Independent small businesses are the backbone of our communities, and today, more than ever, small businesses owned by people of color are hurting due to the pandemic.
While no one alone can remedy complex, systemic issues, Comcast is deeply committed to playing a role in driving change.
Comcast RISE was launched in October 2020 to give people of color-owned small businesses the tools needed to not just survive, but thrive. To date, nearly 3,700 Comcast RISE recipients from 422 cities across 34 states have received support in the form of TV commercials, consulting services, or technology equipment and services such as internet, voice or cybersecurity. The recipient list includes 110 small businesses in Maryland.
Code Super Powers, based in Bowie, Md., was one of the Black-owned small businesses chosen as a Comcast RISE recipient in the first round of the program that launched in 2020. Code Super Powers utilizes kids’ (ages 6-16) natural love for gaming, apps and technology to help them learn computer coding through technology camps and after-school and weekend activities.
“Technology is a key component to equitable access to STEM education and career paths,” said Matt Evans, founder of Code Super Powers, who credits Comcast RISE with helping him assist the community’s most vulnerable residents. “To give someone knowledge and access to resources, you then give them sustainability where they can take care of themselves and their families. Comcast RISE has answered the call for solutions.”
RISE, which stands for “Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment,” is part of an expanded Diversity, Equity and Inclusion commitment that Comcast announced last summer, as well as a coordinated cross-company effort to address digital inequities through sustainable programming and investments such as Internet Essentials and Lift Zones.
To learn more, small business owners can visit ComcastRISE.com to apply and get the latest updates. In addition, small business owners can visit the Comcast RISE destination on Xfinity X1, which features aggregated small business news, resources and Comcast RISE recipient stories. The destination is designed to help businesses grow by empowering them through inspiration, education and entertainment. Just say “Comcast RISE” into the Xfinity voice remote.
The next RISE application deadline is October 16 and the program will run through 2022.
Thank you to Comcast for being a MACo Gold Corporate Partner and for sponsoring our Education General Session at MACo’s Summer Conference!
Learn more about MACo’s Summer Conference: