The Nobel Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus will meet with students and Northwest Arkansas community members in a conversation, "Lessons Learned on Microfinance and Social Business from Around the World," scheduled for 8 a.m. CST Friday, Jan. 22, via Zoom.

Yunus is a world-renowned economist known for his work on poverty alleviation, using microcredit as the cornerstone of these initiatives. He is the founder of Grameen Bank, the largest microlending institution in the world, and the founder of more than 50 other companies in Bangladesh. An advocate of social businesses, Yunus was named "one of the greatest entrepreneurs of our time" in 2012 by Fortune Magazine, recognizing his constant innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. In 2006, Yunus and Grameen Bank were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

The conversation will be followed by a talk on the microfinance and social business experience in the state of Arkansas, delivered by Darrin Williams, CEO of Southern Bancorp, Arkansas' first certified B Corps, and one of the largest Community Development Financial Institutions in the nation. Southern was inspired by the Grameen Bank model in its founding.

Participants can RSVP for the event online, and submit questions for Yunus or Williams here. Due to time limitations, questions will be sorted and preselected before the event.

This event is part of the Arkansas Global Changemakers and Social Innovation Initiatives, in partnership with the University of Arkansas Graduate Net Impact Chapter.

For additional questions, please contact Olga Khokhryakova at ovkhokhr@uark.edu.