We all know local businesses have been dealing with the ongoing impact of the pandemic, social unrest and environmental events for more than a year-and-a-half, and small businesses owned by people of color have been some of the hardest hit. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, between February and April 2020, the number of active Black-owned businesses declined by 41%, Latinx-owned businesses declined by 32%, and Asian-owned businesses dropped by 25%, versus 21% for the general population.
Comcast RISE was launched to help these entrepreneurs. To date, nearly 4,700 recipients in 422 cities across 34 states have been selected as Comcast RISE recipients – including more than 600 Greater Philadelphia Area businesses – with monetary grants; a TV campaign, production of a TV commercial or consulting services from Effectv; or computer equipment, internet, voice or cybersecurity from Comcast Business. The program will support 13,000 small businesses owned by people of color by the end of 2022.
We have committed to the success of a wide range of businesses – including gyms, hair salons, restaurants, professional services, retail shops and more – and we hope you, too, will support these local entrepreneurs.
To help you locate their services, we are introducing the Comcast RISE Local Buyer’s Guide, a comprehensive list of Comcast RISE recipients across the Greater Philadelphia region.