100 Additional Oakland Small Businesses Owned by Women & People of Color Awarded a $10,000 Grant from Comcast RISE, Bringing the Total Oakland Investment to $2 Million

Pictured above: Reyna Maldonado and her mom Ofelia Barajas, co-owners of La Guerrera’s Kitchen, are amongst the 100 small diverse businesses in Oakland that received a $10,000 grant from the Comcast RISE Investment Fund. (Photo by: Carolyn Fong, courtesy of La Guerrera’s Kitchen.)

Comcast will award an additional $1 million in grants to 100 small businesses owned by women and people of color in Oakland, bringing the total investment to $2 million to date. These recipients are among over 9,500 entrepreneurs nationwide who have been selected as Comcast RISE awardees since November 2020. Oakland was one of five cities, including Chicago, Miami, Oakland, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., that was selected to award a $10,000 grant to 100 local businesses from the Comcast RISE Investment Fund, for a total of $5 million across 500 businesses, bringing the amount awarded nationwide to $21 million to date.

Comcast RISE and the Comcast RISE Investment Fund initially launched in late 2020 as a response to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on small businesses, especially among diverse business owners. In an effort to continue to support and uplift small businesses, Comcast RISE offers marketing, technology, and capital support, ensuring they continue to prosper in an ever-shifting post-pandemic economy. From bakeries and barber shops to childcare centers and cleaning services, Comcast RISE has supported a variety of businesses, diversifying our local communities in more ways than one. In November 2021, Comcast RISE announced a major expansion to all women-owned businesses nationwide.

“We started our tamales business as a street food vendor in the Mission and eventually opened our storefront. Nice months ago, we relocated to a busier location in the Swan’s Market, which was an expensive move,” said Reyna Maldonado, co-owner of La Guerrera’s Kitchen, a family affair run with her mom. “Thanks to the Comcast RISE Investment Fund, we’ll be able to re-invest the funds back into our business.”

In addition, Comcast RISE invests in ongoing mentorship and resources to help businesses succeed in the long run. The program has partnered with Ureeka, an online platform for entrepreneurs, to provide grant recipients with business coaching to help build skills in company foundation, growing customers and financial stability. All Comcast RISE recipients will also have a specialized online networking community within Ureeka with access to educational resources, sources of capital, and vetted experts such as U.S. Black Chambers, National Asian Pacific Islander Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Association for Enterprise Opportunity, Walker’s Legacy and Operation Hope.

“It has been gratifying to see over 600 diverse California businesses across all industries and experiences benefiting from the Comcast RISE program,” said David Tashjian, Senior Vice President of Comcast for the California Region. “We want small businesses owned by women and people of color to continue to grow and thrive, overcoming the challenges of the current economy.”

Comcast RISE is part of Project UP, the company’s comprehensive initiative to advance digital equity and help build a future of unlimited possibilities.

More information and the applications to apply for either the grant program or marketing and technology services are available at www.ComcastRISE.com.

With today’s announcement, the following 100 selected businesses in Oakland will each receive a $10,000 grant: