Established in 2020, the program started to help small businesses that were hit hardest by the pandemic. Now in its third year, Comcast RISE has awarded 13,500 small businesses with more than $125 million in marketing, technology, and monetary grants. In 2023, 500 small businesses in Baltimore, Detroit, Memphis, Philadelphia, and Portland were awarded a Comcast RISE grant.

Nearly 600 small businesses applied for the grant this year in the Portland area. After a thorough review, Comcast RISE announced the names of the 100 Multnomah County businesses that received comprehensive grant packages in September. Each package includes business consultation services, which provides a business assessment, business to business coaching, and mentorship, educational resources that include content and resources tailored to individual companies, and a $5,000 monetary grant to invest in growth and sustainability. Further, grant recipients receive creative production, which includes a 30-second television commercial and a media strategy consultation, and a technology makeover that provides computer equipment, and internet, voice, and cybersecurity services for a year. 

Some Portland-area business recipients include Oblation Papers and Press, Sparkly Gowns, One Stripe, Envista Fitness, Adornment Events, Fat Cupcake, and many more. The full list of Multnomah County winners can be viewed here. 

There’s no doubt about it: the grants help put these businesses on a trajectory for continued success.  

“I started Sparkly Gowns as an online store and opened the brick-and-mortar location in 2022,” said Fabiola Cardenas Castellanos, owner of Sparkly Gowns. “This grant from Comcast RISE will help me grow my business. I want to improve my online presence, increase my marketing and add technology to my retail store. I am from Colombia, and as an immigrant business owner, it makes such a difference to get support.”

The Comcast RISE program is part of Comcast’s ongoing mission and commitment to supporting the growth of all small businesses, while also advancing the objectives of diversity, equity, inclusion, and community investment. Nearly 60 percent of the Multnomah County small business owners who applied for the Comcast RISE program identify as a person of color, and 65 percent report being a female-owned company. 

"Comcast RISE has supported us in a variety of ways allowing us to grow our marketing campaign and improve our internal communication with technology,” said Anjelica Otness, founder of Fat Cupcake. “These are both critical aspects of running a business and I am so thankful for this opportunity! As I look to the future, I am eager to explore more marketing vehicles and create new ways for us to reach the community and grow the business!"

This holiday season is the perfect time to get out and explore your local small business community. Find your local Comcast RISE businesses with this easy-to-use interactive map of all grant winners in Oregon and show your support.