05/28/2020|Inside Verizon

Verizon has a new best friend.

By: Katie Regner

Thad Franklin talks about the difference receiving a small business grant has made to his Cleveland barbershop. Plus, an update from TJ Fox.

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On today’s Up To Speed Live, Katie was joined by head of Business Markets TJ Fox and Thad Franklin, owner of Major League Barbershop in Cleveland, OH, and one of our 400 small business grant recipients.

  • Pay It Forward Live - Our entertainment series has captured more than 70 million livestream views and provided up to $7.5 million in funding in support of small businesses affected by COVID-19 through the Verizon Small Business Recovery Fund.
  • One of those small businesses to receive funding was Major League Barbershop. “It was a dream come true,” Thad told Katie. “The need was so bad. I was backed up on bills. It was like a gift from God. I want to thank everyone at Verizon. Without you guys, there’s no telling where I’d be.”
  • Speaking of Pay It Forward Live, Dave Matthews returns tonight for an encore live performance at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT on @Verizon.
  • Our Class of 2020 Ready for Anything commencement series resumes tomorrow. Tune into Verizon’s LinkedIn at 11 AM ET/8 AM PT for words of wisdom from NBA superstar Kevin Love.
  • Also tomorrow, join Guru on Up To Speed Live for a Wellness Friday Q&A with author of the New York Times bestseller Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, Lori Gottlieb. In addition to her clinical practice, she writes The Atlantic’s weekly “Dear Therapist” advice column and contributes regularly to The New York Times and many other publications.

Get the latest information on our Coronavirus Resource Page (Inside Verizon, The Street).

If you have any questions, email them to live@verizon.com.

Click here for a transcript of the webcast.

Reminder, tune in tomorrow at 12 PM ET/9 AM PT for Up To Speed Live.

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About the author:

Katie is a member of the Verizon Corporate Communications team and a regular host of Up To Speed. She's a new mom with a passion for show tunes trying to keep up with the latest trends in tech.

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