Impact
Xfinity’s 2024 Unity Tour Aims to Inspire the Next Generation of Innovators and Entrepreneurs
Impact
Xfinity’s 2024 Unity Tour Aims to Inspire the Next Generation of Innovators and Entrepreneurs
Aug 20, 2024
Philadelphia, PA
This year, the 2024 Xfinity Unity Tour returns for a fourth year, and invites students to live and celebrate the legacy, history, and sense of pride that is unique and central to HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) and HSI (Hispanic Serving Institutions) affiliation.
This year's tour, an evolution and expansion of the 2023 HBCU Tour, will visit 13 HBCU and HSI campuses in communities Comcast serves, inspiring the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and creators. The event will connect students to career resources and tools, Black and Hispanic small business owners and entrepreneurs, and culturally relevant content and media. It will also provide a platform to showcase stories about the positive impact HBCUs and HSIs have on higher education.
“The impact of HBCUs and HSIs goes far beyond the classroom, helping to shape the next generation of leaders and uplift local communities,” said Loren Hudson, SVP and Chief Diversity Officer, Connectivity and Platforms, Comcast.
Through the 2024 Unity Tour, we’re proud to help provide students additional tools and resources to enrich their campus life, spark excitement for future career opportunities, and contribute to their long-term achievements.
Explore Career Resources and Opportunities
Through Project UP, Comcast’s comprehensive initiative to advance digital equity and help build a future of unlimited possibilities, select students at the Xfinity Unity Tour will have the opportunity to engage with Comcast talent and recruitment leaders to discuss potential career opportunities at Comcast and get professional development advice and tips.
With thousands of HBCU and HSI students returning to campus this fall and in need of high-speed Internet for schoolwork and job searches, Comcast is offering exclusive Xfinity Internet deals. However, the primary focus of the tour will include the following:
Connect with Innovators, Entrepreneurs, and Creators
To get students excited about potential career paths and opportunities, additional activities onsite will present the students with stories of innovators, small businesses owners, entrepreneurs, and creators, including:
- Comcast RISE: Students will have the opportunity to discover the impact of the Comcast RISE program, which is committed to supporting the growth of all small businesses, while advancing community investment. Comcast RISE, which was launched in 2020 to help businesses and their communities thrive with a focus on economic growth. Comcast RISE is committed to supporting the growth of all small businesses, while advancing the objectives of diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as community investment. This year students can see the nationwide impact of Comcast RISE through a visual heat map artistically displaying the number of businesses supported by the program.
- Comcast Careers: This year, Comcast’s diverse talent will be showcased on the tour, highlighting 5 HBCU graduate employees and 5 HSI graduate employees at each respective stop. These employee testimonials showcase why they love working for Comcast and the importance of diverse hiring within the company. Students will also have a space to explore open roles at Comcast from internships and co-ops to full time roles in HQ and beyond.
- Black Experience on Xfinity and Latino Content: With this tour reaching both HBCU and HSI communities, it is important to showcase the vast library of Xfinity’s BEX and Latino programming (including NOW TV Latino), highlighting the importance of representation in media.
- Artist Highlights: The Xfinity Unity Tour is partnering with three recently graduated artists from the HBCU and HSI communities to create artwork for the tour. HBCU alums Kendall Robinson (Howard University), Clarence Clark (Virginia State), and HSI alum Maria Garcia Vargas (University of Illinois Chicago) created murals relating to one of the tactics of the activation wall space. This initiative expands the continuous collaboration with artists to celebrate their creativity and promote entrepreneurship within the HBCU and HSI communities.
- Official Tour Apparel: Xfinity has once again commissioned HBCU and FAMU alum Elijah Rutland to design the official Unity Tour t-shirt, custom designed to represent the HBCU and HSI communities of the tour. Additionally, Elijah will showcase his creativity by crafting two custom tote bag designs which students can receive for visiting each touchpoint at the activation. This is the third year Elijah is partnering with Xfinity on this tour.
- Peak into the Future: In the center of the activation will be a mirror room with motivational phrases relating to the event as clings on the wall. This serves as a space for students to take photos with their friends and to create user generated content for social media.
Celebrate Authentic Stories
Students will be treated to an in-person, immersive demonstration of The Black Experience on Xfinity. The event will showcase content from the recent Black Experience original Black Girls, directed by award-winning filmmaker B. Monet, an HBCU (Spelman) alum. Black Girls explores intergenerational identity, advocacy, healing, and triumph through a series of powerful individual stories about Black women who have created opportunities and impact and overcome adversity to improve outcomes for all.
In 2018, Comcast launched The HBCU Experience, a first-of-its-kind content collection celebrating Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the positive impact they’ve had on higher education for the Black community. The HBCU Experience is an example of Comcast’s work, year-round, to celebrate and recognize sports, lifestyle, and culture within HBCUs via relevant content.
Additionally, Culture Capital, a three-part docuseries showcasing nine game-changing and diverse entrepreneurs who are laying the foundation for future founders, recently debuted on Black Experience on Xfinity, Peacock, and the Xumo Play app. This series not only highlights the unique challenges and achievements of entrepreneurs of color but also provides viewers with an in-depth understanding of the entrepreneurial journey – celebrating the innovative spirit that transforms visions into lasting legacies.
Participating universities in the 2024 Unity Tour are:
- Edward Waters University – HBCU: 8/19/24
- AUCC (Spelman, Morehouse, Clark Atlanta) – HBCU: 8/22/24
- Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University – HBCU : 8/26/24
- Howard University – HBCU: 8/29/24
- Virginia State University – HBCU: 9/3/24
- Morgan State University – HBCU: 9/5/24
- Montclair State University – HSI: 9/9/24
- University of Illinois – Chicago – HSI: 9/12/24
- University of Northern Colorado – HSI: 9/16/24
- University of New Mexico – HSI: 9/18/24
- Texas Southern University – HBCU: 9/23/24
- University of Houston – HSI: 9/25/24
- California State University – Fresno – HSI: 10/2/24
