• Mastercard is launching a three-day event in partnership with Femme It Forward honoring Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary and celebrating Black Women entrepreneurship
• The event will include an immersive “Small Business City” in Meta Horizon Worlds, a TikTok challenge, the kickoff of a Fearless Fund grant contest and a national ad campaign to help Black women entrepreneurs thrive
• Lil Kim, Salt-N-Pepa and Coi Leray will join others in a three-part, celeb-studded panel discussion series as part of the initiative
Mastercard Launches “She Runs This” Program Celebrating Entrepreneurship for Black Women in Business and Hip-Hop
In honor of GRAMMY® Week and Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary, Mastercard has announced its ‘She Runs This’ program. This three day event celebrates entrepreneurship amongst black women in business and hip hop. It features an immersive “Small Business City” hosted in Meta Horizon Worlds, a TikTok challenge, the kickoff of the Fearless Fund grant contest as well as a national ad campaign to help empower black women entrepreneurs.
Celebrity Panel Discussion Series
The She Runs This program includes Lil Kim, Salt N Pepa, Coi Leray joining forces with other celebrities for an exclusive three part panel discussion series hosted by Femme It Forward. These discussions will focus on highlighting the successes that black female entrepreneurs have achieved across various industries such as music and business.
Fearless Fund Grant Contest
The Fearless Fund grant contest provides financial resources to further empower black female entrepreneurs who are starting their own businesses or creating platforms that celebrate diversity. A total of 10 recipients will be selected out of hundreds of applicants from around the country. Each recipient will receive up to $10K towards their business needs or projects which include new product launches or marketing campaigns.
National Ad Campaign
Mastercard is also launching an extensive national ad campaign to raise awareness about its ‘She Runs This’ program which highlights the challenges that many black female entrepreneurs face when it comes to gaining access to financial resources needed to pursue their dreams. The brand aims to change this narrative by offering support through educational initiatives as well as grants provided through its Fearless Fund contest.
Conclusion
Overall Mastercard hopes that this initiative will not only provide financial resources but also inspire other black female entrepreneurs around the country who may be facing similar obstacles when it comes to pursuing their goals due to systemic racism and bias found within society today.