Small businesses and small business owners have continuously served as the lifeblood of the U.S. economy. Small businesses create two-thirds of new jobs nationally and account for 44 percent of all economic activity in our country. Despite the overwhelming benefits they provide in society, small businesses do not receive the same level of government support that large corporations enjoy.

Small business owners have also been dealing with the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic with people of color and women being hit harder than others. From February 2020 to April 2021, the number of active Black-owned businesses declined by 41%, Latinx-owned businesses declined by 32%, and Asian-owned businesses dropped by 25%, versus just 21% for the general population. And though women own 42% of businesses in America, those businesses have been growing at just half the rate of their male counterparts due to the struggle to access capital and other key resources.

The Comcast RISE Program is one of the largest efforts to combat these concerning trends both nationally and locally. Comcast RISE, which stands for Representation, Investment, Strength, and Empowerment, 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.

After recently celebrating its one year anniversary, Comcast RISE has opened the next wave of applications which will close on June 17. 600 small businesses will receive a $10,000 grant and an additional 1,300 small businesses will receive consulting, media, or creative production services from Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, or a Tech Makeover from Comcast Business.

To date, nearly 6,700 recipients in 422 cities across 34 states have been selected as Comcast RISE recipients. In its 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. 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.

“Small businesses in Alabama 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. “Comcast RISE’s expansion to women-owned small businesses demonstrates our commitment to empowering and strengthening even more Alabama businesses that are at the core of our communities.”

Those who are eligible and interested in applying for the program can find any and all relevant information on the programs website, www.ComcastRISE.com