1. A Man with a
Vision for Humanity.
– Recipient of The Foundation’s 2012 Transformational Leadership Award
The Foundation for Transformational Leadership is proud to recognize
Dr. Muhammad Yunus as the 2012 recipient of the Transformational
Leadership Award, in honor of his achievements as a humanitarian 2012
and social entrepreneur. The Award ceremony will take place as part Transformational Leadership
of the 2012 Transformational Leadership Award & Symposium,
April 27-28, honoring Dr.Yunus and featuring Dr. Richard Boyatzis,
Award Dinner & Symposium
Professor James Liautaud, and other cutting edge thought leaders April 27-28, 2012
in the area of Social and Emotional Intelligence for transformational
leadership.
Friday evening, April 27
Dr. Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank and the micro-
6:00 P.M. - 10:00 P.M.
finance movement, is a powerful agent of economic independence
for the poorest of Bangladesh’s poor. In September 2010, the U.S. Transformational Leadership Award Dinner
House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill awarding
Dr. Muhammad Yunus the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest Saturday, April 28
honor given to recognize national heroes. This award, bestowed 7:00 A.M. - 8:30 A.M.
by the United States Congress, is, along with the Presidential Medal Executive VIP Breakfast Panel - Social Business
of Freedom and the Presidential Citizens Medal, the highest civilian
award in the United States. 8:30 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.
Transformational Leadership Symposium
In 2006, Dr. Yunus received a Nobel Peace Prize, and in 2009,
President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Location:
Freedom. Only six other individuals have received all three Westin River North
distinctions: Martin Luther King Jr., Elie Wiesel, Mother Teresa, 320 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL
Nelson Mandela, Norman Borlaug, Aung San Suu Kyi. Dr. Yunus has
over 40 honorary degrees and is one of the founding members of
For more information and to register
Global Elders, an international non-government organization of public
go to www.TransformLeadership.org.
figures noted as elder statesmen, peace activists, and human rights
advocates, brought together by Nelson Mandela in 2007.

2. A Champion of the Poor
“Poor people are Dr. Muhammad Yunus began his remarkable Bangladesh is widely recognized as one of the
journey as an economics professor in Bangla- countries most vulnerable to climate change.
Bonsai people. If
desh. He believed that what he taught in class Natural hazards resulting from increased
you take the seed rainfall, rising sea levels, and tropical cyclones
must be applicable to real world problems. This
of the tallest tree belief prompted him to take his students outside are expected to occur more frequently due
in the forest and of the university classroom and into nearby to climate change, each seriously affecting
villages. In 1976, during one such visit to one of agriculture, water and food security, human
put it in a flower health, and shelter. According to some studies,
the poorest village households, he discovered
pot, it grows only that loaning a small amount of money to a about a quarter of Bangladesh’s land mass will
as big as the pot person living in poverty could make a dispro- be lost by 2100 to rising sea levels, potentially
portionate amount of difference in the person’s creating 30-40 million climate refugees. As a
will let it. There’s result of the large amount of arsenic leaching
life. Armed with this insight, he started what
nothing wrong would become the Grameen Bank, the world’s into the country’s groundwater supply from
with the seed; first micro-finance institution, by lending $27 contaminated soil, experts estimate that
out of his own personal savings to 42 women 77 million Bangledashis have been exposed
simply we did not
in the village. Through his devoted efforts over to toxic arsenic levels from drinking water.
give it enough the last 36 years, the Grameen Bank has grown
space to grow.” and expanded its impact worldwide, helping its Sixty percent of Bangladesh’s population is
clients establish creditworthiness and financial below the age of 25. Additionally, the country
– Dr. Muhammad Yunus
self-sufficiency. Today, the Grameen Bank helps has a low life expectancy, with just five percent
over 8 million of the poor in Bangladesh, provid- of the population living past the age of 65. The
ing them an opportunity to climb out of poverty country also faces a low literacy rate: only 48%
and achieve financial independence. The impact of the population considered literate, which is
extends far beyond Bangladesh: one in every defined as barely able to read and write.
1000 people on the planet are being helped
by Dr. Yunus’ work on micro-finance and other
similar socially responsible businesses.
About Bangladesh
Bangladesh is a small country in Southeast Asia
bordered by India, Myanmar and the Bay of
Bengal. Although only the size of Iowa, it is home
to a population equivalent to half the population
of the US. It is the world’s 9th most densely
populated country with about 2,841 people per
square mile. It produces only about $1500 in
per capita GDP. As a small, poor, and densely
populated coastal country, it faces a myriad of
challenges – economic, environmental, social,
and educational.

3. Dr. Yunus “Transforming The Trend”
Though faced with many challenges, Bangla- Dr. Yunus received the 2006
desh remains hopeful and dedicated to change.
The GDP growth is currently 6.8%, and health Nobel Peace Prize, the
and education have increased as poverty has
decreased. Much of the economic advancement 2009 Presidential Medal
Bangladesh has enjoyed is the result of the
of Freedom and the U.S.
efforts of Grameen Social Enterprises, pioneered
by Dr. Yunus. Congressional Gold medal.
The flagship of Grameen Social Enterprises is the This puts him in the
Grameen Bank. Since its founding, the Bank has
expanded, nationally as well as internationally: company of such historic
it currently has approximately $9 Billion USD in
loans outstanding, with a 99% repayment rate. figures as Martin Luther
The number of customers and villages served
has doubled since 2003. Ninety-seven percent King Jr., Elie Wiesel, Mother
of these customers are women. Grameen Bank
is perhaps the single most transformative agent
Teresa, Nelson Mandela,
in empowering women in a 3rd world country
Norman Borlaug, and
like Bangladesh, altering the social power of
women and thus the social fabric of the nation Aung San Suu Kyi.
to a more harmonious and dignified way of
living. The model of the Grameen Bank is now
replicated across the world and serves as the
cornerstone for eradicating poverty globally via
the United Nations.
Dr. Yunus continued his efforts towards helping
Bangladesh by creating a myriad of social busi-
nesses— businesses with a social mission and
responsibility. The concept was born in Chicago
via Shorebank but blossomed in Bangladesh,
resulting in over 22 social enterprises. These
businesses are all from the Grameen lineage and
generate about $65 Billion USD – or roughly the
same revenue as Microsoft.

4. The Foundation for Transformational Leadership | 445 E. Ohio St., Suite 400 | Chicago, IL 60611 | 312.645-8300
www.transformleadership.org

5. 2012 Transformational Leadership Award and Symposium
Ticket pricing
Package for all three events……………..………………..$1,250
(Award Dinner, Executive VIP Breakfast, & Symposium)
Transformational Leadership - Award Dinner Friday, April 27, 2012
Full Table (10 seats) ............................................................. $3,000
Single Ticket purchased by March 31 .................................. $350
Single Ticket purchased after March 31 .............................. $450
Executive VIP Breakfast – Saturday, April 28, 2012
Single Ticket ............................................................................. $700
Transformational Leadership Symposium - Saturday, April 28, 2012
Symposium Ticket purchased by March 31 ........................ $350
Symposium Ticket purchased after March 31 .................... $400
Saturday Package (VIP Breakfast & Symposium) .......... $1,000