DORITOS® AND EGO NWODIM ANNOUNCE RETURN OF SOLID BLACK™ INITIATIVE SUPPORTING BLACK CHANGEMAKERS

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Jun 22, 2022, 09:00 ET

Doritos to invest $5 million to provide a platform and funding for this year's Changemakers using innovation and boldness to drive positive impacts in their communities

Doritos supporting the PepsiCo Foundation launch of its Black Nonprofit Changemakers program, an initiative that boosts Black nonprofit community leaders

PLANO, Texas, June 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- It takes bold changemakers to make an impact in communities. Staying true to its DNA of igniting boldness and celebrating diversity, Doritos is proud to team up with actress and comedian Ego Nwodim to announce the return of SOLID BLACK™, a multi-platform initiative backed by action and funding to shine a light on Black Changemakers, individuals who are driving impact, activism and a culture of change in their communities.

DORITOS® AND EGO NWODIM ANNOUNCE RETURN OF SOLID BLACK™ INITIATIVE SUPPORTING BLACK CHANGEMAKERS

In its sophomore year, Doritos SOLID BLACK is celebrating and spotlighting its new class of Black Changemakers and donating to five non-profit organizations that support the next generation. The brand is also elevating the work of Black creators through limited-edition packaging and leveling up its commitment by supporting the launch of the PepsiCo Foundation's new Black Nonprofit Changemakers program, an initiative that supports Black nonprofit community leaders and ensures the mission of SOLID BLACK continues.

Doritos will lend its website, social media, packaging and TV advertising to showcase the work of these individuals and organizations, investing more than $5 million as part of the SOLID BLACK campaign to amplify stories of Black joy, strength and resilience.

Ego Nwodim Helps Launch SOLID BLACK
To kick off this year's initiative, Doritos is enlisting Nwodim to spread the SOLID BLACK message in a new TV commercial where she spotlights this year's Changemakers. Premiering at the BET Awards on June 26, this commercial is the first of many mediums where Doritos will showcase their incredible stories this summer.

"When I first heard about the innovative ways these Black Changemakers support their local communities, I couldn't wait to get involved," said Nwodim. "I'm excited to help Doritos celebrate the second year of SOLID BLACK and give these powerful community members the platform they deserve to drive change."

Recognizing Changemakers in the Black Community
Doritos is celebrating the Black community and inspiring others to do the same by committing $200,000 to support this year's class of four SOLID BLACK Changemakers and donating an additional $125,000 to five non-profit organizations that support the next generation of Black Changemakers. New this year, each Changemaker had the opportunity to select one of the nonprofits receiving a donation from Doritos.

The 2022 class of SOLID BLACK Changemakers includes:

PikaChulita, a gamer from Memphis, Tenn., who is part of Black Girl Gamers, a Twitch channel centered around creating safe, supportive, and fun spaces for marginalized individuals –especially those who are Black, Brown, or LGBTQIA+. She uses her platforms to speak openly about her experiences as a queer Black woman in the gaming community. Doritos is donating $25,000 on her behalf to Code Crew, which educates, trains and mentors those most underrepresented in tech to be tech innovators and leaders through practical, hands-on computer science education programs.
Miss Diddy, a power-house entertainment marketer from Compton, Calif., who began her journey 15 years ago as the only female promoter in Hollywood. She publicly dominated this male-driven industry and bravely took her career to the next level when she created her own company, The Brand Group. She uses her platform and status in the entertainment industry to bring attention to issues in the Black community and mobilize people to make a difference. Doritos is donating $25,000 on her behalf to SoLa I CAN Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit affiliate of SoLa Impact, which aims to improve the lives of South Los Angeles residents and break the cycle of intergenerational poverty by providing opportunities for education and economic mobility.
Eric Hart Jr., a 22-year-old Georgia native and graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where he studied photography & imaging. As a photographer, Hart's stylized portraiture, which has been published in major publications and applauded by a number of notable public figures, is an exploration of Blackness and shifting identities within Black culture. From masculinity and queerness to dress, his work aims to display people like himself in all their power and beauty. Doritos is donating $25,000 on his behalf to The Gordon Parks Foundation, which permanently preserves the work of Gordon Parks and champions current and future generations of creatives whose work continues Gordon Parks' legacy.
Justin Rodgers, also known as DJ Mr. ROGERS, a Houston-based DJ, producer and radio mixer, and has become one of the most sought-after and celebrated DJs by artists, promoters and brands. He has produced and co-written hit records and has toured alongside several platinum recording artists. He is an active volunteer in the Houston community and started a nonprofit organization with rapper Trae tha Truth called the Relief Gang. Doritos is donating $25,000 to The Relief Gang, a subcommittee of Angel By Nature that helps benefit and supply the Houston community with relief efforts like living conditions, education, personal health and motivation.

