Comcast RISE Reaches New Program Milestone of Supporting 14,000 Small Businesses Nationwide

Key Takeaways

1. Now in its fourth year, Comcast RISE celebrates having provided more than $140 million in total monetary, marketing, and technology grants to strengthen and empower small businesses.
2. In 2024, 500 small Businesses in Atlanta, Houston, Jacksonville, Richmond, VA and southern Colorado were awarded comprehensive grant packages.

NEW YORK, October 2, 2024 /3BL/ - Comcast announced 500 additional small business recipients that will receive comprehensive grant packages that include business consultation services, educational resources, a $5,000 monetary grant, creative production, media schedule, and a technology makeover.

The distribution of these grants in five new cities is part of Comcast’s ongoing commitment to supporting the growth of all small businesses, while advancing the objectives of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and community investment. Comcast RISE was created to help businesses and their communities thrive, with a focus on economic growth.

The regions in this round included Atlanta, Houston, Jacksonville, Richmond, VA and southern Colorado. A total of 100 grants per city, or 500 grants overall, were announced to be awarded in September 2024, bringing the total number of recipients to date to 14,000.

“Supporting small businesses means investing in the heart of our communities,” said Loren Hudson, SVP and Chief Diversity Officer, Connectivity and Platforms, Comcast.

By empowering entrepreneurs and small business owners with the skills and resources they need to grow and succeed, we help ensure our local neighborhoods can flourish and thrive too.

Loren Hudson

SVP and Chief Diversity Officer, Connectivity and Platforms, Comcast

Comcast RISE was created in November 2020 to help small businesses hardest hit by COVID-19, from bakeries and barber shops to childcare centers and cleaning services, by providing the grants needed to survive and recover.

The program has evolved from helping businesses survive the pandemic, to helping businesses and their communities thrive with a focus on economic growth.

Grant packages include:

• COACHING SESSIONS - Business assessment and coaching that provide business owners with recommendations on how to help grow their businesses.
• EDUCATION RESOURCES - 12-month access to online entrepreneurship courses, learning modules and resources for small business owners.
• MONETARY GRANT - $5,000 monetary grant.
• CREATIVE PRODUCTION & MEDIA – Professionally produced 30-second TV commercial, plus a media strategy consultation and a 180-day linear media schedule. (Taxes and other fees may apply for production and media services.)
• TECHNOLOGY MAKEOVER - Computer equipment and Internet, Voice and Cybersecurity services for 12 months. (Taxes and other fees may apply for tech makeover services.)

In addition, any small business owner can visit the Comcast RISE destination on X1 featuring aggregated small business news, tips, insights, and more. X1 customers can say “Comcast RISE” into the voice remote.

Comcast RISE is part of Project UP, the company’s $1 billion commitment to advance digital equity through programs and community partnerships that connect people to the Internet, advance economic mobility and open doors for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, storytellers and creators.

More information is available at www.ComcastRISE.com.