Mastercard (NYSE: MA) has recently unveiled the newest recipients of the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund.
The Fund grants $10,000 CAD to 10 Canadian women small business owners alongside “support to grow and scale their businesses.”
Recipients receive a Priceless experience in Toronto providing them with expert mentorship, community building opportunities with fellow small business owners and insights to “further develop their businesses.”
Through initiatives like the Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund, Mastercard is reinforcing its dedication to small businesses and the communities they serve.
This year’s Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund recipients join a group of past recipients from across Canada:
- Boco Boco (Montreal, QC): an eco-friendly online gourmet grocery store on a mission to help consumers make sustainable purchases.
- Bruized (Toronto, ON): a sustainable snack company that rescues and upcycles perfectly good surplus food into plant-based snacks, while inspiring discussions about reducing food waste.
- Folds Wear Inc. (Calgary, AB): a clothing company founded to bring innovation, style and sustainability to healthcare uniforms using unique fabrics that support the environment and care for the wearer’s skin.
- ImaginAble Solutions (Hamilton, ON): a social impact company creating assistive technology to improve the quality of life for people with hand disabilities.
- Lesley Hampton (Toronto, ON): an inclusive luxury and Indigenous fashion brand that champions diverse beauty and empowers all body types and backgrounds.
- Mahara Mindfulness (York, ON): creators of The Human Being Journal, designed to help people manage mental health, gain perspective and live fulfilled lives.
- Paintillio (Sechelt, BC): a company creating custom paint-by-numbers projects that are high quality, hands-on, collaborative and accessible to help communities grow through artistic expression and creative initiatives.
- Remix Snacks (Vancouver, BC): a dietitian-led company creating bean-based snacks with ingredients that reduce food waste.
- Shawish Market (Toronto, ON): an Indigenize custom-built and marketplace-style platform, designed to empower Indigenous entrepreneurs by eliminating vendor fees.
- The Magpie Cakery (Toronto, ON): a collaborative community kitchen designed to help local businesses thrive.
Mastercard recognizes that in addition to financial support, mentorship and networking opportunities “are crucial for small business owners to expand their businesses.”
Along with a $10,000 CAD grant, recipients will take advantage of a Priceless experience in Toronto, where they can “meet with mentors, connect with Mastercard partners, and gain valuable insights through networking with fellow recipients.”
The Mastercard x Pier Five Small Business Fund is part of Mastercard’s long-standing commitment to “enhancing the vitality of Canadian small businesses with innovative programs, tools and solutions.”
In addition to payment solutions and funding opportunities, Mastercard offers solutions like “a cyber assessment tool to help small businesses stay protected and tools designed to facilitate seamless transactions and digital enablement through the Mastercard Small Business Resource Centre.”
Mastercard will continue to support small businesses with innovative, community-level support “to drive sales and growth with initiatives like the recent immersive shopping experience in Fort Langley, B.C.”
Understanding that mentorship and support are at the heart of small business success, the Mastercard Small Business Community provides small business owners the opportunity “to learn, grow and connect with Mastercard and its partners year-round, plus gain access to resources to help manage and expand their business.”