2026 Global Inclusive Growth Forum

Shamina Singh, President, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, and Raj Kumar, President and Editor-in-Chief, Devex kickoff the 2026 Global Inclusive Growth Forum in Washington, DC.

A conversation with Paschal Donohoe, Managing Director, World Bank Group, moderated by Shamina Singh.

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 [CG1] [JH2] 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.

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. increased financial pressure, operational complexity, 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.

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

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.

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.

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.