Comcast RISE Awards 35 Black-Owned, Small Businesses in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Area with Marketing and Technology Resources and Makeovers

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA) today announced the first round of Comcast RISE award recipients, which include over 700 businesses that will receive consulting, media and creative production services from Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, or technology upgrades from Comcast Business, based on the recipient's specific needs. Included are 35 small businesses – ranging from restaurants and salons to professional services and retail shops – here in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. To date, 3,300 small businesses across the country already have signed up to receive the Comcast RISE monthly newsletter, which will offer free marketing insights and resources.

Today, the next phase of Comcast RISE, the multi-year, multi-faceted initiative launched in October to help strengthen small businesses hard hit by COVID-19, opens up eligibility to include Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC)-owned, small businesses. They can apply at www.ComcastRISE.com.

"When COVID-19 hit, we struggled to work remotely and collaboratively as a team since we did not have the proper technology set-up," said Amoy McGhee, Chief Operations Officer of R. McGhee & Associates Architects in Washington, D.C. "We lost time dealing with internet and computer issues. With Comcast RISE, we'll receive the technology support needed, get help with new and creative marketing strategies and be able to explore video production of some of our projects."

Berdia Monk, Owner of Autumn's Eye Photography, LLC in Temple Hills, said, "This year has been extremely challenging as I've had to deal with cancellations, loss of studio space, becoming a home-based business, finding more clients, being able to afford day-to-day needs and maintenance of equipment and social media marketing. Clients have been uncomfortable having their photographs taken in my home studio and other locations deemed 'open' and safe. Comcast RISE will help me increase awareness in my community that there are young talented female photographers willing and able to adapt in this creative world and in the corporate environment."

"The pandemic has negatively impacted my in-home care agency due to potential clients still being hesitant to have caregivers in their homes despite the pressing need that still exists in our communities," said Priscilla Myles, Chief Executive Officer of Myles Per Grace Home Care Providers in Frederick. "I've tried virtual meetings and pre-recorded videos to establish connections, but still haven't received much traction. Comcast RISE will help positively impact my business in a few ways. First, I will be able to expand my digital marketing footprint which can directly help in obtaining new customers. In addition, by upgrading my tech equipment and software it definitely will improve the efficiency of my operational and administrative tasks."

Comcast RISE award recipients in the D.C. metropolitan area include:

Washington, D.C. – Art of Noize; Bukom Café; DC Urban Living; Haon's Unisex Barbershop, LLC; Marjani; National Black Caucus of State Legislators; PJ's Cuts, Styles & Color; R. McGhee & Associates Architects; The Kitchen Jerk

Maryland –

Bowie – Go Green Properties LLC; Tree of Life Early Learning Center
Camp Springs – Miki Clayton Talent
Clinton – Growing to Lead, LLC
Frederick – Myles Per Grace Home Care Providers; Westbound Transport
Gaithersburg – Echelle Financial Solutions, LLC
Greenbelt – Capital City Limousine
La Plata – Landon's Ices and Creams
Largo – Mending Minds Wellness Center
Rockville – Onyx Elite Hoops
Silver Spring – Bankers Business Management Services; Major Medical LLC; Noble Resource Associates, LLC
Suitland – Bres Beauty Bar
Sunderland – JT's Kitchen
Temple Hills – Autumn's Eye Photography, LLC
Upper Marlboro – BD Management, Inc.; Gina S Duncan Insurance Agency; Jiivana-LIFE-Yoga & Wellness dba Spiritual Essence Yoga; Phenix Salon Suites
Walkersville – Maximum Fitness LLC

Virginia –

Alexandria – Bodied By Bah LLC; Body Shop Fitness by Design LLC
Spotsylvania – PME&T
Woodbridge – Jasmine Rose Financial

The first phase of Comcast RISE, which stands for "Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment," focused on U.S. Black-owned, small businesses, those hit hardest by the 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. 

"We created Comcast RISE to partner with small businesses and give them access to tools to help them survive the pandemic and thrive," said Daniel Carr, Vice President, Sales Operations, Comcast. "As we've gone through the selection process, it's been so powerful to hear these business owners' stories and see the tangible ways that we can help grow their businesses and impact their communities. I could not be more pleased to open this program to the entire BIPOC community and continue this positive momentum."

"Fueling the success of small businesses is what our business is all about. We partner with them to better understand their needs and what we can do to help them grow. Our success is their success," said James Lavallee, Vice President, Sales Marketing, Effectv. "That's why, at a time when so many in our small business communities are struggling, it's incredibly humbling to be able to give back and share our knowledge and resources with those hardest by the pandemic. We want to help our partners and communities rise." 

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 and get 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
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.

SOURCE Comcast

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