The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber today announced that 21 small businesses in Tacoma owned by people of color, women, and veterans are receiving $5,000 grants for their business from the Thrive Tacoma Business Fund. The grants were distributed to the recipient businesses this morning at an event at the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber offices in Downtown Tacoma. Chamber President and CEO Andrea Reay, representatives from Comcast, and community partners attended and congratulated the recipients.
Led by the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber with support from several community organizations, the mission of the Thrive Tacoma Business Fund is to provide direct financial support for small businesses, many of which are still struggling with the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund was launched this year with $150,000 in funding from Comcast and the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber serving as the program and fund manager. In addition to a total of $105,000 in grants, recipients will receive direct finance, digital access, and other technical support specifically curated to their unique business challenges, thereby ensuring greater equitable economic development in Tacoma.
Additional financial support was also invested in non-profits with digital navigators and trusted community members that provide access and assistance to program participants. These community partners include the Black Collective, Mi Centro, and Asia Pacific Cultural Center. The City of Tacoma and the U.S. Small Business Administration are additional partners in a broader investment program to bring digital equity to the South Sound. Thanks to the work of these partners and the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber, over 800 small businesses in Tacoma applied to the fund. Recipients were then selected using a random lottery system.
Comcast’s support for the Thrive Tacoma Business Fund complements Comcast RISE, the company’s multi-faceted program offering monetary, marketing, and technology grants. Comcast RISE was created in 2020 to strengthen and empower small businesses hard hit by COVID-19. As a part of the company’s expanded Diversity, Equity and Inclusion commitment, Comcast RISE, which stands for “Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment,” has successfully fulfilled its goal to support a total of 13,000 small businesses owned by women and people of color by the end of 2022.
The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber is the voice for business and a catalyst for prosperity. The vision of the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber is to make the South Sound the most equitable, inclusive, and thriving place to do business in Washington State.
