Mastercard Celebrates National Women’s Small Business Month Launching a Summit with Create & Cultivate

Mastercard continues its commitment to spotlighting women owners through a multi-day gathering including an Advisory Council gathering, Small Business Summit and capsule collection launch.  

To celebrate National Women’s Small Business Month, Mastercard continued its commitment to spotlighting women entrepreneurs by gathering it’s Women’s Business Advisory Council for a retreat and kicking off its first ever Small Business Summit in partnership with Create & Cultivate in New York City. A limited-edition collection by Florence Tang from Lot, Stock and Barrel featuring artwork by Lyz Olko caps off the celebration.

“Small Businesses are the heart of the nation. During a month where our attention turns to them, we are continuing to drive a dialogue with women entrepreneurs from across the country to better understand their needs and challenges and ensure that we are advocating for them through action,” said Cheryl Guerin, EVP, Integrated Marketing and Communications at Mastercard.

Mastercard Women’s Business Advisory Council Retreat

Mastercard gathered its council members and local entrepreneurs for an open and honest dialogue around their needs and how both Mastercard and Create & Cultivate can partner to be a resource for this important segment. The aim is focused around pertinent topics including mentorship, cybersecurity and social responsibility.  Some of the key members at the Mastercard Small Business Advisory Retreat include Create & Cultivate CEO and founder Jaclyn Johnson, Blavity CEO and managing director Morgan DeBaun, Victoria Pettibone managing director at Astia and Unique Markets founder Sonja Rasula.

Wearables by Women Founders

In a continued push to spotlight women founders, Mastercard and Fred Segal Sunset in collaboration with MADE launched the second output of their exclusive, limited-edition collections featuring female designers and artists. This collection of customized ready to wear and accessories from Lot Stock and Barrel features artwork by Lyz Olko.

The new collection was available for Tap & Go™ purchase at the Small Business Summit in NYC, the Fred Segal Sunset Flagship store in Los Angeles and online on the Fred Segal website.

Driving Big Conversation with Small Businesses

Mastercard hosted its first Small Business Summit in partnership with Create & Cultivate in NYC. At this gathering of 500 small business owners and influential founders, attendees experienced hard hitting panels addressing their top challenges, obtained advice on how to ensure that their small business thrives, participated in a mentor power hour and shopped the female founded marketplace.

Attendees at the summit accessed the all women-owned Small Business Marketplace which featured the wares of ten small business owners including Kelsea Gaynor, CEO East Olivia floral designs, Bliss Lau, CEO of Bliss Lau Jewelry and Elizabeth Foster, CEO of Maison Visionnaire.

"At Create & Cultivate, we have made it our mission to inspire women to create and cultivate the career of their dreams,” said Create & Cultivate Founder and CEO, Jaclyn Johnson. “We are thrilled to join forces with Mastercard for our first Small Business Summit during National Women’s Small Business Month, to provide female business owners and entrepreneurs with the resources and tools they need to be successful. Through thought-provoking discussions and networking opportunities, we aim to help female entrepreneurs get one step closer to reaching their goals."

Mastercard remains committed to women small business owners and entrepreneurs, spotlighting them and their ideas that are driving an impact in our communities and in society through its Her Ideas Start Something Priceless platform.

About Mastercard

Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. Our global payments processing network connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. Mastercard products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MastercardNews, join the discussion on the Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.

About Create & Cultivate:

Create & Cultivate has been bringing women together since 2012. Led by CEO and founder Jaclyn Johnson, the nationwide conference gathers the best in the business including CEOs, content creators, and celebrities like Martha Stewart, Ashley Graham, Jessica Alba, Meghan Markle, and Kim Kardashian.  Through their online platform and curated events, Create & Cultivate offers a 365-day conversation around entrepreneurship and works to advance inclusive conversations that empower women.