Inspired by the Changemakers' commitment to community, Doritos is also donating $25,000 to an organization in parent company Frito-Lay's backyard, For Oak Cliff, which provides culturally responsive initiatives in South Oak Cliff to create an environment of education and increase social mobility and social capital. The organization develops programs in the local community across a variety of categories including education, advocacy, community building and arts.

"We're inspired by the unique ways this year's Changemakers are using innovation and boldness to drive culture and give back to their communities," said Stacy Taffet, senior vice president of marketing, Frito-Lay North America. "As a brand that believes in supporting bold self-expression, Doritos is proud to continue to grow the SOLID BLACK initiative and provide a platform and resources for our next class of Changemakers."

Elevating Black Creators
As part of its mission to elevate Black creators, Doritos will also share their work across its website, social media and packaging. For this year's SOLID BLACK program, Doritos partnered with Mz. Icar, an anonymous art collective comprised primarily of Black women, to design new, limited-edition Doritos SOLID BLACK packaging. This is the second time Doritos has offered its iconic packaging as a platform to spotlight Black artists.

"Legacy, the design featured on the Doritos SOLID BLACK bags, represents a future-leaning collective ethos of Blackness," said the Mz. Icar artists. "This piece is a love letter saying, 'I see you. We see you. We see us.'"

The limited-edition bag designed by Mz. Icar also marks the return of fan-favorite Doritos Blazin' Buffalo & Ranch, a flavor specially selected by a 2021 SOLID BLACK Changemaker, chef Eric Williams of Nacho Bangers. Two thousand of these exclusive bags are available now on Snacks.com. Fans can also head to Nacho Bangers in Baltimore, Md., to taste a new recipe that Williams created featuring Doritos Blazin' Buffalo & Ranch.

PepsiCo's Larger Commitment to Racial Equality
Doritos SOLID BLACK complements PepsiCo's Racial Equality Journey Black Initiative commitments, a five-year, $400 million investment to increase Black representation at PepsiCo, support Black businesses and empower Black communities. As part of this commitment, Doritos SOLID BLACK is supporting the PepsiCo Foundation launch of its Black Nonprofit Changemakers program, a five-year program that will support Black nonprofit community leaders with philanthropic capital, leadership development and a platform to celebrate and elevate their work. Nonprofit community changemakers across the country will soon have the chance to nominate themselves or someone they know to participate in this program and to become one of next year's SOLID BLACK Changemakers.

To learn more about SOLID BLACK and to stay updated on how to become part of next year's class of Changemakers, fans can visit www.doritos.com/SOLIDBLACK. Fans can also head to Doritos' social channels starting June 24 to watch a weekly SOLID BLACK Changemaker content series spotlighting this year's Changemakers' stories.

About Doritos
Doritos believes there's boldness in everyone. We champion those who are true to themselves, who live life fully engaged and take bold action by stepping outside of their comfort zone and pushing the limits. Doritos is one of many Frito-Lay North America brands – the $19 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, http://www.fritolay.com/, and on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/fritolay.

About Frito-Lay North America
Frito-Lay North America is the $19 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Frito-Lay snacks include Lay's and Ruffles potato chips, Doritos tortilla chips, Cheetos snacks, Tostitos tortilla chips and branded dips, SunChips multigrain snacks and Fritos corn chips. The company operates 30+ manufacturing facilities across the U.S. and Canada, more than 200 distribution centers and services 315,000 retail customers per week through its direct-store-delivery model. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, www.fritolay.com, on Twitter (@fritolay), on Instagram (@fritolay) and on Facebook (Frito-Lay).

About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $79 billion in net revenue in 2021, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive (pep+). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

About the PepsiCo Foundation
Established in 1962, the PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, invests in the essential elements of a sustainable food system with a mission to support thriving communities. Working with non-profits and experts around the globe, we're focused on helping communities obtain access to food security, safe water and economic opportunity. We strive for tangible impact in the places where we live and work—collaborating with industry peers, local and international organizations, and our employees to affect large-scale change on the issues that matter to us and are of global importance. Learn more at https://www.pepsico.com/our-impact/philanthropy/pepsico-foundation.

SOURCE Frito-Lay North America