Representatives of Comcast and TV One awarded a $10,000 grant to the Hartford Chamber of Commerce’s Hart Lift program, supporting the revitalization of Hartford. Comcast and TV One were joined by State Senator Douglas McCrory in partnership with NBC Connecticut to announce the grant at an event celebrating Black History Month. The event included a watch party for the premiere of TV One’s URBAN ONE HONORS: Best In Black” celebration, recognizing individuals whose remarkable achievements have left an indelible mark on our culture.
The Hart Lift program aims to provide an economic boost to Hartford by giving funds to property owners to help them lease their vacant spaces to diverse, small businesses in the restaurant, retail, entertainment and service sectors. The grant from Comcast and TV One will be used to deepen the impact of the program by assisting more property owners transform their empty storefronts so they can be occupied by small and minority-owned businesses in the area.
“I’m immensely grateful to Comcast and TV One for their donation to the Hart Lift program,” said Julio Concepcion, Executive Director of the Hartford Chamber of Commerce. “To date, 70% of the small businesses we’ve helped place in once-vacant storefronts have been owned by women or people of color. This grant helps us continue our effort to bring a vibrant retail mix back to Hartford.”
The event venue, Berkins on Main, is a downtown café located at The Hartford Public Library that is owned by Doug Barber and Andrea Hawkins, past recipients of the Comcast RISE program. Comcast RISE supports the growth of all small businesses and individuals committed to uplifting their local communities. Through Comcast RISE, nearly 80 small businesses in Connecticut have received grant packages that include consulting, media and creative production services or technology from Comcast Business and Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable.
“Over the past several years, we’ve had the honor of co-hosting Black History Month celebrations in Hartford alongside Comcast,” said LaTanya Butler, Vice President of Marketing & Partnerships for TV One. “This year’s gathering held special significance as we united at a Black-owned café to commemorate noteworthy accomplishments in the arts, while supporting a local initiative dedicated to fostering diversity, inclusion and community engagement.”
The grant to the Hart Lift program is an example of Comcast’s latest investment in Connecticut. Over the past three years, the company has invested more than $11 million in cash and in-kind contributions to 177 non-profits in Connecticut. This investment includes digital equity programs such as Internet Essentials and Lift Zones. Since its inception in 2011, Comcast’s Internet Essentials has connected more than 288,000 low-income Connecticut residents to broadband service at home. Additionally, Comcast has launched 32 Lift Zones in Connecticut to provide free, high-speed WiFi service to local community centers to promote digital learning.
“At Comcast, we’re deeply invested in the communities we serve and the small businesses that shape them,” said Carolyne Hannan, Senior Vice President of Comcast’s New England Region, based in Connecticut. “In Hartford, we’re especially proud of the longstanding partnerships we’ve established, and we remain committed to supporting programs like Hart Lift that assist small, diverse businesses and lift up our local economy.”
This grant is part of Project UP, Comcast’s $1 billion commitment to advance digital equity through programs and community partnerships that connect people to the Internet, advance economic mobility and open doors for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, storytellers and creators.
For additional information on Project UP and Comcast’s digital equity initiatives, visit https://corporate.comcast.com/impact/project-up.
