Mastercard is gearing up to launch its third annual Small Business Summit series, convening entrepreneurs, financial institutions, local leaders and industry experts during National Small Business Month. The one-day events will deliver hands-on education, mentorship and practical resources designed to help small businesses start, grow and operate with confidence.
Small businesses generated nearly half of U.S. GDP last year, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration1. The series is designed to help owners close common gaps in capital readiness, digital tools and trusted networks by connecting them with experts, peers and actionable guidance.
The series kicks off during National Small Business Month in May. Each summit will include a full day of programming tailored to the small business community of its host city:
- New York City: The Creator Economy (May 6) – Equipping New York City’s creator economy, from digital creators to makers, with tools to professionalize, scale and monetize.
- Atlanta: Innovation & Local Founder Infrastructure (May 27) – Highlighting innovation, tech enablement and broad entrepreneurship across Atlanta’s booming small business ecosystem.
- Chicago: Manufacturing, Food, Logistics & Community Commerce (June 25) – Strengthening Chicago’s backbone industries including local manufacturing, specialty food, logistics and community-driven retail.
“Supporting small business owners is a year-round commitment,” said Ginger Siegel, North America Small and Medium Business Lead at Mastercard. “Through our Small Business Summits, we’re bringing practical tools, mentorship and connections to help entrepreneurs navigate financial and operational complexity and keep building the businesses they’ve envisioned.”
Attendees will hear from expert speakers, connect with peers and participate in hands-on demonstrations featuring tools to help streamline operations and strengthen financial know-how. The series will extend to San Francisco, Toronto and potentially other markets later this year.
All businesses face rising expectations for simple, digital-first experiences — and new competitive pressure around access to capital, operational efficiency and cashflow management. Smaller businesses and entrepreneurs are no different. Mastercard works with governments, banks, fintechs and community organizations to co-create solutions that help businesses run, grow and thrive with the same simplicity they expect as consumers.
This critical work inspired the company’s commitment to connect and protect 500 million people and small businesses on their pathways to financial health by 2030. That support includes core payment capabilities — like card and acceptance — plus services beyond payments, from cybersecurity tools and education to cross-border solutions and data insights that help owners make more informed decisions.
Mastercard is also expanding the ecosystem of tools and partnerships available to small business owners. Through a new collaboration, Amazon is launching two new credit cards — Amazon Business Card and Prime Business Card — transitioning its small business credit cards to U.S. Bank powered by Mastercard's global network. The cards are designed to give U.S. customers more ways to save, along with a suite of features built specifically for the needs of modern small businesses.
For additional information on Mastercard solutions specifically designed for small businesses, including Mastercard Business Builder, the Virtual C-Suite and Mastercard Strive, please visit the Mastercard Small Business Community at https://www.mastercard.com/us/en/business/industry-segment/small-medium-business/small-biz.html.
