This year's program will explore how global development, digital transformation, and evolving consumer behavior are reshaping inclusive growth. Discussions will highlight the critical role of SMEs as drivers of innovation and resilience, the opportunities and challenges of AI and digital finance in advancing financial health, and the ways technology is transforming how people and businesses engage, transact, and scale.
Shamina Singh, President, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, and Raj Kumar, President and Editor-in-Chief, Devex alongside Forum emcee Andrea Vieira.
Founder and President, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, nailsaloon
A conversation with Paschal Donohoe, Managing Director, World Bank Group, moderated by Shamina Singh.
Founder and President, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth
Managing Director and Chief Knowledge Officer, World Bank Group
Small businesses drive economies – sustainable and inclusive growth depends on their resilience and success. But what are they experiencing in these challenging and volatile times, and how is rapid digital transformation creating opportunities and challenges? Dr. Tim Ogden shares a glimpse into the fascinating insights surfaced by his ground-breaking research. Drawing on global insights as well as preliminary data to highlight small business’ aspirations and pain points, he will also highlight the critical role of policymakers and financial service providers in creating a stronger small business ecosystem.
Managing Director, Financial Access Initiative NYU Wagner
For many U.S. small businesses, growth is often seen as the ultimate marker of success, closely — tied to ambition, resilience, and the American Dream. Yet growth can also bring heightened stress, longer hours, and tradeoffs with personal well-being. This candid conversation brings together entrepreneurs to explore what healthy growth looks like in practice, from managing cash flow and scaling operations to maintaining purpose, creativity, and balance.
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, nailsaloon
Founder & Executive Director, Nest
Co-founder and Marketing lead, Peacesake
Founder and Owner, Morgan Buckert Custom Boots
Artificial intelligence is one of the most consequential forces shaping the future of the Global South—and its impact may be even more transformative there than in other markets. From expanding financial inclusion through digital credit and payments to improving crop yields with data-driven insights, AI can compress decades of development into years. At the same time, we must ask what it takes to unlock this potential responsibly: investing in digital infrastructure, skills, and local innovation ecosystems while addressing risks around bias, data governance, and inequality. This conversation highlights why the Global South is not just a testing ground for AI, but a source of innovation, resilience, and new models of inclusive growth that can shape the global AI landscape
Editor at Large, The National Interest
CEO/Co-Founder, EqualyzAI
President, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation
Founder & Scientific Director, Technecultura
As digital assets reinvent the global financial system, the real test will become whether innovation reaches those who need it most. This conversation brings together leaders driving the next generation of payments and policy to examine how tools like stablecoins and digital platforms can lower costs, expand access, and unlock opportunities. Expect clear-eyed perspectives on what it truly takes to move from technological promise to a trusted, scalable, inclusive impact.
EVP, Head of Global Policy, Mastercard
Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Global Policy and Operations, Circle
Deputy CEO, AfricaNenda Foundation
As artificial intelligence reshapes how people earn, spend, save, and borrow, it presents a powerful opportunity to advance financial health by enabling more personalized products, stronger risk management, and expanded access to tailored tools for underserved households and small businesses. At the same time, these advances raise critical questions around trust, transparency, consumer protection, and equitable outcomes. This panel brings together cross-sector leaders to examine how AI is shaping financial behaviors and systems, identify where current approaches fall short, and explore how collaboration can ensure innovation drives resilience at scale.
Executive Vice President, Global Programs, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth
President & Chief Executive Officer, Accion
Founder and CEO, Foyer Savings
Ag Head, Fintech and Innovation Department, Bank of Ghana
In an era of rapid technological change, including agentic AI and pressing environmental limits, consumers and brands are redefining what it means to consume digitally, responsibly, and seamlessly. This panel brings together visionary leaders to explore how technology, consumer values, and purchasing power are reshaping discovery, decision-making, and product selection—from fashion to smarter circular ecosystems. The discussion highlights how these shifts create new opportunities for trust, value, and resilience in a rapidly evolving global economy.
Chief Sustainability Officer, Mastercard
CEO, Pacsun
Founder and CEO, TerraCycle
Head, Chief Economist, Mastercard Economics Institute
Escalating geopolitical tensions and international conflicts are reshaping economic stability, trade and investment flows, including across ASEAN. Drawing on ADB’s growing emphasis on mobilizing private capital for resilient infrastructure and inclusive growth, the discussion will focus on how financial institutions, governments and businesses can work towards sustained growth across sectors – a key issue at the upcoming 49th ASEAN Summit in November.
Director General for Private Sector, ADB, Asian Development Bank
Shamina Singh concludes the 2026 Forum with reflections on the day and an exciting announcement about a partnership with CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Founder and President, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth
Vice President of Private Sector, CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean
Experience robust and thoughtful discussions on the most important inclusive growth topics from the experts themselves, and come away with insights you can't get anywhere else.
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