Global Ads Spotlight: Mastercard’s ‘WhereToStart’ - a digital tool to help Ukrainian refugees rebuild
Mastercard’s “WhereToStart” initiative in Poland used data-driven tools to help Ukrainian refugees launch businesses alongside Polish entrepreneurs, fostering economic collaboration and social unity.
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When Russian forces crossed into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, it marked the beginning of the deadliest conflict in Europe since the Second World War. Beyond the staggering toll in human lives, the war upended the economic fabric of Ukraine, displacing millions and threatening livelihoods across the region.
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Among those seeking safety, more than 1.5 million Ukrainians found refuge in neighboring Poland. Their arrival increased Poland’s population by roughly 4 percent, and brought with it both pressing challenges and unexpected opportunities.
By the end of that year, Poland had seen the emergence of more than 310,000 new businesses, with an average of 1,000 companies being registered daily, according to local reports. A notable number of these ventures — around 10 percent — were initiated by Ukrainian refugees. While some in Poland initially viewed this influx with apprehension, fearing economic displacement, a new corporate initiative sought to turn that concern into collaboration.
In a bid to foster coexistence and shared prosperity, global financial services company Mastercard launched a data-driven platform called “WhereToStart,” part of its broader “Room for Everyone” initiative. The tool, designed for both Polish and Ukrainian entrepreneurs, uses aggregated data — including foot traffic, transaction patterns, and real estate trends — to identify optimal locations for launching small businesses.
But the campaign went further than digital strategy. Polish business owners began placing Mastercard-branded signs outside their stores, signaling openness to their Ukrainian counterparts and offering insight into the unmet demands of local consumers. The gesture was both practical and symbolic: an invitation to compete less, and grow more — together.
The tool quickly gained traction. More than 40 percent of new businesses in select regions reported using it, and the initiative has been credited with improving public sentiment toward refugees, shifting the narrative from strain to solidarity.
At the 2024 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the campaign was awarded the Creative Data Grand Prix — a recognition not only of its technological sophistication, but of its ability to blend commerce with compassion.
In a time when borders have divided and economies have frayed, the Mastercard initiative has offered a quiet but resonant message: in rebuilding what is lost, there is room for everyone.
