The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)’s 2022 National Small Business Week celebrations will officially commence with a three-day virtual summit and an awards ceremony for honorees. SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman will kick off the national event on Monday, May 2, addressing registered participants during the educational, training, and networking event. To end the celebration, President Joe Biden will deliver pre-recorded remarks congratulating our National Small Business Week award winners and acknowledging the contributions of America’s 32.5 million small businesses to our nation’s historic economic comeback.

The WBENC National Conference, the largest conference of its kind for women business owners, brings together America’s leading corporations, government agencies, women business owners and their staff, and strategic partner organizations. This year’s exciting program engages participants for dynamic educational programming, inspiring keynotes, a pitch competition, Instant Match meetings, networking opportunities, and an unrivaled Expo of certified women-owned businesses and those who do business with them. Register below!

Comcast is providing another $1 million in grants to small businesses owned by women and people of color, including Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and Asian American owners, as part of our Comcast RISE Investment Fund initiative. Comcast RISE launched in late 2020 to provide these small businesses with the resources they need to navigate the challenges of the pandemic. This round of the Investment Fund will grant $10,000 each to 100 small businesses in the City of Philadelphia. The application window is June 1-14, and the grants will be awarded in July. This is an extension of the current RISE program, which provides these businesses the opportunity to apply for marketing and technology services from Comcast Business and Effectv. Small businesses are the backbone of our community, and it is our hope that these grants will help them not only grow but thrive. Learn More!

The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the 14 Regional Partner Organizations (RPOs) and WBENC Certification is helping to bridge the gap, and why becoming WBENC-Certified is more important than ever. Being a WBENC-Certified women-owned business can pay off in spades, especially if you take the time to get involved, educated and engaged with the many programs and networking opportunities throughout the year. Learn more about the benefits of WBENC Certification