AUDIO STORY: Comcast Partners with the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce to Provide Virtual Educational Programing for Small Businesses

1 month ago

Last month, Comcast and the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce (OAACC) hosted the first of four virtual events that aim to inform and create awareness of resources for small businesses, particularly BIPOC-owned businesses that have been hit the hardest during the pandemic.

The first event consisted of a panel of experts that highlighted the RISE program. RISE is Comcast’s new program that supports BIPOC-owned small businesses through four pillars of services: marketing consultations, media, creative production and technology makeovers.

The panel was moderated by Cathy Adams President and CEO of the OAACC and Ken Maxey, Government Affairs Director for Comcast and featured Regan Yeldell, Executive Director Comcast RISE; Kayvon Mortazavi, Director SMB Sales, Comcast Business and James Lavallee, VP of Marketing, EffecTV. Rounding out the lineup of participants was RISE recipient Judi Townsend. Judi is well-known in the Oakland community for being the owner of Mannequin Madness, a store that sells mannequins and offers photo sets for people to use. Judi was awarded media services showcasing her business in a new commercial.

Are you a BIPOC business owner who could use professional, customized help with marketing and operational strategies during this challenging time? Apply for the program today at ComcastRise.com/apply. The deadline to apply to for the third round is May 7, 2021.

Listen to the discussion between OAACC and Comcast:

Powerful Winter Storm Creates Power Outages and Impacts Comcast Services

An “atmospheric river” winter storm has brought heavy rain, high winds, flash floods, avalanche warnings and extensive power outages to much of Northern California.

The storm has created impacts from the Sierra to Fresno, including the Bay Area and throughout numerous coastal communities. The system is expected to continue bringing heavy rain and wind to the area through Friday.

Numerous communities are experiencing power outages and thousands were told to evacuate in the Santa Cruz, California region.

Comcast services require commercial power to operate. Internet and video, as well as landline and even mobile phone services for homes and businesses, may stop functioning within hours after the commercial power is shut off.

Comcast understands this disruption to services can have a major impact on people’s lives and businesses, especially during the global pandemic.

The safety of our communities and employees is our utmost priority and Comcast takes special care during storms to ensure public safety. Once commercial power is restored, we will restore Comcast services that have been affected as quickly as possible in accordance with public safety and regulatory guidance.

Here are a few things you can do to stay informed:

Confirm your contact information at xfinity.com/myaccount—We will use this information to contact you if we expect a service disruption caused by a planned power outage. You can also use My Accountto check if your service has been restored.
Comcast Business customers can check their My Accountapp or the Comcast Business Status Center to get information and valuable updates.
Download your favorite shows and movies for offline viewing—With the Xfinity Stream app, you can watch shows and movies offline in case you lose power.
Download the Xfinity Connect App to receive Xfinity Voice calls via your mobile phone—Xfinity Voice customers can make and receive calls with their Xfinity phone number using their mobile phone.
Visit the Comcast California Blogwhere we will post information, updates and answers to commonly asked questions. On the blog, we’ve launched a special PSPS web page where you can get additional information.
Follow us on Twitter — our handle is @ComcastCA and we post valuable updates regularly.

Even if power is off, Comcast’s team never stops working for you. From our family to yours, we hope you remain safe.

Three CA Women and BIPOC-Owned RISE Businesses to Support this Women’s History Month

3 weeks ago

From 2014 to 2019, the number of businesses owned by women of color increased by 43%, doubling the growth rate of women-owned businesses (21%) — but some of these businesses have struggled to get the support they need during the Covid-19 pandemic. In celebration of Women’s History Month, we want to highlight three California–based Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) and women-owned […]

Three CA Women and BIPOC-Owned RISE Businesses to Support this Women’s History Month

3 weeks ago