Economic empowerment An inclusive future is one in which everyone has a pathway to economic opportunity—toward long-term resilience, financial independence, and economic security. To create this future, we must provide people with equitable access to the knowledge, skills, networks, and resources needed to support themselves and their families. One of Cisco’s social investment focus areas is economic empowerment, including for underserved and underrepresented populations. For more than a decade, we have been providing cash grants, donating Cisco technology, and contributing staff time and expertise to nonprofits that design, deliver, and scale technology-based solutions in three areas for thriving in a digital economy. First, we support nonprofits, like Upwardly Global, that connect people from all backgrounds and experiences with technical and professional skills training, mentoring and coaching, and employment connections to help them find jobs that provide stable and sufficient income and long-term career progression opportunities. These investments help to address the uneven distribution of technology skills and employment opportunities that persist across the world. Second, we support nonprofit organizations, such as Kiva, that provide equitable access to affordable and relevant financial products and services at scale. These products and services facilitate economic independence and self-sufficiency by connecting people to loans, savings accounts, insurance products, training, and capacity-building services. Finally, with a belief that innovation can come from anywhere, we support organizations like Astia, that work to help diverse entrepreneurs build networks, connect with mentors, and gain access to investors, as well as resources to launch and expand businesses. We aim to support both micro- and small-business entrepreneurs, as well as startup entrepreneurs who create jobs and contribute to economic growth, with a focus on women- and minority-led businesses, and local solutions that generate financial returns and demonstrate social impact. Beyond grants to nonprofits, entrepreneurship awards programs are an important part of our strategy. Through lucrative prize competitions, we enable social entrepreneurs and changemakers of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds to share their ideas on a global stage and, through our funding, advance their ideas to deliver results. FUTURE INTRO POWER INCLUSIVE 2021 Cisco Purpose Report | csr.cisco.com | ESG Reporting Hub 68