Startup Canada and Mastercard Partner to Drive Economic Innovation

Startup Canada announced Mastercard as a national partner supporting startup and small business success in Canada. Mastercard will integrate its innovation and payments technology expertise into Startup Canada’s programming in 2017 to support the growth and success of Canada’s small business and startup communities.

“It is imperative for industry, entrepreneurs and government to work together to build innovative companies in Canada,” said Victoria Lennox, CEO and Co-Founder of Startup Canada. “As more and more companies contribute to the exchange of ideas between the private sector and Canada’s startup community, we can encourage greater innovation and small business success. Mastercard has shown commitment to this goal and we are proud to partner on initiatives that will have substantial, meaningful impact on Canada’s entrepreneurship community.”

“Our commitment to innovation in Canada starts with supporting the business owners and risk-taking entrepreneurs who are creating the jobs of the future,” said Brian Lang, President of Mastercard in Canada. “As a global business with a proud 40-year history in Canada, we look forward to sharing our expertise and resources with Startup Canada’s broad audience of startups and small business owners from coast to coast.”

Mastercard is the presenting sponsor of #StartupGov, a new Startup Canada initiative bringing together a community of public servants, politicians, entrepreneurs and innovators to solve challenges. Programming for #StartupGov in 2017 will launch during International Women’s Day on March 8 at a networking event featuring the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Nicole Verkindt, Founder of the OMX and Rosemary Chapdelaine, Vice President of Lockheed Martin Canada as guest speakers. Jennifer M. Sloan, Vice President of Public Policy for Mastercard in Canada will deliver opening remarks.

Mastercard is also the presenting sponsor of the 2017 Startup Canada Awards, the hallmark event celebrating Canada’s entrepreneurship community, and Startup Canada Day on the Hill, the most influential entrepreneurial event in Canada wherein 1,500 top innovators, entrepreneurs, industry and government decision makers convene to apply an entrepreneurial lens to policy. Applications for the 2017 Startup Canada Awards are now open, and tickets for Startup Canada Day on the Hill will go on sale later this Spring.

Mastercard, Startup Canada and Intuit Canada will together help train 10,000 entrepreneurs on financial literacy through the Startup Foundations Finance Bootcamps program; and Mastercard will provide finance, transaction, payment and fraud education through a number of Startup Canada’s programs including #StartupChats, a bi-weekly Twitter Program.