November 22, 2024 | Vol. 53, Issue 22

The only bilingual Chinese-English Newspaper in New England

Comcast RISE Expands its Reach

The Comcast RISE program has recently expanded its eligibility scope to include all women-owned businesses across the country, regardless of ethnicity. Comcast RISE, a program that provides small businesses support in the form of consulting, media production, technology and financial awards, will be kicking off 2022 with a broader view of inclusion.

The Comcast RISE program has recently expanded its eligibility scope to include all women-owned businesses across the country, regardless of ethnicity. Comcast RISE, a program that provides small businesses support in the form of consulting, media production, technology and financial awards, will be kicking off 2022 with a broader view of inclusion. The program was formed to aid businesses during the pandemic, as statistics regarding minority-owned businesses and their struggles during such an unprecedented time began reflecting clear disparities. 

According to the Comcast RISE website, there was a 41% decrease in Black-owned businesses, a 32% decrease in Latino-owned businesses, and a 25% decrease in Asian-owned businesses over the course of the pandemic. Chinatown itself has seen many of these closings, personally feeling the loss of some neighborhood establishments. Others that have remained open have felt the pressure of downsizing staff and decrease in revenue. 

A report titled The State of Women-Owned Businesses, commissioned by American Express found that, since 2014, women-owned businesses have seen higher growth rates than businesses overall, with 43% being owned by women of color. They employ around 14% of the workforce, and generate 8% of the overall revenue. In 2019, the number of Asian American women-owned businesses reached 1,169,300. The same study found that there were higher growth rates in part-time business owners, those who dedicated themselves to finding entrepreneurial opportunities outside of a full-time setting. These individuals are referred to as “sidepreneurs”.  

“The data about how women, a rapidly increasing number of whom are small business owners, have fared during the pandemic is stark. Women business owners tend to have limited access to capital and debt-free funding options, yet they represent a tremendous opportunity,” said Sarah Sommer, the co-founder of iFundWomen. When it comes to growth in economic clout, Boston was among the lowest for all metropolitan areas.

After recently celebrating its first anniversary, Comcast RISE has just awarded their fifth group of recipients. 1,400 of the awardees were owned by people of color, and 600 additional businesses will be receiving $10,000 each in grant funds. “As we continue to rebuild and emerge from the effects of the pandemic, small businesses will continue to be the backbone of our economy – and we must take every opportunity to help them thrive,” stated Comcast Cable president and CEO Dave Watson, “Looking forward, this expansion will enable Comcast RISE to further empower and strengthen even more small businesses that are the heart of our local communities across the country.”

The new expansion in qualified businesses places Comcast RISE on track to support nearly 13,000 establishments by the end of 2022.

Related articles

Rally for prison building moratorium

Prison activity: covid, VOTES, and moratorium

There has been significant activity around legislation relating to Massachusetts prisons, while simultaneously, facilities operated by the Department of Corrections (DOC) have seen a decline in COVID-19 cases. Political leaders have been pushing to pass the Prison Moratorium Bill, which would freeze new prison construction projects for five years. In addition, the VOTES Act was passed in the Senate, giving incarcerated people the ability to vote in elections. According to the DOC’s Special Master’s Report, on August 16, there were […]

Biweekly Immigration News, 12/22/23: Federal and State Updates

It has been a difficult few months for immigrants in Massachusetts, but there is finally some good news. Lawmakers have approved millions of dollars in funding under a supplemental budget that allows immigrants in the state to access SNAP benefits. The legislation covers residents who are not citizens but are in the immigration process or have legal status. Massachusetts used to provide SNAP benefits to immigrants in the late 90s, but the state halted funding for this aspect of the […]

404 Not Found

404 Not Found


nginx/1.18.0 (Ubuntu)