CARE and HP Foundation Expand Program To Support 300,000 People in the Digital Economy

ATLANTA, GA / ACCESS Newswire / October 13, 2025 / CARE is proud to partner with the HP Foundation to expand the Strive Women program from the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, supporting women-led micro and small enterprises (W-MSEs) in Pakistan, Peru, and Vietnam. Through this 12-month collaboration, thousands of women entrepreneurs will gain opportunities to grow their businesses by strengthening their digital skills and expanding their access to markets and financial tools.

Strive Women is part of the Mastercard Strive program. Implemented by CARE, Strive Women strengthens the financial health of women-led small businesses and addresses the unique barriers they face. To date, Strive Women has directly supported 72,000 entrepreneurs through financial products, services, and trainings, against its goal of 300,800 entrepreneurs by 2027. It has reached a further 1.15M through communication campaigns. Strive Women listens to women entrepreneurs and creates financial tools and support that match their real experiences and goals.

The HP Foundation's investment will equip women entrepreneurs with the AI and critical skills they need to participate and thrive in the future of work in Pakistan, Peru, and Vietnam by:

• Offering practical digital skills training, including AI-enabled tools

• Building skills that prepare them to use digital financial services

• Reaching more women through online business learning platforms

"The future of work will be defined by those who can leverage AI and digital technology. By partnering with CARE, we're ensuring that women entrepreneurs in Pakistan, Peru and Vietnam are not just included but empowered to thrive and drive progress in the digital economy" said Michele Malejki, Global Head of Social Impact, HP Inc. and Executive Director of the HP Foundation.

This contribution underscores HP's broader commitment to accelerate digital equity for 150 million people by 2030 - a goal they are nearly halfway to reaching.

"CARE's work with women entrepreneurs has shown time and again that when women succeed, entire communities benefit," said Michelle Nunn, CEO of CARE. "Support from partners like the HP Foundation allows us to scale proven efforts and support thousands more women-led businesses to participate more fully in the digital economy."