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Highly confident, women entrepreneurs still face systemic barriers

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Driving impact through bold leadership

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Cyber resilience for financial inclusion

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As technology reshapes the global economy at breakneck speed, the question isn’t whether innovation will transform lives—it already is. The challenge before us is to ensure these innovations are expansive and inclusive, driving improved financial health, resilience, and opportunity for everyone, everywhere.At the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, we know evidence is essential for impact. Entering 2026, our research agenda will focus on understanding the long-term effects of our investments; anticipating risks and designing interventions in the era of agentic AI and heightened cyber threats; and putting technology to work so the public can learn from, and build on, our evidence base.Generational shifts in development aid and shortfalls in climate adaptation finance require new ways of working. Private-sector catalysts and multistakeholder partnerships that mobilize knowledge, capital, and convening power must continue to prioritize inclusive economic growth even when public funding tightens. Against this backdrop, we are doubling down on initiatives underpinned by research that is rigorous, actionable, and applicable for many sectors.

What our digital transformation investments have set in motionFor more than a decade, the Center helped pioneer digital transformation efforts for financial service providers (FSPs) globally, accelerating small business growth and resilience. This work ranged from supporting <a href="https://www.mastercard.com/lac/es/news-and-trends/insights/2025/the-power-of-data-to-unlock-more-inclusive-financial-experiences.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">platform modernization</a> and <a href="https://medium.com/mastercardstrive/building-ai-solutions-for-women-micro-retailers-the-missing-ingredient-for-supporting-their-00e843229e00" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">driving AI solutions for women micro-retailers</a> to <a href="https://heartlandforward.org/news/heartland-forward-partners-with-mastercard-impact-fund-with-support-from-the-mastercard-center-for-inclusive-growth/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">strengthening the connective tissue</a> of local ecosystems (community lenders, technical assistance providers, and public-private collaborations) that help small firms and businesses adopt digital tools and survive volatility.In 2026, we are bringing a sharper lens to the social and economic return on those investments and how the benefits have cascaded beyond firm level‑metrics to community outcomes. Jobs sustained through downturns, productivity gains that enable owners to pay themselves and their workers more regularly and access pathways that translate into durable participation in the digital economy are some of the impacts we are exploring.Our research program will examine outcomes through a three-pronged approach: examining&nbsp;community impacts and social ROI of platform oriented digital transformation, with a focus on segments experiencing income volatility; using our <a href="https://www.mastercard.com/news/europe/en-uk/newsroom/press-releases/en-gb/2023/mastercard-s-small-business-barometer-research-reveals-ai-and-sustainability-are-top-priorities-for-the-uk-s-small-businesses/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">global datasets</a> for scenario modeling that informs policy and design choices affecting small businesses; and open sourcing datasets&nbsp;so others, including FSPs, researchers, and policymakers, can assess and build a shared evidence base.

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Navigating agentic AI and the new cyber frontierIf 2025 proved anything, it’s that <a href="https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/agentic-ai" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">agentic AI</a> is no longer theoretical. It offers real benefits like personalized service, faster processes, and better ways to manage risks for people using financial services. However, risks remain, especially for communities that face structural disadvantages in data representation, access, and recourse. A <a href="https://www.mastercard.com/us/en/news-and-trends/stories/2026/the-rise-of-scams.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">rise in online scams</a> has exposed gaps in protecting consumers, as criminals are becoming more sophisticated.&nbsp;In 2026, our research will examine how agentic AI reshapes financial behaviors among vulnerable consumers and small firms, and what can be done to minimize or prevent harm without stopping progress.We will use product and policy strategies, from data governance to model oversight to user-focused design, to reduce cyber risks while maintaining focus on inclusion targets. Alongside research partners, we’ll test scalable approaches: transparency for user understanding, safeguards against fraud, and community-based education to build trust in digital finance.The goal is not to slow innovation, but to aim it, so advances in AI produce measurable improvements in financial health, not inequality or risk. This approach aligns with our broader efforts to gather experts from research, industry, and public sectors to refine ideas for practical application.

Putting technology to workKnowledge is only impactful when it is practical, accessible, and actionable. For years, the Center and its partners have produced <a href="https://www.consumersinternational.org/media/669193/building-consumer-resilience-in-digital-finance-report-final.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">studies</a>, <a href="https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/centerforinclusivegrowth.imagery/pdfs/Unlocking_the_power_of_small_businesses_to_drive_climate-smart_inclusive+growth_November_2024.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reports</a>, and <a href="https://www.mastercard.com/news/insights/center-for-inclusive-growth-common-cents-lab/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">evaluations</a> that guide practitioners focused driving outcomes for on financial health, inclusive innovation and small business resilience.In 2026, we’re taking a step that meets the public where they are, by launching a chatbot that allows people to understand and interact with our research library in real time. A lender designing a product for first-time borrowers could pull insights on <a href="https://www.mastercard.com/us/en/news-and-trends/stories/2025/AI-2025-year-in-review.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">alternative assessments of repayment behaviors</a>. A city program can <a href="https://inclusivegrowthscore.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">track growth or stagnation in small business loans</a> and measure the growth in new businesses in different neighborhoods to support local entrepreneurs.&nbsp;Social entrepreneurs could learn how others navigate digitization and avoid common pitfalls.This tool reflects a broader commitment to <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/technical-resources-and-data/__;!!NDdRaFrjhKsg!r6Fn0_sows94ZOanjNA_DtguDBO8S0Zs3Gf4zcy5mG2itGuPuIab1N6YOmdI3a2TiskO6ejrHZi3cAjvEQ2D$" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">publishing methodologies</a> and open access frameworks, harmonizing datasets where permissions allow, and standardizing metadata so external researchers can replicate and extend our work. Our goal is to activate our evidence base, translating static reports into dynamic learning experiences. We will also use it to strengthen our own practice, providing a view into what questions the public ask most, where gaps persist, and which findings resonate because they answer real needs on the ground.

Turning evidence into actionInclusive economic growth doesn’t happen by accident. It requires intentional design, credible measurement, and mechanisms that help learning flow to those building products, policies, and programs.By measuring the ripple effects of past investments, anticipating the implications of emerging technologies like agentic AI and cyber risks, and opening our evidence base to the public, our 2026 research agenda will help the Center and the broader community make better decisions and achieve sustainable and lasting results.We invite researchers, innovators, and partners to join us in building a digital economy where resilience and opportunity incorporated from the start.

As technology reshapes the global economy at breakneck speed, the question isn’t whether innovation will transform lives—it already is. The challenge before us is to ensure these innovations are expansive and inclusive, driving improved financial health, resilience, and opportunity for everyone, everywhere.

Shaping inclusive economic growth in 2026: From evidence to implementation