On March 12, 2025, Foundation University’s Greyhound Innovations unveiled the YUNUS Social Business Center (YSBC) — a collaborative network of social-business hubs that brings the principles of Muhammad Yunus into action. This office is an extension of the university’s commitment for socially-conscious initiatives.
The YSBC is designed to channel market strategies into social businesses, and train young people to engineer entrepreneurial ventures that address real-world problems in their operation. Cyril Mapula, director of the YSBC and concurrently, Greyhound Innovations, has outlined a clear objective for the unit: “'Our initial project will focus on training Senior High School students to establish their own micro-social businesses. We will provide seed funding and capital. More broadly, we want to equip young people with the skills and resources necessary to begin their entrepreneurial journeys.'"
In the morning of March 12, Greyhound Innovations hosted Social Business Hours, inviting students from Foundation Preparatory Academy (FPA) and senior high schools across Dumaguete City for a crash course on socially-driven commerce. The objective was to demonstrate how business and social responsibility can coexist; to present a model of entrepreneurship that places society as its main beneficiary. Guest speakers from Sagup Negros, a social enterprise based in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, came in as working examples of the fact.
At 1 pm, the opening ceremony started. Dignitaries and important staff from the institution were present. Among the witnesses include President Victor Vicente “Dean” Sinco, son Stephen Sinco, Marketing Consultant for the university Marketing team, Dr. Charlotte V. Carino, Academic Chancellor, Dr. Lucelle Saguban, Vice-Chancellor for Administration, Glene May Lusaras, Asst. Vice-Chancellor for Academic Support, Engr. Marife Cabajon, Dean of SIET, Engr. Marlon Tanilon, Program Chair of SIET, and Dr. Ligaya Mae Concepcion, Dean of CBA.
The presence of FPA’s Eco-Chic Creations, one of the pioneer ventures launched in the PitchUp NegOr 2024 competition, was noted. Also in attendance were representatives from Ibayaw Youth Collective, Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation INC., Department of Science and Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, DCCCO Multipurpose Cooperative, and Silliman University’s SInergy TBI and Knowledge and Technology Transfer Office.
YUNUS Social Business Centers draw their name and mission from Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, whose work in microfinance and poverty alleviation revolutionized traditional banking. By demonstrating that credit could be extended beyond conventional, often collateral-based transactions, Yunus established a financial framework that prioritized long-term economic participation over short-term profit. Structured as a non-loss, non-dividend model, his approach ensured that small businesses withstand early-stage failure risks, while allowing participation in social initiatives within the community.
Foundation University’s YUNUS Social Business Center operates within this philosophy, equipping local entrepreneurs with the knowledge and resources to develop ventures that serve a broader social purpose. Its work is built around three core pillars:
Social Business Incubation — A program that provides structured mentorship and training, equipping students with the practical and theoretical tools to build sustainable, socially conscious enterprises.
Social Business Research — An academic initiative dedicated to expanding the intellectual and practical foundations of social entrepreneurship through research, knowledge exchange, and intellectual property protections.
3ZERO Club — A youth-driven initiative that advances Yunus’ vision of a world with zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions, encouraging students to develop and lead entrepreneurial projects with clear social impact.
The YSBC will enable conditions for young entrepreneurs to enter the economy on their own terms — supporting beginning ventures with the knowledge, funding, and institutional support to make their initiatives last, and possibly, scale beyond local operations.
The office may be contacted through the following channels:
Email: ysbc@foundationu.com
Tel.: (035) 225-0617 loc. 131