covered by the panelists included: the power of networks, open innovation and the technological transformation of society. On October 29, 2012, The "Youth We Can" team...

Prof. Eloïc-Anil Peyrache warmly welcomes Professor Muhammad Yunus on his third visit to the campus. Professor Yunus is a Bangladeshi banker, 2006 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, HEC Paris Honoris Causa Professor since 2005 and co-president of the HEC Paris Social Business/Enterprise and Poverty Chair since 2008. The Chair is sponsored by Danone, Schneider Electric, Renault, the French Government (la Direction Générale de la Cohésion Sociale) and private donors.