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She’s Next, Empowered by Visa, launches to support the advancement
of women-owned small businesses around the world
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Next phase of multi-million dollar marketing campaign – “Money is
Changing” – to feature real female business owners
SAN FRANCISCO & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
As part of its ongoing commitment to support female entrepreneurs, Visa
(NYSE: V) is launching a global initiative – She’s Next, Empowered by
Visa – to encourage women small business owners as they build, sustain
and advance their businesses.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190115005241/en/
Visa unveils a global initiative to champion women-owned small businesses everywhere: She’s Next, Empowered by Visa. Visa executives Mary Ann Reilly (left) and Suzan Kereere (right) are joined by Rebecca Minkoff, founder of Rebecca Minkoff (center) and the Female Founder Collective at an event at Hudson Yards in New York City. (Photo: Business Wire)
The global rate of female entrepreneurship has been increasing more
quickly than that of male entrepreneurs,1 with more than 163
million women around the world starting a business since 20142.
She’s Next will champion this growing trend, with additional support
from leading small business advocates, including Square and Yelp.
“Starting and growing a business can be both incredibly rewarding and
daunting. That is why Visa is committed to empowering women business
owners through a year-long program of education, cutting-edge digital
payment technology and a powerful peer network,” said Suzan Kereere,
global head of merchant sales & acquiring, Visa. “There is never enough
time or enough resources, but when we work together to support each
other, amazing things can happen.”
Inspiring Female Business Leaders
She’s Next, will be supported by the Female
Founder Collective (FFC) – a network of businesses led by women,
supporting women – that launched in 2018 and quickly grew to over 3,000
members. From streamlining payment methods to linking women small
business owners with like-minded peers and experts, Visa and FFC will
together offer unmatched resources and opportunities for female
entrepreneurs.
“As women, we have the power to shape and transform our
communities—through our purchasing power and also through the leadership
and employment opportunities we offer as business owners,” said Rebecca
Minkoff, founder of Rebecca Minkoff and the Female Founder Collective.
“By joining forces with Visa, we will help build awareness of
women-owned businesses, provide them with more opportunities and invest
in women across the socioeconomic spectrum around the globe.”
Going Global
She’s Next was unveiled at a preview event at Hudson Yards in New York
City today, coinciding with the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) Big
Show. Over the course of 2019, Visa will create pop-up events around the
world that offer a range of practical tools, resources, insights and
networking opportunities for female entrepreneurs, including:
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Interactive Workshops: Beginning with an inaugural event in
Atlanta on January 30, alongside Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, Visa will
host a series of interactive workshops to tackle business challenges
specific to each community. Future events are planned for the FIFA
Women’s World Cup France 2019™ and beyond.
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Access to Experts: Each workshop will include experts from
Visa, local and national subject matter experts, and partners to
maximize benefits to female business owners. Specifically at the
inaugural workshop in Atlanta, leaders from Visa, Square and Yelp will
bring their own expertise and innovation to the workshop.
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New Research: Initial insights from a forthcoming survey
commissioned by Visa of US-based female small business owners will
help to inform the issues that matter most to women entrepreneurs.
Select findings include:
- Key Motivators: The top three things women cite as
motivators in starting their own businesses are: pursuing their
passion (48%), having financial independence (43%) and having
flexibility (41%).
- Money Matters: Nearly three quarters of women (73%) report
that it was difficult to obtain the funding they needed to start
their own business. In fact, six in ten (61%) self-funded their
business.
- Digital First: When asked to identify top workshop topics
they would like to learn more about, respondents said improved
social media and digital marketing skills to promote and grow
their businesses.
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Advertising Campaign: In 2019, Visa will launch phase two of
its multi-million dollar Money is Changing marketing campaign in the
United States, building on its millennial women focus and featuring
real-life female business owners. Visa will feature a diverse spectrum
of women in the campaign who will highlight the practical steps they
have personally taken to change the game and challenge existing taboos
when it comes to money.
Visa, Women and Small Businesses
She’s Next builds off the success of Visa-supported programs focusing on
small businesses, as well as female business owners. Recent examples
include Visa’s sponsorship of the Great
British High Street program in the United Kingdom and Visa’s Money
is Changing marketing campaign in the United States. In addition to
Visa’s efforts, the Visa Foundation made its first financial commitment
of up to $20 million to Women’s
World Banking.
As a market leader in the small business segment in the United States,
Visa provides a full suite of payment services designed for virtually
every need, whether businesses are accepting payments from 3.3 billion
Visa accountholders worldwide or making secure, seamless payments to
their own providers using Visa Business credit, debit or prepaid cards.
For more information on Visa’s small business solutions, please visit https://usa.visa.com/partner-with-us/info-for-partners/info-for-small-business.html.
About Visa Inc.
Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our
mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable
and secure payment network - enabling individuals, businesses and
economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet,
provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable
of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The
company’s relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid
growth of connected commerce on any device, and a driving force behind
the dream of a cashless future for everyone, everywhere. As the world
moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products,
people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more
information, visit About
Visa, https://usa.visa.com/visa-everywhere/blog.htmland @VisaNews.
1
Gem
2016/2017 Women's Entrepreneurship Report
2
2016/2017
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor
View source version on businesswire.com:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190115005241/en/
Visa Inc.
Caylah Novak
cnovak@visa.com
(415)
805-1984
Source: Visa Inc.