Reflection Blog by Paricha Duangtaweesub, Yunus Thailand Director of Ventures.

In early February, I visited Dhaka, Bangladesh, for the first time to attend the Social Business Youth Summit as a Yunus Thailand delegate and learn about Grameen Bank’s microfinance operations—a model we are replicating in Thailand.

As the Director of Ventures at Yunus Thailand, my job is to launch social businesses, startup-style. My goal for the trip was to observe success stories and better understand Professor Muhammad Yunus’ concept of social business—ventures that prioritize social or environmental value creation while maintaining financial sustainability.

At the Youth Summit, I met so many people who are working on and around social businesses, with services like elderly care and carbon credits accounting, and with products like honey, soaps, and educational card games. These businesses would be right at home in any other regular showcases or incubator programs as they aim to scale their operations. The atmosphere was warm and collaborative, and the recurring message was clear: the intention to do business differently matters.

It’s like everyone had found their calling, and made it their job.

After the Summit, the Grameen Bank team graciously hosted us, taking us from Dhaka’s bustling streets to one of their field offices. We attended a center meeting in a small community-built hut, where women entrepreneurs gathered to repay their weekly loans and shared how microloans transformed their lives—sending daughters to nursing school, investing in high-value livestock, and running small businesses. Some had been with Grameen Bank for over 30 years.

Back at the field office, we saw the seamless system of people and paperwork managing loan disbursements and payments—an operational efficiency honed over decades. Before leaving, we met more women securing loans for barbershops and electronics stores, where running their own business is as natural as any other salaried job. Back in Dhaka, we met Grameen Bank’s leadership and discussed how to adapt their model to Thailand’s context. Their advice was simple but profound: success hinges on selecting the right people—both the team and the entrepreneurs we support—because Grameen Bank is, at its core, service work.

Our last day was spent with Grameen’s extended family of businesses, including Grameen Communications’ microfinance software team and Grameen Trust, our future partner for the Thailand replication. I’m grateful for their patience in answering our endless questions.

The trip left me inspired by those dedicating their lives to a more selfless world. Meeting Professor Yunus was a highlight, and I returned home curious and motivated—ready to make Grameen Thailand a reality and push forward a future where a business’ “job” is to be a force for good.