COMCAST to Support Area Minority, Woman-Owned Small Businesses

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Jan. 25, 2022) – Comcast RISE is seeking applications  diverse small business owners. Knoxville Women-Owned Small Business owners are encouraged to apply for two Comcast RISE (Representation, Investment, Strength, and Empowerment) Awards; and the Marketing and Technology Service Awards.

The Comcast Corporation has expanded the Comcast RISE Investment Fund to all women-owned businesses nationwide in an effort to advance digital equity and help provide racially and ethnically underrepresented small business owners with access to the digital tools and funding they need to thrive.

“Small businesses in Knoxville are vital to our local economy as we rebuild and recover from the effects of the pandemic,” said Jason Gumbs, Regional Senior Vice President at Comcast.

In the first year, Comcast RISE provided more than $60 million in grants, marketing, and technology services to more than 6,700 small businesses owned by people of color – including Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and Asian Americans.

The next wave of applications for Comcast RISE Investment Fund and the Marketing & Technology Services opened on January 16 and will close on June 17, 2022. Applicants can apply for one or both at ComcastRISE.com.

Of the 6,700 Comcast RISE recipients to date, nearly 70% have been businesses owned by women of color, spurring Comcast to take a deeper look into the unique challenges faced by women entrepreneurs. Across Knoxville, Comcast has supported dozens of small businesses through cash grants and marketing and technology services.

According to a study by the National Association of Women Business Owners, 42% of businesses in the U.S. are owned by women, with more than 1,800 new businesses being started every day. That’s nearly five times the national average. However, the study reported that women-owned businesses are 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.

Comcast RISE is part of Project UP, Comcast’s comprehensive initiative to advance digital equity and help provide underrepresented small business owners with access to the digital tools and funding they need to thrive. Over the next 10 years, Comcast has committed $1 billion to programs, like Comcast RISE, and partnerships that will reach an estimated 50 million people with the skills, opportunities, and resources they need to succeed in an increasingly digital world.

About Comcast Corporation:

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on broadband, aggregation, and streaming with 57 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

About Comcast Business:

Comcast Business offers a suite of Connectivity, Communications, Networking, Cybersecurity, Wireless, and Managed Solutions to help organizations of different sizes prepare for what’s next. Powered by the nation’s largest Gig-speed broadband network, Comcast Business is the nation’s largest cable provider to small and mid-size businesses. For more information, call 866-429-3085. Follow on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social.

About Comcast Effectv:

Effectv is the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, helps local, regional, and national advertisers use the best of digital with the power of TV to grow their business. For more information, visit www.effectv.com.

Knoxville Women-Owned Small Businesses Encourage to Apply for Tech Awards