PLANO, Texas, Feb. 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Frito-Lay has
unveiled the 10 finalists in its inaugural WomanMade Expo West
Challenge, in which female entrepreneurs will pitch their business
plans in a live, rapid-fire format to industry experts for a chance
to win from $100,000 in business
grants.
The WomanMade Expo West Challenge, a PepsiCo initiative
dedicated to advancing female-founded businesses in the food and
beverage industry, will take place at Natural Products Expo West on
Friday, March 6 from 7:30-9:30 a.m. PT in the Marriot Convention
Center, Marquis Northwest.
The Challenge is open to any credentialed attendees of Expo West
who would like to learn more about the 10 finalists, all female
founders whose businesses have $500,000 in annual revenue and rose to the top
with their commitment to innovation and social impact.
The 10 finalists of the inaugural WomanMade Expo West Challenge
are:
- Sashee Chandran: founder of Tea Drops, organic shaped
teas that dissolve instantly in hot water and generate 20% less
waste than traditional tea packaging.
- Nydia Shipman: co-founder
of The Worthy Company, the first plant-based, all-in-one snack bowl
made for on-the-go.
- Kate Flynn: co-founder of
Sun & Swell Foods with a mission of making healthy, on-the-go
snacking more accessible.
- Jessica Levison: founder
of Peekaboo Ice Cream, a certified B Corporation designed to
deliver indulgent ice cream with hidden veggies that can't be seen
or tasted.
- Cecilia Panichelli:
co-founder of Cocina 54, heritage-inspired empanadas made from
scratch with fresh vegetables and antibiotic-free meats.
- Brook Rewa: founder of
GoodMylk, the first company to scale homemade-quality plant-based
milks without the use of binders, gums, fillers or
preservatives.
- Rana Lustyan: founder of
Edoughble, small-batch, 100% safe to eat cookie dough with premium
ingredients.
- Allison DeVane: founder
of Teaspressa, an all-natural organic tea designed to replace
espresso with the health benefits of tea and the same caffeine
content as coffee.
- Katie Jesionowski:
co-founder of My SuperFoods, nutrient-dense snacks using superfoods
that are traditionally not found in kids snacks, while being
mindful of growing allergy concerns.
- Jill Robbins: founder of
Homefree, a certified B Corporation that makes allergy-friendly
treats with a strong commitment to environmental and social
responsibility.
"We were blown away by the 100+ submissions we received for our
inaugural WomanMade challenge, and while it was difficult to narrow
down the outstanding work being done by women in the food and
beverage industry, the 10 women we've selected as finalists are so
deserving of the recognition," said Ciara
Dilley, vice president of transform brands & portfolio
innovation at Frito-Lay. "Dedicated to championing diversity and
inclusion, our entire WomanMade team is proud to do our part in
providing much-needed support to female founders as they scale
their businesses. We're honored to highlight these women as they
continue to be a driving force in our industry."
Each of the finalists will have five minutes to present their
business plans, immediately followed by up to five minutes for a
Q&A session with the judging panel comprised of PepsiCo
executives and fellow entrepreneurs, including:
- Jen Saenz, president,
PepsiCo Global Foods
- Ciara Dilley, vice
president of marketing, Frito-Lay Transform Brands & Portfolio
Innovation
- Lisa Lillien,
best-selling author and founder of Hungry-Girl.com
- Shane Emmett, Health
Warrior co-founder
- Hannah Hong, Hakuna Brands co-founder and winner of the 2019
Stacy's Rise Project
The top three winners of the WomanMade Expo West Challenge will
be announced live on-site and will receive $50,000, $30,000
and $20,000 grants, respectively.
Additionally, in partnership with Alice, a free multi-channel platform that
helps New Majority Entrepreneurs, all applicants will receive
support for their business through the WomanMade Community on
Alice, as well as tickets to
Alice's Business for All
conferences in 2020.
The number of women-owned businesses grew 58% between 2007 and
2018, and by 46% in terms of revenue, according to research from
American Express. A study conducted by Mass Challenge and BCG also
found that businesses founded by women deliver higher revenue –
more than two times as much per dollar invested – than those
founded by men. However according to PitchBook Data Inc., of all
venture capitalist funding invested in 2018, only 2.2% was given to
female-founded companies and only 0.2% went to diverse female
entrepreneurs. Additionally, research shows that female
entrepreneurs often have less access than male counterparts to the
tools and resources they need to launch and sustain successful
businesses.
For more information about WomanMade, please visit
www.helloalice.com/communities/womanmade-by-pepsico. To learn more
about Frito-Lay, please visit www.fritolay.com.
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 $67 billion in net revenue
in 2019, 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 23 brands that generate more
than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail
sales.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in
Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. "Winning
with Purpose" reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the
marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of the business.
For more information, visit www.pepsico.com
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SOURCE Frito-Lay North
America