Small businesses owned by women across Florida are now eligible to apply for marketing and technology resources through the Comcast RISE program.
Comcast RISE, which celebrated its first anniversary last November, is a part of Comcast’s efforts to advance digital equity and provide underrepresented small business owners with access to the digital tools and funding they need to thrive.
Eligibility for Comcast RISE remains open to small businesses owned by people of color, which includes Asian, Black and Hispanic-owned businesses, among others. Complete program information and the online application are available at www.ComcastRISE.com.
Small businesses selected will receive one of the following:
- Local broadcast advertisements over a 90-day period in partnership with EffecTV, Comcast’s advertising sales division
- Production of a 30-second television commercial, also from EffecTV, that will be run on local broadcast stations over a 90-day period
- A technology makeover from Comcast Business
In its first year alone, Comcast RISE has 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.
According to a study by the National Association of Women Business Owners, 42% of businesses in the U.S. are owned by women, with more than 1,800 new businesses being started every day. That’s nearly five times the national average. However, according to the same study, women-owned businesses are growing at only half the rate of those run by men, namely because women struggle to access capital and other resources to help them succeed.