Comcast this week announced it will award $1,000,000 in grants to 100 BIPOC-owned small businesses, which includes Hispanic and Asian American owned businesses among others, in Houston. More than 150 businesses in the area will also receive technology and marketing resources. These recipients are part of nearly 2,500 entrepreneurs nationwide who have been selected as Comcast RISE awardees since November. Houston was one of five cities, including Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, and Philadelphia, selected to award $10,000 grants to 100 local businesses from the Comcast RISE Investment Fund, for a total of $5 million across 500 businesses.

Through Comcast RISE, the company also announced it will support 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 by 2022.

“COVID-19 made a tough year of 2020. As a small business, what hurt most was being deemed non-essential and having to close our doors,” said Angelus McFarlane owner of Ravlin Martial Arts, Houston, Texas “I’m extremely excited that a business, like Comcast has taken an interest to support small businesses. I believe that the technology resources from Comcast will help us, which will then bring more people back and help us grow.”

In addition, Comcast RISE invests in ongoing mentorship and resources to help businesses suc- ceed 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 net- working 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 & Entrepre- neurship, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, As- sociation 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 Brad- ley, 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 422 cities across 34 state.

“When we launched Comcast RISE, we knew a profound need existed in many of the communities we serve,” said Ralph Martinez, regional senior vice president, Comcast Houston Region. “We now see firsthand how the program’s marketing and technology resources are benefiting Houston business owners, who are working to rise above 2020.We anticipate these awards will have a long-lasting, positive eco- nomic impact on these businesses and beyond.”

Comcast RISE, which stands for “Represen- tation, 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:

o Media: A linear TV media campaign to run over a 90-day period.

o Creative Production: Turnkey 30-sec- ond TV commercial production, plus a media strategy consultation and a 90-day linear TV media campaign.

o 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 equip- ment as well as internet, voice and cyberse- curity 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 Com- cast 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 communi- ty-based organizations and diverse chambers of com- merce to provide additional support to BIPOC-owned small businesses.

All small business owners can visit the Comcast RISE destination on Xfinity X1, which features aggre- gated 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.

To apply, for more information and the latest updates:

www.ComcastRISE.com