Stacy's Rise Project Returns For 2020; Expands To Benefit 15 Female Entrepreneurs With New Professional Services

Female-Founded Stacy's Pita Chips Committed to Help Women Rise Across All Industries; Accepting Applications Through June 1

News provided by

Frito-Lay North America

May 14, 2020, 09:00 ET

PLANO, Texas, May 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Stacy's Rise Project, the grant and mentorship program created by Stacy's Pita Chips to advance female founders, is back for 2020 and committed to helping even more women rise, in more ways than ever before.

Now through June 1, women business owners may apply to take part in the Stacy's Rise Project at https://stacysrise.helloalice.com/ for a chance to be one of 15 women who will receive the following:

Stacy's Rise Project Returns For 2020; Expands To Benefit 15 Female Entrepreneurs With New Professional Services

Advertising: Including expert design consultation and donated media space to raise awareness for these female-founded brands.
1:1 Mentorship: Pairing with Frito-Lay and PepsiCo leaders who are experts in sales, supply, marketing, R&D, and more.
Grants: Each finalist will receive a $10,000 grant to help advance her business.

"In 2019, female founders received only 2.8% of venture capitalist funding – which means that, as small businesses struggle in the current environment, women-owned companies need more support than ever before," said Ciara Dilley, Frito-Lay Vice President of Marketing. "Years ago, marketing, mentorship and monetary support helped our own female-founded brand rise from a humble sandwich cart to the nation's supermarkets. And while the world looks very different today, we know these ingredients are still the recipe for success. That's why Stacy's is proudly expanding the Stacy's Rise Project to share our most valuable resources with 15 women in their journey to help make their dreams a reality."

A panel of Frito-Lay and PepsiCo leaders, as well as partners from Hello Alice, will choose the 15 finalists based on such factors as their commitment to social impact, sustainability and diversity, as well as how they have faced recent challenges for their business.

Last year, Stacy's announced Hakuna Brands Founder Hannah Hong as its inaugural $100,000 grand prize Stacy's Rise Project winner from among a group of five finalists (chosen from an initial pool of 400 applicants). This year's 15 finalists of the 2020 Stacy's Rise Project will be unveiled in July and take part in the program through November.

Stay tuned to the Stacy's Instagram page (www.instagram.com/stacys) for more on the Stacy's Rise Project and to share in the journey by following #StacysRiseProject.

About Stacy's® Snacks
Stacy's Snacks is one of the many brands that make up Frito-Lay North America, the $15 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, http://www.fritolay.com/, the Snack Chat blog, http://www.snacks.com/ and on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/fritolay.

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 $64 billion in net revenue in 2018, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our fundamental belief that the success of our company is inextricably linked to the sustainability of the world around us. We believe that continuously improving the products we sell, operating responsibly to protect our planet and empowering people around the world enable PepsiCo to run a successful global company that creates long-term value for society and our shareholders. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

About Hello Alice
Founded by Carolyn Rodz and Elizabeth Gore, Alice is a free platform that helps business owners find the right path to start and grow their companies by matching them with resources and opportunities. As a social enterprise, Alice supports equal access and opportunity for all business owners, no matter where they come from or who they know. www.helloalice.com

SOURCE Frito-Lay North America