Comcast RISE Awards Five Black-Owned, Small Businesses in Western Washington with Marketing Resources and Technology Makeovers

Comcast Business today announced that five small businesses in Western Washington received Comcast RISE program awards. The awards will allow these businesses to receive consulting, media and creative production services from Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, or technology upgrades from Comcast Business, based on their specific needs. The news is part of Comcast’s broader announcement of more than 700 businesses that were selected as winners in the first round of Comcast RISE. Recipients in 285 cities in 29 states include a diverse roster of small business from restaurants and salons, to professional services and retail shops.

The local Western Washington businesses receiving awards from the first phase of the Comcast Rise program include F-Rock Printing (Seattle), Idman Childcare (Tukwila), Sphere Solar Energy (Seattle), TaxBunny (Burien), ValMed LLC (Tacoma) and Your Money Matters (Auburn).

The first phase of Comcast RISE, which stands for “Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment,” focused on U.S. Black-owned, small businesses, which were hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent study from the National Bureau of Economic Research. Comcast RISE brings together two of the company’s brands — Comcast Business and Effectv, both with expertise in the small business space — to empower business owners with the expertise and resources needed to navigate the economic effects of the pandemic.

This week, the next phase of Comcast RISE opens eligibility to include Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)-owned, small businesses. They can apply at www.ComcastRISE.com.

“Comcast RISE gives our local small businesses access to tools to help them survive the pandemic and thrive in the future. The small business community in our state is truly unique and resilient, and we are happy to play a role in helping during these stressful times so these businesses can return stronger than ever,” said Robert Brenner, Vice President of Comcast Business in Washington. “We are pleased to provide this first wave of businesses with support and open RISE to the entire BIPOC community statewide to continue this positive momentum.”

“Supporting small businesses is what we do daily at Effectv. We partner with them to understand their needs and help them grow, and we share and celebrate in their successes,” said Amy Nisenson, Vice President of Sales for Effectv in Washington state. “This is why we are especially proud to support our local small business community through this program, at a time when so many are struggling. Our goal is to help our partners and our communities come back as strong as possible, and RISE can play a role in making sure that happens.”

Comcast RISE consists of the following main components:

• A media and technology resources program: This pillar combines Effectv’s renowned media platform and marketing expertise, its award-winning creative agency, Mnemonic, and state-of-the-art technical support from Comcast Business to help small businesses foster and elevate growth. Recipients will receive help with their marketing, media campaigns and creation of 30-second commercials, as well as equipment and technology upgrades, including:
  • Consulting: Advertising and marketing consultations with local Effectv marketing, research and creative teams to gain insights on how to grow your business.
  • Media: A linear TV media campaign to run over a 90-day period.
  • Creative Production: Turnkey :30 TV commercial production for their businesses.
  • Technology Makeovers: Computer equipment and Internet, Voice and Cybersecurity services for up to a 12-month period. (Taxes and other fees may still apply for tech makeover services.)

• Business resources to help with curated content: Comcast has launched the Comcast RISE destination complete with aggregated small business news, tips, insights and more on the X1 platform. The destination is designed to help businesses grow by empowering them through education, inspiration and entertainment. Just say “Comcast RISE” into the X1 voice remote.

• Grants: In early 2021, Comcast will be awarding grants of up to $10,000 each for U.S.-based small and diverse businesses that have been in operations for three to five years.

Comcast RISE is part of a larger $100 million Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative that Comcast launched this summer. In June, Comcast NBCUniversal announced the development of a comprehensive, multiyear plan to allocate $75 million in cash and $25 million in media over the next three years to fight injustice and inequality against any race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation or ability.

Visit www.ComcastRISE.com to apply, for more information and the latest updates.

About Comcast Corporation

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company with three primary businesses: Comcast Cable, NBCUniversal, and Sky. Comcast Cable is one of the United States’ largest high-speed internet, video, and phone providers to residential customers under the Xfinity brand, and also provides these services to businesses. It also provides wireless and security and automation services to residential customers under the Xfinity brand. NBCUniversal is global and operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures, and Universal Parks and Resorts. Sky is one of Europe's leading media and entertainment companies, connecting customers to a broad range of video content through its pay television services. It also provides communications services, including residential high-speed internet, phone, and wireless services. Sky operates the Sky News broadcast network and sports and entertainment networks, produces original content, and has exclusive content rights. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

About Comcast Business

Comcast Business offers Ethernet, Internet, Wi-Fi, Voice, TV and Managed Enterprise Solutions to help organizations of all sizes transform their business. Powered by an advanced network, and backed by 24/7 customer support, Comcast Business is one of the largest contributors to the growth of Comcast Cable. Comcast Business is the nation’s largest cable provider to small and mid-size businesses and has emerged as a force in the Enterprise market; recognized over the last two years by leading industry associations as one of the fastest growing providers of Ethernet services. For more information, call 866-429-3085. Follow on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social.

About Effectv

Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, helps local, regional and national advertisers use the best of digital with the power of TV to grow their business. It provides multi-screen marketing solutions to make advertising campaigns more effective and easier to execute. Headquartered in New York with offices throughout the country, Effectv has a presence in 66 markets with nearly 35 million owned and represented subscribers. For more information, visit www.effectv.com.

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