Mastercard launches second season of ‘Her Voice’ podcast series to inspire the next generation of female changemakers

May 21, 2023 | Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 21 May 2023 – As part of its commitment to empowering women and championing female entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia and the wider region, Mastercard has announced the launch of the second season of its award-winning podcast series ‘Her Voice’.

Building on the success of the first season, ‘Her Voice’ Season Two will profile a diverse range of inspiring Saudi female pioneers, innovators, and business leaders, spotlighting their groundbreaking achievements and amplifying their unique, compelling stories.

To further extend the value to SMEs across the Kingdom, Mastercard partnered with SAB to offer an outstanding female entrepreneur the opportunity to be featured in the final episode of the season.

The winner will be chosen by Mastercard and SAB as the exclusive issuer for the nomination round, starting from May 17th.  In addition to appearing on the podcast, the winner will receive a grant worth USD 30,000 to develop and scale her business. Meanwhile, the top 15 nominees will get to attend an SME masterclass co-hosted by the two partners.

“At SAB, we realize the pivotal role of the banking sector in enabling SMEs to take their business to new heights. From facilitating access to financing to providing capacity-building opportunities, we are here to support them every step of the way. We are delighted to join forces with Mastercard to help build the next generation of future female entrepreneurs in the region,” said Yasser Al-Barrak, Chief Executive Officer of Corporate and Institutional Banking SAB.

“As a company that works to build an inclusive digital economy, we are passionate about women’s empowerment. By charting the journeys of incredible female pioneers across various fields, ‘Her Voice’ aims to motivate women in Saudi Arabia and beyond to realize their full potential. Our audiences that have come to love the podcast in its first season are in for a treat. We are launching a new video format, introducing an interactive and competitive element, and offering added value to women-led small businesses in the form of an SME grant and masterclass in partnership with SAB,” Maria Medvedeva, Country Business Manager, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Mastercard.

Set to premiere on May 21st, this season will switch to a video format and focus on designing a better world for everyone. In line with Mastercard’s efforts to connect people to their passions, each episode will explore a different passion point. The guests will chronicle their journeys in their own voices in conversation with the host, the trailblazing broadcaster Weam Al Dakheel – the first female anchor to present an evening news program on Saudi TV’s Channel 1.

Mastercard has pledged to bring 25 million women entrepreneurs worldwide into the digital economy by 2025, connecting them to the digital tools, training, insights and solutions that will empower their business. Mastercard has also partnered with Women Choice to launch the Social Innovation Incubator (SII) For Women’s Employment. The program will help create one million jobs for women across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), supporting inclusive economic growth in the region.

Tune into the Her Voice season two: https://www.priceless.com/hervoice2

About Mastercard (NYSE: MA)

Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, governments and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for all.

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