(Black PR Wire) Comcast announced it will award an additional $1 million in total grants to more than 100 Philadelphia small businesses owned by women and people of color, including Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and Asian American owners, as well as technology and marketing resources to nearly 100 businesses in the city through Comcast RISE. This is in addition to $1 million in grants that were awarded to 100 small businesses located in Philadelphia or Chester, PA, in 2021, and part of more than 700 total entrepreneurs in Philadelphia – 9,500 nationwide – who have been awarded service packages to date.

Comcast RISE and the Comcast RISE Investment Fund initially launched in 2020 as a response to help small business owners of color who were hardest hit by the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2021, Comcast announced a major expansion to eligibility, enabling all women-owned small businesses nationwide to apply. This expansion built on the program’s success and aims to help address the persistent inequities women continue to face in accessing the resources and funding that are critical to success.

• Click here for a list of Philadelphia businesses have been selected to receive RISE Investment Fund grants.

“I am excited and grateful to be a Comcast RISE Investment Fund grantee. Stem education is my passion, more specifically bridging the gap of enrollment in STEM fields by using an integrative hands-on learning approach for early learners,” said Renee Harris, Stem Prep Academy. The last couple of years have been unsettling with the pandemic. The Comcast RISE Investment Fund grant will go directly to Stem Prep Academy’s payroll to pay the staff who have been working so hard in support of our mission to expose early learners to STEM education.”

David Bey, Beyfilmz Media said, “I was excited to get the phone call that I was selected for the Comcast RISE Investment Fund. It’s been tough to grow my business in these times and this additional investment will help. As a small business owner, I’m a one-man band – handling all of the administrative duties, answering phone calls and emails, as well as shooting, editing and production work. Thanks to this grant, I plan to hire virtual assistants to help me with day-to-day administrative tasks so I can focus on my work, as well as dedicate resources toward marketing to help reach more clients.”

“As we continue to rebuild from the effects of the pandemic, small businesses still need our support. They are the backbone of our local communities, and we must take every opportunity to help them not only survive, but to thrive,” said Dennis Mathew, Comcast Regional Senior Vice President. “When we launched Comcast RISE in 2020, we knew a profound need existed in the communities we serve. Two and a half years later, we have seen firsthand how the resources from Comcast RISE benefit small businesses.”

To date, Comcast RISE has awarded more than $16 million in grants and $75 million in in-kind support for marketing and technology services, impacting more than 9,500 entrepreneurs in 704 cities across 37 states. By the end of 2022, 13,000 businesses across the country are expected to benefit from the Comcast RISE initiative, either through the grant program or from the resources provided through Effectv, the advertising division of Comcast Cable, and Comcast Business. In addition to the financial and business support services provided, a key part of the program is ensuring the long-term sustainability of businesses. To help address this, Comcast invests in and partners with organizations such as Ureeka to provide ongoing mentorship and resources to help small businesses succeed over the long term.

Comcast RISE stands for Representation, Investment, Strength, and Empowerment and 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.