Economic empowerment is about removing the structural barriers and systemic biases that have made it difficult for all individuals to take part in the global payments ecosystem. The Visa Economic Empowerment Institute (VEEI) provides a platform for the international exchange of policy ideas that can advance economic empowerment.
Barriers to achieving one’s economic goals are not just harmful to the individual; society and the economy suffer as well. But the public and private sectors can come together to choose the path of inclusion. By bringing everyone into the economy, we can lift everybody up.
—Barbara Kotschwar, Executive Director
The VEEI is an independent, non-partisan center of excellence for research and public-private dialogue on payments policy, established by Visa.
The VEEI’s overarching mission is to promote public policies that empower citizens, small businesses, and economies. It develops new research and insights to inform long term policy within the global payments ecosystem. Visa established VEEI as the next step in its ongoing mission to remove barriers to economic empowerment and to create more inclusive, equitable economic opportunities for everyone, everywhere.
VEEI provides a platform for stakeholders across the world to work together collectively to address policy issues, share data and increase economic empowerment, trade and global connectivity. VEEI is committed to promoting policies that help to close gender, racial, ethnicity, inclusion, and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) finance gaps around the world—enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive.
The VEEI focuses on three strategic pillars to further its mission:
The VEEI is an independent, non-partisan think tank established by Visa. The VEEI’s Executive Director is Dr. Barbara Kotschwar, who leads the Institute’s research and policy initiatives. Also an adjunct Georgetown University professor and former specialist at the World Bank, Dr. Kotschwar oversees a dedicated team of VEEI Fellows who are subject matter experts in global payments, central banking, development finance, international trade, cybersecurity, and other key issues.
The Fellows are subject matter experts in global payments, central banking, development finance, international trade, cybersecurity, and other key issues.
The Fellows are subject matter experts in global payments, central banking, development finance, international trade, cybersecurity, and other key issues.
The Fellows will have access to Visa’s vast information resources and technology capabilities to analyze problems and develop policy recommendations that bring real solutions to communities around the world. They will also draw on Visa’s wide network of partner think tanks and other thought leaders to exchange ideas, co-sponsor events, share insights and co-author papers.
Bill Sheedy, senior advisor to Visa CEO Al Kelly, is the Chair of the VEEI.
As a platform for global leaders to solve problems, share data and increase economic empowerment, the VEEI convenes policymakers from international organizations and agencies, key regulators, central banks, standard-setting bodies, non-governmental organizations, and multilateral financial consortiums to address global issues affecting digital equity and inclusion, trade and commerce.
The VEEI is uniquely positioned to lead conversations between the public and private sectors given Visa’s commitment to solving long-term policy challenges and its global network and expertise across payments technologies. These conversations and partnerships provide actionable solutions for improving and enhancing communities, opportunities and money movement.
The VEEI does not provide grants or funding to other organizations, but instead focuses on producing ground-breaking research and serves as a platform for global leaders to help increase economic empowerment, trade and global connectivity.
As part of its research efforts and as appropriate, the VEEI will partner with think tanks, non-governmental organizations, and other groups that are advancing economic empowerment, but these organizations do not receive financial support from the VEEI.