Comcast RISE is staying true to its acronym of “representation, investment, strength, and empowerment.” Congratulations to the TechTown alumni in Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park who were each awarded a $10,000 grant from the #ComcastRISE Investment Fund! 👏 View the full list of #Detroit grantees and learn more about the program: https://t.co/SawuLMQdqP pic.twitter.com/kjoq4BPmxE — TechTown Detroit (@techtowndetroit) July 29, 2022

Kevin Hart can now add “Shark” to his ever-growing resumé. Yahoo reports that the actor, comedian, and businessman on the rise appeared on the Jan. 7 episode of “Shark Tank,” the hit ABC series that gives once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to small businesses looking for an investor to grow their businesses. The outlet confirms that Hart was filling in for longtime Sharks Daymond John and Robert Herjavec. He also endured some ribbing from fellow Shark Kevin O’Leary, who claimed that Kevin Hart was a “rookie” when it came to investing. (Despite O’Leary’s snark, Hart is far from a “rookie” when it comes to investing. According to Crunchbase, he’s made 10 investments as an individual investor, and he’s also a brand partner with Fabletics Men). Ignorant jokes aside, Hart explained on the show that he created HartBeat Ventures — an investment offshoot of his HartBeat Productions — to create what he called “financial inclusion” opportunities. HartBeat Ventures has already partnered with...

A$AP Ferg is giving back to the unsung heroes of New York City by spotlighting local mom-and-pop corner stores. According to Variety, the Hip-Hop star took note of how the COVID-19 pandemic was affecting the plight of the city’s independent corner stores, so he teamed up with Snapple to develop a merchandise line and raise money for them. Funds raised from the partnership will reportedly go toward the Bodega and Small Business Group (BSBG) — a Hispanic organization that helps support small business and bodega owners located in New York. “As a native New Yorker on the pulse of music and art, A$AP Ferg was the perfect creator to collaborate with on this initiative,” Katie Webb — Keurig Dr Pepper’s vice president of brand marketing — shared with Variety. “It’s an authentic partnership that gives back to Snapple’s roots and highlights the enduring culture of New York City.” In addition to raising money, BroBible reports that Ferg also worked alongside Snapple and director Shomi Patwary...

TD Bank is rolling out a new initiative to further support Black and brown business owners in America. Today, the national bank announced the establishment of its new $100 million equity fund to provide financial resources to small minority-owned businesses. This comes as part of its continued commitment to address racial inequities and support underserved communities of color. TD Bank’s equity fund allows Specialized Small Business Investment Companies (SSBICs) — which provide financial assistance to disadvantaged or minority-owned businesses — and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) — known for helping Black and Latinx-owned businesses secure financing — to offer up small business loans and technical assistance to ensure that these businesses have the tools they need to scale effectively. “We hope that our investment in these SSBICs and CDFIs serves as a means of making access to capital more equitable for minority small business owners. But our support doesn’t...

Last year, small Black-owned and minority-owned businesses were reported as being denied access to PPP funding to help keep their businesses afloat. In an effort to change that, Black-run website BlackBusiness.com and a reputable community lender have partnered together to launch PPPLoans.com — a new initiative to specifically help more Black-owned businesses apply for and qualify for these business funds, Black Enterprise reports. According to Black News, the Paycheck Protection Program has officially reopened with more than $280 billion in funding, and will initially only be available to community financial institutions that offer this capital access to small businesses in underserved and underprivileged communities. Several initiatives have already been put in place to ensure Black and other minority business owners get a fair chance to secure these loans who couldn’t during the previous rounds of PPP lending or weren’t able to apply. In addition to launching this platform,...

2020 and COVID-19 have brought on an unexpected wave of challenges for small businesses with shutdowns, social distancing rules, and other pandemic-related instances hitting companies hard. As more businesses adopt new ways to reach consumers, a new e-commerce marketplace has surfaced to help provide a larger platform for companies across various industries. Bluejestic — a Black-owned selling platform for small/mid-sized U.S., Caribbean, and Central American businesses — launched last month to give businesses the opportunity to showcase their retail products and expand their markets, Black News reports . “What we are doing is leveraging technology to create economic growth for businesses in the U.S as well as the Caribbean who are in a more dire need for a centralized marketplace,” Jude Plaisir, founder of Bluejestic, stated in a press release . “This is very much a mission-driven effort.” As we continue to feel the grueling effects of COVID-19, many businesses are still struggling...

From entrepreneurs and small minority-owned businesses to Black and brown communities, low-income and financially-excluded individuals in America deal with many social and economic disadvantages that make it difficult to seek out loans. According to Forbes , minority-owned firms are much less likely to be approved for small business loans than white-owned firms, which speaks volumes considering minority-owned establishments lead a significant portion of the nation’s businesses. A 2017 report from the FDIC stated that 6.5 percent of U.S. households were unbanked and 18.7 percent were underbanked. Of those unbanked households, more than half cited not having enough money to keep in an account. In an effort to solve these issues, Kiva and SoLo Funds have partnered together to offer these populations of people affordable loan products for personal and business lending. Both companies have supported thousands of Americans through their communities of lenders, according to Kiva’s blog ,...

The coronavirus pandemic has crashed the U.S. economy and brought certain industries to a near standstill —  including retail, entertainment, food and accommodations. Cities that have traditionally relied on these sectors to employ their citizens may be particularly vulnerable. A new LendingTree study ranks the 100 U.S. metro areas with the most retail establishments to see which ones stand to feel the biggest pinch. Researchers found that mid-sized cities are at greatest risk. Six of the top 10 cities are in the Sunbelt. Key findings Myrtle Beach, S.C. ,  has the highest concentration — 35.4% — of local businesses in the retail , entertainment, and food and accommodations sectors (the U.S. Census Bureau groups food services and accommodations as one sector). Salisbury, Md., is in second place . Nearly one-third of all businesses here (32.3%) are in one of the affected industries. Scranton, Pa., comes in third with 28.8% of establishments in vulnerable industries . Larger cities...