In honor of National Small Business Week (May 1-7), we celebrate the tremendous impact of small businesses across the U.S., and are excited to share inspiring stories of entrepreneurs thriving in our region.

Through Comcast RISE – a multi-faceted program that was launched in 2020 and aims to strengthen and empower small businesses owned by women or people of color who were hard hit by COVID-19 – we have provided more than $60 million in grants, marketing and technology services to more than 8,000 underserved small businesses nationwide. This includes 464 businesses based in our Beltway Region – which includes Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and parts of Delaware, North Carolina and West Virginia.

Below are a few entrepreneurs in our area who have been selected as recipients of Comcast RISE sharing their experience with the program and how it helped accelerate their growth:

• Matt Evans: Matt is the Founder of Code Super Powers, a startup based in Bowie, Maryland that is focused on expanding access to technology-based education and empowering youth through coding.
• Monica Kang: Monica is the Founder and CEO of InnovatorsBox, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting business that specializes in the science and strategy of workplace creativity and helps organizations solve problems in the face of change and complexity.
• Joye B. Moore: Joye is the Founder and CEO of  Joyebells Sweet Potato Pies, a family-run business based in Richmond, Virginia whose tasty deserts are quickly expanding to supermarkets across the region.

Comcast RISE, which stands for “Representation, Investment, Strength and Empowerment,” is part of an expanded Diversity, Equity and Inclusion commitment to address digital inequities through sustainable programming and investments such as Internet Essentials and Lift Zones. You can meet other recipients on our blog, or learn more about Comcast RISE and apply here: https://www.comcastrise.com/apply/.