LATAM Social Business Ecosystem Builders Initiative

About the program

The LATAM Social Business Ecosystem Builders Initiative, a collaborative effort by Yunus Centre and YY Ventures, is set to fortify the social business ecosystem in Latin America while simultaneously enriching and uplifting existing ecosystem builders in the region.

Countries in Latin America, including Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina boast vibrant and youthful populations. However, the ongoing environmental shifts, enduring disparities, and rising levels of violence compel the people in this region to endure a perpetual state of unpredictability. In this context, social businesses can address these social-economic and environmental issues, while generating revenue and creating livelihood opportunities in this region. Our initiative seeks to address these challenges through social businesses, fostering revenue and opportunities by establishing a robust and supportive ecosystem that encourages knowledge exchange among ecosystem builders.

Since 2024, the project has mapped over 400 key ecosystem players across Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile and Argentina, strengthening partnerships with 20+ support organizations. It has also conducted stakeholder engagement meetings engaging over 300 stakeholders across the 6 countries, bringing together policymakers, entrepreneurs and academic leaders to discuss barriers and opportunities in fostering sustainable social business ecosystem.

The initiative has not only strengthened networks but also equipped hundreds of students and entrepreneurs with knowledge, mentorship and resources to drive innovation and impact. Its legacy lies in creating a connected and capable ecosystem, one that continues to advance the vision of a world of three zeros: Zero Net Carbon Emissions, Zero Wealth Concentration for Ending Poverty and Zero Unemployment by Unleashing Entrepreneurship in all.

In the coming years, the initiative will deepen its work particularly in Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico through hackathons, incubation support, and ecosystem convenings and engagement. These efforts will be co-designed with local partners to ensure contextual relevance and long-term sustainability. A stronger emphasis will also be placed on showcasing regional social innovators and champions and documenting ecosystem best practices. Ultimately, we aim to create a connected, capable, and collaborative ecosystem, one that enables Social Business to move from isolated pilots to systemic transformation across the region. And we invite entrepreneurs, ecosystem enablers and partners to join us in this mission.

Learning Journey to Design Social Business Support Programs

The LATAM Social Business Ecosystem Builders Initiative will support young, early-stage ecosystem builders to become a catalyst for positive change in the region. Through this Learning Journey, we aim to elevate the skills of ecosystem builders, fostering a supportive entrepreneurial environment for youth-led social businesses. Learn More

OUR PROGRAM IS OPEN TO PARTICIPANTS IN

Brazil

Mexico

Columbia

Initiatives

Regional Forums and Exclusive Networking Events

Exclusive networking events, forums and more, to foster knowledge exchange, collaboration, and cross-border ecosystem growth. We've hosted 2 regional forums and even a COP30 side event. Most notable event was the Brazil Social Business Forum on Youth Entrepreneurship in 2024. this event was co-hosted by Yunus Negócios Sociais Brasil, YY Ventures, and the Yunus Centre, this flagship event was organized as a strategic side event to the G20 Brasil Summit. Participants from government, NGOs, academia, and the private sector gathered to explore how social business can address pressing challenges such as youth unemployment and climate action.

University Involvements

Creation of new Yunus Social Business Centres (YSBCs) will be facilitated, establishing a connection among local universities with the global YSBCs; for more collaboration among them. Universities will be involved in creating social business design competitions and promoting 3ZERO Clubs; engaging the students and encouraging them to work towards creating a world of three zeroes- zero net carbon emission, zero wealth concentration for ending poverty, and zero unemployment by unleashing entrepreneurship in all.

Youth Engagement

Partnerships with youth organizations and educational institutions will be established to introduce 3ZERO Club, the concept of a 3ZERO World, Zero Waste, and Social Business framework to achieve these objectives. Workshops, seminars, and guest lectures will be designed and offered to inspire and educate the youth about the potential of social business entrepreneurship. Youths will be encouraged to participate in social business competitions and incubator programs. Additionally, through the LATAM Voices of Impact series, local innovators will be showcased through various media.

Hackathon and Incubation

Hackathons will be organised in Medellín, São Paulo, and Mexico City to mobilize youth across Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico to co-create context-driven solutions to create a world of three zeros: Zero Net Carbon Emissions, Zero Wealth Concentration for Ending Poverty, and Zero Unemployment by Unleashing Entrepreneurship for all. Top-performing teams will advance to a structured incubation pathway to refine and validate their ideas with expert support. The incubation will integrate promising initiatives into regional pipelines, strengthening the broader social business ecosystem.

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Please get in touch if you are a social business, a social business support organization, an incubator, an accelerator, investor, entrepreneur, sponsor, research entity, university, or any organization looking forward to collaborating with us.