The SEEP Network Partners with MasterCard to Promote Innovative Uses of Technology to Support Entrepreneurship and Financial Inclusion

2012 SEEP Annual Conference Addresses Critical Barriers to Meaningful Inclusion in Markets and Financial Systems

Washington, DC, – The SEEP Network’s two-day 2012 Annual Conference titled, “Building Inclusive Markets: Impact through Financial and Enterprise Solutions” kicks off on Wednesday, November 7 in Arlington, VA.

MasterCard is a key corporate sponsor, and is also sponsoring the conference’s ‘Information and Communications Technologies’ track, a series of workshops that examine innovative uses of technology to support enterprise development and financial inclusion in the developing world. Other conference thematic trends include: promoting savings, reaching the extreme poor, market and enterprise development, and understanding impact.

“With half of world’s population still excluded from the formal economy, collaboration between development practitioners and technology companies to proactively meet the needs of lower income and small-scale entrepreneurs is critical”, said Patricia Devereux, Group Head Corporate Philanthropy and Citizenship at MasterCard. “MasterCard envisions a world beyond cash where even the most remote farmers and microentrepreneurs have the ability to transact and accumulate earnings safely and securely”.

A significant barrier to financial inclusion in the developing world is the inefficient sharing of best practices vital to reducing costs and scaling impact. For this reason, the 2012 SEEP Annual Conference will bring together some of the world’s most innovative practitioners to explore solutions that can be replicated and scaled. The Information and Communication Technologies track at SEEP’s annual conference will highlight innovative development approaches and technologies used to positively impact enterprise development and to build inclusive markets.

Sharon D’Onofrio, Executive Director of the SEEP Network, said “MasterCard has made an important commitment to leveraging technology and payment innovations for financial inclusion. Harnessing private sector expertise will help development practitioners fill the gaps needed to bring about wide scale change at the base of the pyramid.”

Every year, SEEP offers a platform for attendees to connect, engage, and learn more about the challenges and opportunities they face in reducing poverty and strengthening the industry. This year, the SEEP Annual Conference welcomes more than 600 participants representing 225+ organizations and 70+ countries. Learn more at http://www.seepnetwork.org/.

About SEEP

The SEEP Network is a global network of over 130 international practitioner organizations dedicated to combating poverty through promoting inclusive markets and financial systems. SEEP represents the largest and most diverse network of its kind, comprised of international development organizations and global, regional, and country-level practitioner networks that promote market development and financial inclusion. Members are active in 170 countries and support nearly 90 million entrepreneurs and their families.





About MasterCard

MasterCard’s philanthropic efforts are focused on furthering financial inclusion through entrepreneurship. We believe that by supporting entrepreneurship we are helping individuals overcome barriers to financial inclusion and ultimately achieve positive economic outcomes for themselves, their families and their communities. Through our core competencies, our technology, our people, and our charitable giving, we make a difference in people’s lives around the world.

MasterCard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com,is a global payments and technology company. It operates the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MasterCardNews, join the discussion on the Cashless Conversations Blog and subscribe for the latest news.