More than 500 local small businesses and community experts will come together to discuss innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology

In a combined effort to drive financial inclusion, Mastercard and Square today announced a two-city collaboration on Self Made, Square’s event series focused on enhancing the skills of underserved business leaders to create economic and community impact through meaningful panels and interactive workshops.

“We recognize the critical need to continually arm small business owners and micro-entrepreneurs with the tools and skills to enable their success,” said Sherri Haymond, executive vice president of digital partnerships at Mastercard. “The Self Made event series brings awareness to the ways that these leaders can leverage technology to drive forward the small business economy.”

The first event will take place at 6 p.m. EST on October 3 at The Bordone in Long Island City (43-10 9th Street, Long Island City, NY, 11101). A panel discussion moderated by Jennifer Rademaker, executive vice president of global customer delivery at Mastercard, will feature business leaders including John Henry, partner at Harlem Capital, Paul Quintero, chief executive officer of Accion Serving the East Coast, and Aylon Pesso, owner of Pesso’s Ices & Ice Cream covering the topics of small business cash flow, resourcing and hiring and retaining talent.

The following week, from October 8-10 at the WeWork Long Island City (27-01 Queens Plaza N, Long Island City, NY, 11101), Self Made will offer various education workshops featuring Mastercard’s grassroots financial education program, Master Your Card. In addition, attendees will receive free Square contactless and chip card readers. Further details follow:

• Quitting Your Day Job for Your Day Dream: How and When to Start Your Dream Business (October 8 from 6-8 p.m. EST)

• Square Solutions: Get the Most Out of Square Tools (in Spanish) (October 9 from 12:30-2:30 p.m. EST)

• Square Solutions: Get the Most Out of Square Tools (in English) (October 9 from 6-8 p.m. EST)

• Mastering Your Domain: How to Use Digital Marketing Tactics to Increase Web Traffic and Sales (October 10 from 6-8 p.m. EST)

“After kicking off the year in small business education with events in Atlanta and Pittsburgh, we’re thrilled to be partnering with Mastercard to expand these efforts to New York and Los Angeles,” said Chris Sweetland, head of payments partnerships and industry relations at Square. “It’s our shared goal that the Self Made event series will equip attendees with the know-how to build a successful, growing business.”

The Self Made event series builds upon Mastercard and Square’s continued partnership. In January 2019, Square launched the Square Card, a free business debit Mastercard that helps businesses manage their cash flow by eliminating the time between making a sale and having the funds available to spend. With an instant discount on purchases made at other Square sellers, the Square Card also encourages commerce among the small business community.

For more information on the Self Made event series and for updates on the October 17 Los Angeles event, click here.

About Mastercard 

Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. Our global payments processing network connects consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. Mastercard 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 Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.

About Square

Square, Inc. (NYSE: SQ) revolutionized payments in 2009 with Square Reader, making it possible for anyone to accept card payments using a smartphone or tablet. Today, we build tools to empower businesses and individuals to participate in the economy. Sellers use Square to reach buyers online and in-person, manage their business, and access financing. Restaurants use Caviar to offer diners delivery, group ordering, catering, and pickup. And individuals use Cash App to spend, send, and store money. Square has offices in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Ireland, and the UK.

Communications Contacts
Mastercard
William Tsang | 914.249.2640 | William.Tsang@mastercard.com

Square
press@squareup.com