The Power of Entrepreneurship

Patricia Devereux | April 8, 2011

(From MasterCard’s “The Heart of Commerce” Blog)

The culture of giving back is woven pretty tightly into the fabric of our company but we’re always looking for ways to make a greater impact in our communities.  This was top of mind for our employees at our recent philanthropy forum where we focused on how to further financial inclusion through the power of entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship is important because it spurs innovation, employment and economic growth.  Supporting entrepreneurship allows us to use our technology, our products and the knowledge and experience of our employees to help provide individuals with the ability to build stronger futures for themselves, their families and their communities.

Entrepreneurship can help address issues such as global youth unemployment, limited access to capital markets to create businesses and the struggle of small businesses to thrive and grow.

We know these are very tough issues and that’s why we’re working with some of the smartest, most innovative organizations to make an impact.

For example, the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) uses entrepreneurship education to motivate young people to be successful.  Steve Marriotti, NFTE’s founder, joined us at our forum and with humor and enthusiasm, talked about his own experiences. (continued)