NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Several black-owned businesses in Middle Tennessee are getting help with technology upgrades.

This was after being selected as winners of the national Comcast RISE Program, which was created to help small businesses impacted by the pandemic.

Nashville fitness business Punches n’ Bunches was among the 9 black-owned businesses selected in Middle Tennessee. They’d only been in a new location for a few months when the pandemic hit.

“It hit us pretty hard in the beginning. But we were able to pivot. What we had to do once they shut down everything, we had to go to virtual, kind of like the Zoom training,” said owner Tramaine Crook. “With the technology upgrade now it’s like we have faster internet and I can do more on the virtual training. It’s a blessing all in itself. I’m grateful.”

Seventeen small businesses in Tennessee will get consulting, media and creative production services, or technology upgrade through this program.