In partnership with Create Labs, a social venture offering technology access to underserved communities, the tool is being crafted to limit biases and cater to diverse entrepreneurial needs. This innovative tool incorporates cutting-edge Generative AI features to offer a conversational experience, drawing on emerging techniques and inclusive design standards to promote a relevant user journey. 

The Generative AI tool being created by Mastercard and Create Labs will be responsibly built on diverse and inclusive content. Not only will the AI tool deliver data from Mastercard’s existing repository of content – from the Small Business Community, Digital Doors, Mastercard Trust Center, Strive USA, and elsewhere – a newly formed global media coalition will contribute to that by licensing their business content—such as articles, podcasts and interviews. The following are slated to be the inaugural participants:  

• Blavity Media Group: a digital media company with a mission to economically and creatively support Black millennials.   
• Group Black: a Black-owned media company dedicated to connecting brands with diverse audiences. The group’s collective includes Pod Digital Media, Black Women Talk Tech, ReachTV.  
• Newsweek: the modern global digital news organization built around the iconic 90-year-old American magazine. 
• TelevisaUnivision: the world’s leading Spanish-language media company, reaching over 53 million U.S. consumers across linear and digital platforms. 

The tool is scheduled to be piloted in the U.S. later this year, with the goal for international markets to follow. Mastercard plans to have additional partners join worldwide to drive critical local relevance as the tool expands globally 

"Uniting for a common goal of inclusivity holds incredible power. Through collaboration, we are looking to combine diverse resources to enhance a tool designed for all small-and medium-sized business owners. Our hope is that these collective efforts shape a more equitable world for future generations, reducing the exclusion felt by numerous minorities and empowering them with the resources needed to succeed," stated Bonin Bough, Chief Strategy Officer and co-founder of Group Black. 

A track record of small business community support

Guided by the conviction that the company can do well as a business by doing good in the world, Mastercard is committed to bringing small businesses everywhere into the financial mainstream. Understanding that time is one of the most valuable assets for any small business owner, Mastercard has a strong history of developing dozens of business solutions and services that center around operational efficiency and ease of use. Mastercard Small Business AI will join the company’s suite of small business solutions designed to empower entrepreneurs to help grow and protect their businesses in today’s digital economy.