100 Greater Houston area minority-owned small businesses will each receive a $10,000 grant
Comcast has stepped up to the plate once again to assist minority-owned small business with the necessary resources and tools they need to sustain and improve their businesses.
Beginning October 1, 2021, small people of color owned businesses in Harris County and Fort Bend County will be able to apply for 100 grants of $10,000 each, as part of another significant investment by Comcast as part their Comcast RISE Investment Fund program. The latest round of funding of an additional $1 million will go to small businesses owned by people of color, including Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and Asian American owners, among others, in Houston.
Applications must be received by October 14, 2021.
Comcast RISE previously awarded $1 million to 100 minority-owned small businesses in Houston in April of this year. This is yet another effort by the company to empower the minority-owned small business community across the Greater Houston area during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Small businesses owned by people of color have been particularly hard hit by this pandemic,” said Ralph Martinez, senior vice president for Comcast’s Houston region. “These small businesses are the lifeblood of our community, and their needs are great, so Comcast is thrilled to be able to once again step up and help out through our Comcast RISE program.”
The Comcast RISE Investment Fund program (Comcast Rise) is a multi-year, multi-faceted initiative that was launched in late 2020 to give minority-owned small businesses the resources and tools needed to not only survive but thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic has created additional challenges for our small businesses, and this second infusion of funds from the Comcast RISE Investment fund to help level the playing field for local, minority entrepreneurs is an empowering opportunity,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “This extraordinary example of big business uplifting small business will ensure that 100 small Houston-area businesses that exist today continue to exist tomorrow.”
To help drive outreach and awareness about Comcast RISE and provide additional support, training and mentorship, Comcast has also awarded $50,000 in grants to local community partners—Greater Houston Black Chamber, Houston Hispanic Chamber, Empresarios Latinos Foundation, Houston LGBT Chamber, Asian Chamber of Commerce, Greater Houston Women’s Foundation and East End Chamber of Commerce.
Comcast RISE Investment Fund grant recipients will also receive a complimentary 12-month membership to Ureeka—an online platform for entrepreneurs that provides business coaching to build skills focusing on company foundation, growing customers and financial stability. In addition to the financial grants from Comcast RISE, minority-owned small businesses owned by people of color can also apply for advertising and technology resources from EffecTV and Comcast Business, respectively.
The Comcast RISE Investment Fund is focused on minority-owned small businesses in Harris and Fort Bend counties that have been in business for three or more years with one to 25 employees. 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 minority-owned small businesses owned by people of color.
For more information and to apply for either the grant program or the marketing and technology services, please visit www.ComcastRISE.com.