EQS-News
100 Additional Small Businesses Owned by Women and People of Color in Oakland to Each Receive a $10,000 Grant from Comcast RISE, Bringing the Total Oakland Investment to $2 Million
EQS-News: Comcast California Comcast today announced it will award an additional $1 million in grants to 100 small businesses owned by women and people of color, including Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and Asian American owners, among others, in Oakland, bringing the total to $2 million to date. These recipients are part of the more than 9,500 entrepreneurs nationwide who have been selected as Comcast RISE awardees since November 2020. Oakland was one of five cities, including Chicago, Miami, Oakland, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., that was selected to award a $10,000 grant to 100 local businesses from the Comcast RISE Investment Fund, for a total of $5 million across 500 businesses, bringing the amount awarded nationwide to $21 million to date. |
Through Comcast RISE, the company also announced it will support 13,000 small businesses, owned by people of color and women, 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 by the end of 2022.
“We started our tamales business as a street food vendor in the Mission and eventually opened our storefront. Nice months ago, we relocated to a busier location in the Swan’s Market, which was an expensive move,” said Reyna Maldonado, co-owner of La Guerrera’s Kitchen, a family affair run with her mom. “Thanks to the Comcast RISE Investment Fund, we’ll be able to re-invest the funds back into our business.”
In addition, Comcast RISE invests in ongoing mentorship and resources to help businesses succeed in the long run. 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.