This month and all year long, Comcast is proud to honor Black entrepreneurs who are seeking to not only survive, but also to thrive and pave the road for fellow small business owners. A study from the National Bureau of Economic Research cited that Black-owned small businesses were hardest hit, suffering the steepest decline (41 percent), followed by Hispanic and Asian American-owned small businesses. In addition, according to a study by the National Association of Women Business Owners, women-owned businesses have been growing at only half the rate of those run by men, namely because women struggle to access capital and other resources to help them succeed.
As a Black woman, Margie Haywood is among the small businesses owners who were particularly hard hit by the pandemic. She owns Work and Play Lounge, a co-working space in West Seattle that is a collection of work and event spaces offers amenities, mentorship and resources that support, prepare, and inspire. It’s a hub, a neighborhood centerpiece where everyone can gather and not have to worry about feeling excluded or isolated because of differences. Comcast is honored to help tell Margie’s story and proud that Work and Play Lounge is among 400 small businesses in Washington owned by women and people of color that have received monetary, marketing, or technology grants through Comcast RISE since 2020.
On February 16, Black Experience on Xfinity will premiere The Road to RISE, an inspiring documentary that follows the lives of four other small business owners who participated in Comcast RISE – all on a journey to achieve big dreams. From Chicago to Philly, we stop in four different cities to see how underrepresented entrepreneurs find success.