- The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey is a mobile and tablet-friendly, a self-paced curriculum that includes online lessons across 21 modules with a total of 28 videos of approximately 20-30 minutes each
- Its launch comes at a time when the small business segment in the region has faced unprecedented changes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, further fueled by the rapid acceleration of digital transformation and e-commerce
Mastercard Academy has launched ‘The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey’, a digital education platform that brings together a range of world-class academic and business resources to help small businesses learn and thrive.
The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey is a mobile and tablet-friendly, self-paced curriculum that includes online lessons across 21 modules with a total of 28 videos of approximately 20-30 minutes each.
According to Mastercard, the platform follows a five-pathway approach which is open to all aspiring and established entrepreneurs with no limits on the number of viewers and is free to watch. The platform will also be offered to government partners.
The five pathways are design, launch, manage, grow and community.
Its launch comes at a time when the small business segment in the region has faced unprecedented changes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, further fueled by the rapid acceleration of digital transformation and e-commerce.
“Small businesses need support to adapt. There’s often a knowledge gap, especially for smaller enterprises that have been operating in traditional ways until recently. That’s why Mastercard is offering this new set of educational tools to help guide and support small businesses through the pandemic, and beyond, into the recovery phase,” said Raghav Prasad, Division President, Sub-Saharan Africa, Mastercard.
“By leveraging its technology, insights, global expertise and partnership approach, Mastercard aims to empower every business everywhere to grow digitally, become stronger than before, and prosper in a more connected, equal, and inclusive world,” the president added.
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Commitment
The launch of the platform follows the $250 million commitment made by Mastercard over five years, to support SMEs with digital tools and training during the pandemic.
With the launch of ‘The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey’, Mastercard says it will further empower small businesses with data insights and knowledge to more efficiently and securely run their enterprises.
The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey platform has direct links to recorded videos that will bring participants face-to-face with professors from Harvard, INSEAD, Wharton and the Christiansen Institute of Innovation, alongside an expert Mastercard faculty.
Commenting on the launch, Michael Froman, Vice Chairman and President, Strategic Growth for Mastercard said the Entrepreneur’s Odyssey is the latest in Mastercard’s efforts to deliver on the needs of these critical businesses so they can design, launch, manage and grow their ventures,
At the same time, Professor Daniel Isenberg, CEO of Entrepreneurship Policy Advisors and former professor, Harvard Business School said every small business owner and startup entrepreneur, particularly those with growth ambitions, should join The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey by Mastercard, a highly compelling online educational program.
“Particularly now that digital presence and operations are even more essential than in the past, The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey will help startup and SME owners upgrade their practices to use new tools to address rapidly changing customer expectations. The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey provides highly relevant entrepreneurship and management principles, and practical tools that anyone can apply to their businesses successfully,” he said.
The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey is a progression of other similar SME-related programs that Mastercard has developed in the past such as The Mastercard Trust Center which provides SME owners with links to curated education, resources and tools from trusted external sources to help them defend their business against cyberattacks.
The Mastercard Digital Doors program also helps small businesses open their digital doors get SMEs online, protect their business, and ensure they have the right tools to digitally transform.
“Small businesses are the backbone of local communities and an engine for the global economy. Because of this, it’s never been more important to ensure that entrepreneurs and small business owners have access to educational resources, insights, tools and solutions to recover from the impacts of the pandemic and truly thrive. The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey is the latest in our Mastercard efforts to deliver on the needs of these critical businesses so they can design, launch, manage and grow their ventures,” said Michael Froman, Vice Chairman and President, Strategic Growth for Mastercard.
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