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3 weeks ago | mastercard.com | Sophie Hares

As Peruvian biologist Constantino Aucca Chutas sat chewing coca leaves with a local elder high in the Andes, his companion pointed to a peak known as Demon Mountain and shared how its rocky slopes were once snow-covered. The elder explained how Pachamama, or Mother Earth, grew so annoyed with humans that she stopped sending snow. Planting trees was the only way to harness much-needed water for the farmers in the valleys below.

1 month ago | mastercard.com | Sophie Hares

Working as a waitress in Greenville, a small city of less than 30,000 nestled in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, Kenesha Lewis thrived off the strong connections she created with her regular customers and dreamed of one day starting her own business. After working her way up to become a restaurant manager and later district training manager, she transitioned to a career in finance and banking.

1 month ago | mastercard.com | Dianna Delling

Phishing, vishing, smishing, quishing, zishing? The types of cyber scams are growing. Here’s what you need to know.

1 month ago | mastercard.com | Sophie Hares

In 2021, Lerato Matsio was thrilled to receive her first order for the silk loungewear brand she was selling online as a passion project from her home in Belgium. As she prepared the order for dispatch, she took a few moments to slip a handwritten thank-you note inside the box holding the carefully wrapped sand-washed silk lounge set, which she then sent by FedEx to her maiden customer. All of which made her more upset when the buyer said the parcel had never arrived and requested a refund.

1 month ago | mastercard.com | Sophie Hares

Back in the early aughts, gmoney was an up-and-coming New York equities trader who loved wandering the city streets to check out what people were wearing. Something new and trending caught his eye: white earbuds trailed by a white cord that disappeared into a morass of clothing. Those early sightings of original iPod users inspired gmoney not only to buy stock in Apple, but to start investing in companies that would revolutionize tech and fashion.