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According to Mastercard SpendingPulse™, which measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment, US retail sales on Friday, Nov. 24, were up +2.5% year-over-year excluding automotive, not adjusted for inflation. The findings reinforce that consumers are navigating the holiday season well by taking advantage of holiday promotions, ample choices, and search tools to make smarter decisions and maximize value.

Mastercard’s Center for Inclusive Growth and CARE, an international humanitarian organization, have launched a new program to strengthen the financial health and resilience of small businesses, particularly those led by women, in Pakistan, Peru, and Vietnam. Mastercard Strive Women recognizes that women-led small businesses are critical contributors to economies, communities, and households worldwide and will work with local partners in each market to deliver tailored financial products and support services.

Mastercard’s Center for Inclusive Growth and CARE, an international humanitarian organization, have launched a new program to strengthen the financial health and resilience of small businesses, particularly those led by women, in Pakistan, Peru, and Vietnam. Mastercard Strive Women recognizes that women-led small businesses are critical contributors to economies, communities, and households worldwide and will work with local partners in each market to deliver tailored financial products and support services.

Strive USA, a small business initiative led by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, launched last year and has already deployed more than $22 billion in growth capital to small businesses, helping over 68,000 of them. Strive USA is part of the Center's broader Strive initiative, a portfolio of philanthropic programs aimed at helping small businesses around the world thrive in the digital economy. With a partner network that includes community financial institutions, technical assistance providers, commercial banks, large foundations, and others, Strive USA is now supporting small businesses in 43 states.

Strive USA, a small business initiative led by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, launched last year and has already deployed more than $22 billion in growth capital to small businesses, helping over 68,000 of them. Strive USA is part of the Center's broader Strive initiative, a portfolio of philanthropic programs aimed at helping small businesses around the world thrive in the digital economy. With a partner network that includes community financial institutions, technical assistance providers, commercial banks, large foundations, and others, Strive USA is now supporting small businesses in 43 states.

Mastercard and the Atlanta University Center are working together to accelerate data science education and research across the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Supported by a $6.5 million grant from Mastercard, the AUC Data Science Initiative helps drive access to opportunity. It is building and strengthening data science capacity across HBCUs by expanding industry-informed curriculum, supporting innovation in computer science programs, and building programs supporting student engagement in data science and career development.

Nearly 10 years ago, Mastercard created Girls4Tech, our signature STEM education program that focuses on girls and engages our employees as role models and mentors, highlighting their payment technology backgrounds. We believe this corporate-community partnership is helping to level the playing field and to reduce the inequities between boys and girls pursuing STEM careers. Why? Because we know that when there are multiple voices with myriad experiences at the table, we create better technology and better products and services for our customers. To date, we’ve reached 5.7 million girls, and according to research conducted by Euromonitor, we are now the world’s largest STEM program designed for young girls.

How can we use new technology and collective action to significantly improve people's lives and the health of our planet? That was the central question at the recent Impact Data Summit, hosted by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth with the Rockefeller Foundation and data.org. Coinciding with the United Nations General Assembly and Climate Week NYC, conversations at the summit looked at the current realities of data, artificial intelligence, and social impact, how they can advance the UN’s sustainable development goals, the role of cross-sector collaboration to drive that impact, what the future holds for transformative technology, and how to make sure that future is sustainable, equitable and accessible.

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