Representatives from Comcast and the North Hartford Partnership were joined today by State Senator Doug McCrory and Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam to celebrate the grand opening of the Swift Factory Podcast Studio Powered by Comcast.
“I want to recognize the North Hartford Partnership for their continued leadership in strengthening our community and thank Comcast for helping to make it happen,” said Senator Doug McCrory, D-Hartford. “This new podcast studio at the Swift Factory is another way they’re creating real opportunities for local residents to learn new skills and pursue creative projects. This partnership will help to equip North Hartford with the resources it needs for a successful future.”
“The Swift Factory Podcast Studio will foster the development of Hartford’s next generation of innovators and artists,” said Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam. “Their commitment to bolstering our community’s creative infrastructure will improve the professional and personal services available to our residents and drive economic growth for years to come.”
Open to community residents and operated by the North Hartford Partnership, the new podcast studio was backed by a $20,000 grant from Comcast, which funded high-quality recording equipment, editing and design software and more. The podcast studio is located on the second floor of the Swift Factory, the North Hartford Partnership’s 80,000-square-foot commercial and community campus located at 10 Love Lane.
“We’re grateful to Comcast for supporting our vision to open a podcast studio at the Swift Factory, which serves as a multipurpose hub for local entrepreneurs and creators,” said Brenda Watson, Executive Director of the North Hartford Partnership. “The Swift Factory Podcast Studio Powered by Comcast provides residents with access to technology in a space that allows them to be creative or build a brand – something that is a first for this section of the city.”
The grant from Comcast 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. This investment includes digital equity programs such as Internet Essentials, Lift Zones and Digital Navigators.
The grant is also an example of Comcast’s latest commitment to Connecticut. Over the last three years, the company has provided more than $12.4 million in cash and in-kind contributions to 195 non-profits in Connecticut, as well as nearly $400 million in technology and infrastructure investments, which included a project completed in 2023 to bring high-speed Internet to 94 unserved businesses along the North Main Street business corridor in Hartford’s North End.
“The opportunity to power a public podcast studio at the Swift Factory was a natural continuation of Comcast’s commitment to Hartford’s North End,” said Carolyne Hannan, Senior Vice President of Comcast’s New England Region. “We’re proud to partner with the North Hartford Partnership to support the creative passions and professional endeavors of area residents and look forward to the studio serving as a launch pad for personal projects or careers in the media.”
The Swift Factory powers its multipurpose facility with Comcast Business Ethernet Dedicated Internet. The service provides the property with the reliability, speed and low latency it needs to serve as a hub for entrepreneurship, training, learning and community engagement, including commercial incubator kitchens, outpatient medical spaces, full service co-working offices and more.
