We’re excited to announce that more than 100 small businesses owned by people of color in King and Pierce Counties will be awarded $1 million in total grants as well as technology and marketing resources starting this month. These recipients are among nearly 6,700 entrepreneurs nationwide who have been selected through the Comcast RISE program, which provides marketing, technology, and capital support to small business owners.
To further build on the program’s success and provide support to even more small businesses, we also announced a major expansion to eligibility, enabling all women-owned small businesses nationwide to apply. This expansion recognizes and seeks to help address the persistent inequities women continue to face in accessing the resources and funding that are critical to success.
Initially launched as a response to help small businesses owners of color hardest hit by the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Comcast RISE, and the Comcast RISE Investment Fund continue to focus on uplifting small businesses, ensuring they continue to prosper in an ever-shifting post-pandemic economy.
With today’s announcement, the following 100 selected businesses will each receive a $10,000 grant:
Additional small businesses will receive marketing or technology support such as a TV campaign, production of a TV commercial or consulting services from Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, or computer equipment, internet, voice, or cybersecurity services from Comcast Business.
In the year since its inception, Comcast RISE has awarded more than $11 million in grants and $50 million in in-kind support for marketing and technology services, impacting more than 6,700 entrepreneurs of color in 432 cities across 34 states. By the end of 2022, 13,000 businesses across the country are expected to benefit from the Comcast RISE initiative, either through the grant program or from the resources provided through Effectv and Comcast Business.
In addition to the financial and business support services provided, a key part of the program is ensuring the long-term sustainability of businesses. To help address this, we invest in and partner with organizations such as Ureeka to provide ongoing mentorship and resources to help small businesses succeed over the long-term.
Comcast RISE, which stands for Representation, Investment, Strength, and Empowerment, is part of Project UP, our comprehensive initiative to advance digital equity and help provide underrepresented small business owners with access to the digital tools and funding they need to thrive. Over the next 10 years, we have committed $1 billion to programs and partnerships that will reach an estimated 50 million people with the skills, opportunities, and resources they need to succeed in an increasingly digital world.
The program will continue to be open to racially and ethnically diverse small business owners and the expanded Comcast RISE eligibility to all women-owned businesses will be effective on January 16, 2022. More information and the applications to apply for either the grant program or marketing and technology services are available at www.ComcastRISE.co