100 Phila Small Businesses to Receive $10K Comcast RISE Grants

Comcast today announced it will award $1 million in grants to 100 BIPOC-owned small businesses — which includes Hispanic- and Asian American-owned businesses, among others — located in Philadelphia and Chester. In addition, it is awarding technology and marketing resources to nearly 100 businesses in Greater Philadelphia and New Jersey, marking 300 local recipients since fall 2020. These awardees are among nearly 2,500 entrepreneurs nationwide who have been selected as Comcast RISE recipients since November. Philadelphia and nearby Chester were one of five regions/cities, including Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, and Houston, selected to award a $10,000 grant to 100 local businesses from the Comcast RISE Investment Fund, for a total of $5 million across 500 businesses.

Philadelphia, as well as the other four regions, were selected as part of the Comcast RISE Investment Fund because its minority-owned businesses have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic. These direct grants are part of Comcast’s efforts to help small businesses shoulder the effects of the pandemic and drive inclusive recovery.

“Philadelphia relies on strong corporate citizens like Comcast, which recognizes the impact of investing in small, minority-owned businesses that strengthen commercial corridors in neighborhoods,” said Mayor Jim Kenney, City of Philadelphia. “Initiatives like Comcast RISE bring jobs and reinvestment into our communities, and they’re a model of how businesses can use their influence, expertise and investment to generate an equitable recovery. I thank Comcast for their continued leadership and dedication to our city.”

By 2022, Comcast RISE will support more than 13,000 BIPOC-owned small businesses with monetary grants; a TV campaign, production of a TV commercial or consulting services from Effectv; or computer equipment, internet, voice or cybersecurity from Comcast Business.

Click here to see the full list of Philadelphia recipients.

“The past year has been a real challenge,” said Kenan Bolling, owner of On Top Roofing Company. “I know my employees are relying on me, and in order to continue paying them I’ve had to hold off on paying some of my bills. This grant will help me catch up and keep the business going. It’s a total gamechanger for us.”

“The shutdown, followed by reduced operations and increased costs to keep our employees and customers safe, has left non-essential businesses like us struggling just to get by,” said Kim Young, owner of JFK Nails. “This grant will be a lifesaver that will let us continue to take care of our employees, including providing sick leave, and meet the increased costs for materials needed like masks, gloves and physical changes to the salon.”

In addition, Comcast RISE invests in ongoing mentorship and resources to help businesses succeed over the long term. The program has partnered with Ureeka, an online platform for entrepreneurs, to provide grant recipients with business coaching to help build skills in company foundation, growing customers and financial stability. All Comcast RISE recipients will also have a specialized online networking community within Ureeka with access to educational resources, sources of capital, and vetted experts such as U.S. Black Chambers, National Asian Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Association for Enterprise Opportunity, Walker’s Legacy and Operation Hope.

“Comcast RISE represents a holistic program that can help advance BIPOC entrepreneurs. The commitment to coaching, capital and connections is critical for historically overlooked communities in achieving economic prosperity,” said Melissa Bradley, co-founder of Ureeka. “We are humbled and excited to partner on this program.”

Comcast RISE was formed in late 2020 to give BIPOC-owned small businesses, from bakeries and barber shops to childcare centers and cleaning services, the tools needed to not just survive, but thrive. The 2,500 recipients are from in 422 cities across 34 states.

“When we launched Comcast RISE, we knew a profound need existed in many of the communities we serve,” said Teresa Ward-Maupin, SVP for Digital and Customer Experience at Comcast Business. “We now have seen firsthand how the program’s marketing and technology resources benefit the business owners who are working hard to rise above 2020, as well as their neighbors who share their commercial corridors, and their suppliers and customers up and down their resource chains. And we’re thrilled to now be able to provide direct monetary assistance as well to ensure our efforts are as comprehensive as possible.”

Comcast RISE, which stands for “Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment,” is part of an expanded Diversity, Equity and Inclusion commitment that Comcast announced last summer, as well as a coordinated cross-company effort to address digital inequities through sustainable programming and investments such as Internet Essentials and Lift Zones. Eligible businesses can apply for the following:

• Marketing Services: The following services from Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, and its creative agency, Mnemonic, are designed to help recipients with their marketing and media campaigns, including:
  • Media: A linear TV media campaign to run over a 90-day period.
  • Creative Production: Turnkey 30-second TV commercial production, plus a media strategy consultation and a 90-day linear TV media campaign.
  • Consulting: Advertising and marketing consultations with local Effectv marketing, research and creative teams to gain insights on how to drive business.
• Technology Makeovers: The state-of-the-art equipment and technology upgrade from Comcast Business includes computer equipment as well as internet, voice and cybersecurity services for up to a 12-month period. (Taxes and other fees may still apply for tech makeover services.)
• Monetary Grants: As noted above, the Comcast RISE Investment Fund will provide $5 million in grants to 500 BIPOC-owned small businesses in five cities: Philadelphia/Chester, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago and Detroit.

A key part of Comcast RISE is ensuring business sustainability. As such, Comcast has already invested more than $2 million in more than 20 community-based organizations and diverse chambers of commerce to provide additional support to BIPOC-owned small businesses.

All small business owners can visit the Comcast RISE destination on Xfinity X1, which features aggregated small business news, resources, Comcast RISE recipient stories and more. The destination is designed to help businesses grow by empowering them through inspiration, education and entertainment. Just say “Comcast RISE” into the X1 voice remote.

Visit www.ComcastRISE.com to apply, for more information and the latest updates.