Economic Empowerment

As Barclays’ global fintech programme, the Barclays Accelerator, powered by Techstars, celebrates the graduation of its 100th company, we talk to three Barclays leaders about partnering with the disruptors – and helping define the future of finance.

Julia, who came to the UK from Lithuania aged 19, now works as a Barista in the Sacred coffee shop at Barclays head office in Canary Wharf. She earns the London living wage, which at last allows her to pay for the things she needs – and put savings aside. “Before this job I couldn’t even look at my account. Now I can go out with co-workers, and go to watch my favourite bands. I feel like I’ve got so much more freedom.”

The Estate Tax is on the chopping block in this second Gilded Age, yet there is probably no aspect of the U.S. tax code more aligned with the values that the Founding Fathers risked their lives for than the law taxing inherited wealth. Recirculating this wealth, either voluntarily or through taxation is fundamental to a healthy economic metabolism, as we know from the study of all regenerative systems. It’s not ideological.

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC), NeighborWorks® America and its network member, Community Housing Development Corporation (CHDC), today announced the NeighborhoodLIFT® program is coming to the San Francisco Bay Area with a $9.7 million commitment by Wells Fargo to boost homeownership in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, and Solano counties.

Most people don't know that food packaging plays a vital role in reducing food waste. By embracing better food packaging best practices, we can help take action against hunger.

Arrow Electronics hosted “The Entrepreneur’s Journey” at General Assembly during this year’s Denver Startup Week 2017, offering an inside look at how two successful entrepreneurs overcame the challenges of developing and bringing smart, connected internet of things (IoT) products to market.

Today marks the launch of the Visa Foundation, which has been established as part of Visa’s larger social impact strategy to prioritize the growth of micro and small enterprises around the world, enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive.

At PayPal, we believe every person has the right to participate in today’s global economy. Kiva is an international nonprofit that allows people to lend money to low-income entrepreneurs and students in over 80 countries and is an important partner in this mission. A few weeks ago, we launched our Kiva campaign: “Make A Small Loan, Make a Big Impact,” to our employees and customers around the globe to encourage them to make loans to entrepreneurs.

A rising tide of financial empowerment creates meaningful value for all. At PayPal, we believe in the combined power of technology and compassion to create life-changing opportunities for those who need it most. For more than a decade, we’ve worked hand-in-hand with the nonprofit micro-lending pioneer Kiva, to enable loans to people and entrepreneurs who do not have access to capital or traditional financing. These small, crowd-funded loans not only help build businesses, they create jobs, opportunities and stronger economies. We’ve seen the powerful impact this has on the livelihoods of families, neighborhoods and communities.