MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Comcast says it will provide help to 15 BIPOC-owned small businesses in Memphis as part of its Comcast RISE awards.
The selected businesses will receive marketing and technology resources from the communications company, as part of its effort to help 13,000 BIPOC-owned small businesses by 2022.
Comcast released the names of 8 of the 15 local winners for this round of awards.
Math Made Simple, Jumpin' Jellybeans, Lilees Gourmet Bakery, Vicky McAfee, Allegiant Corporate Cleaning, LLC, The Neely Agency, and Bell's Catfish and Soul Food by Exquisite Catering will receive tech makeovers.
RaqDreams Entertainment will receive media services.
This is Comcast's second round of winners in Memphis.
Read the full news release below:
Comcast today announced it will award technology and marketing resources to 15 BIPOC-owned small businesses, which includes Hispanic and Asian American owned businesses among others, in Memphis (and 30 in Tennessee). These recipients are part of nearly 2,500 entrepreneurs nationwide who have been selected as Comcast RISE awardees since November.
Through Comcast RISE, the company also announced it will support 13,000 BIPOC-owned small businesses by 2022 with a TV campaign, production of a TV commercial or consulting services from Effectv; or computer equipment, internet, voice or cybersecurity from Comcast Business; or a monetary grant.
In addition, Comcast RISE invests in ongoing mentorship and resources to help businesses succeed 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 networking 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 & Entrepreneurship, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Association 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 Bradley, 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 states.
“When we launched Comcast RISE, we knew a profound need existed in many of the communities we serve,” said Teresa Ward-Maupin, SVP for Digital and Customer Experience at Comcast Business. “We now have seen firsthand how the program’s marketing and technology resources benefit the business owners who are working hard to rise above 2020, as well as their neighbors who share their commercial corridors, and their suppliers and customers up and down their resource chains.”
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 BIPOC-owned small businesses.
All small business owners can visit the Comcast RISE destination on Xfinity X1, which features aggregated 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.
Visit www.ComcastRISE.com to apply, for more information and the latest updates.