TONI MURPHY, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, COMCAST KEYSTONE REGION
Comcast offering 100 small businesses in Allegheny County $10,000 each…Black-owned businesses encouraged to apply
Starting June 1, Black-owned businesses in Allegheny County will be chomping at the bit to get a piece of the $1 million being awarded in totality by the Comcast RISE Investment Fund.
Comcast RISE, which stands for “Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment,” was formed to give small businesses owned by people of color, from bakeries and barber shops to childcare centers and cleaning services, the grants needed to not just survive, but thrive. In November 2021, Comcast RISE announced a major expansion to all women-owned businesses nationwide. Thus, the $1 million award is open to small businesses owned by women and people of color, including African Americans. One hundred small businesses will be chosen in Allegheny County, each receiving $10,000.
“When we launched Comcast RISE, we knew a profound need existed in many of the communities we serve,” said Toni Murphy, Senior Vice President of Comcast’s Keystone Region. Murphy is also a former New Pittsburgh Courier “Women of Excellence” honoree. “We now have seen firsthand how the program’s marketing and technology resources benefit the business owners who are working hard to rise above 2020, as well as their neighbors who share their commercial corridors, and their suppliers and customers up and down their resource chains. (The) announcement takes Comcast’s commitment to the Pittsburgh community to yet another level.”
PITTSBURGH COUNCILMAN REV. RICKY BURGESS
“Resources like those announced from Comcast will ensure that 100 businesses that exist today will not only continue to exist tomorrow but also have the runway to thrive,” said Pittsburgh City Councilman Rev. Ricky Burgess, in a statement. “Pittsburgh is going to keep doing everything we can to support small businesses and emerge stronger, and the partnership and generosity of Comcast in supporting community needs is to be commended.”
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau showed that the number of Black-owned businesses with employees increased more than 30 percent from 2002 to 2017. But when the coronavirus pandemic hit, it crushed Black businesses to the tune of 40 percent of them shutting down between February and April 2020.
Following the death of George Floyd in May 2020 by a White police officer which was broadcasted to the world online, companies across the U.S. began to question whether they had been doing enough to hire African Americans, promote African Americans, and support African American-owned businesses.
The Comcast RISE Investment Fund began in April 2021, initially providing $5 million in grants to 500 small businesses owned by people of color in Philadelphia, Houston, Atlanta, Chicago and Detroit. In September 2021, $6 million in grants were awarded to businesses in Miami, Houston, Oakland, Seattle, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Washington, D.C.
Now, it’s Allegheny County’s turn.
“As we continue to move towards some sense of normalcy following the pandemic, we know that there are ongoing challenges for small business owners. This investment by Comcast in our small businesses supports their efforts, providing inclusive opportunities to further grow their companies with valuable and practical support and access to capital that may not readily be available,” said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, in a statement. “We are fortunate to have corporations like Comcast who join our commitment to providing inclusive opportunities and thank them for their continued investment in our community.”
A listing of many of the Black businesses in Pittsburgh can be found online at cocoapreneur.com, run by Khamil Bailey, and the Instagram page BlackOwnedPGH, run by Kyley C.
To apply for the Comcast RISE grant, visit www.comcastrise.com.