During its initial two-year program, 13,000 small businesses were awarded over $110 million in monetary, marketing, and technology grants.
Comcast has announced a new round of 100 businesses in Baltimore City 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. Comcast RISE is committed to supporting the growth of all small businesses, while advancing the objectives of diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as community investment. The program was created to help businesses and their communities thrive with a focus on economic growth.
“This is a great day for Baltimore City’s small business community,” said Baltimore City Mayor Brandon M. Scott. “Small businesses are the backbone of our city and local economy, and I’d like to thank Comcast for its continued commitment to small businesses in Baltimore and beyond.”
Beginning on June 1, and through June 30, eligible businesses in Baltimore, Detroit, Memphis, Philadelphia, and Portland, can apply for a grant package at www.ComcastRISE.com. A total of 100 grants per city, or 500 grants overall, will be announced in August and awarded in September 2023, bringing the total number of recipients to date to 13,500.
“The support from Comcast RISE was a major boost during a challenging stretch for small businesses,” said Dasia Kabia, a former Comcast RISE recipient and founder of Ice Queens in Locust Point. “The TV commercial we received from Comcast helped us build brand awareness, differentiate from competitors and reach new audiences across Baltimore.”
In addition to Ice Queens, a mother-daughter-run business that serves New Orleans-style shaved ice, more than 80 Baltimore City small businesses have already received marketing and technology resources through Comcast RISE since the program’s founding in 2020. Previous recipients also include:
- BrickRose Exchange – A company creating immersive live and digital events for teams and groups using emerging technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality.
- Girls From Planet Venus – A women’s clothing brand with a variety of street styled pieces.
- KEYS Enterprises – An organization that provides therapeutic services for youth in group homes throughout Baltimore City.
Comcast RISE stands for Representation, Investment, Strength, and Empowerment. 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 will evolve from helping businesses survive the pandemic, to helping businesses and their communities thrive with a focus on economic growth.
Grant packages will include:
- CONSULTATION – Assessment of business and tactical planning; business to business coaching; and mentorship to advise on how to grow business.
- EDUCATION RESOURCES – Educational content and resources tailored to individual companies based on where they are in their business lifecycle.
- MONETARY GRANT – $5,000 monetary grant to invest in growth and sustainability.
- CREATIVE PRODUCTION & MEDIA – Turnkey production of a 30-second TV commercial, plus a media strategy consultation and 180-day media placement schedule.
- TECHNOLOGY MAKEOVER – Computer equipment and Internet, Voice and Cybersecurity services for 12 months. (Taxes and other fees may still apply for tech makeover services.)
In addition, any small business owner can visit the Comcast RISE destination on the X1 platform featuring aggregated small business news, tips, insights, and more. Just say “Comcast RISE” into the X1 voice remote.
“Supporting small businesses and providing them with digital tools to help them thrive is at the core of the Comcast RISE mission and something I’m passionate about,” said Michael Parker, Senior Vice President of Comcast’s Beltway Region. “We’ve seen just how impactful Comcast RISE can be for entrepreneurs and we’re excited to deepen our commitment to the small business community in Baltimore.”
Comcast RISE is part of Project UP, the company’s comprehensive initiative to advance digital equity and help build a future of unlimited possibilities.
More information and the applications to apply for either the grant program or marketing and technology services are available at www.ComcastRISE.com.
