San Diego-based
snack food business awarded a $100,000 grand prize after an extensive six-month
mentorship program
PURCHASE, N.Y., Nov. 9, 2023
/PRNewswire/ -- PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP) today announced
Mexican-inspired snack company, CHUZA as the winner of the eighth
class of the Greenhouse Accelerator. This year marks the first-ever
Juntos Crecemos (Together We Grow) edition of the PepsiCo
Greenhouse Accelerator program focused on supporting emerging
Hispanic businesses across the food and beverage industry.
The announcement follows a competitive judging process and
six-month PepsiCo mentorship program. The San Diego-based business elevates the world of
snacks through an assortment of spicy fruit and vegetable
offerings, all infused with 100% Mexican spices and no artificial
flavors or colors. CHUZA will receive a $100,000 grant and other resources to scale their
operations and grow their business.
Founded by CEO Daniel Schwarz,
CHUZA was chosen as this year's winner from ten high-potential
finalists by a committee of PepsiCo leaders for successfully
expanding distribution to over 500 retail locations and driving
velocity growth for the company during the program, showcasing
strong collaboration with PepsiCo. During the six-month accelerator
program, the finalists received a $20,000 grant and personalized mentorship from
R&D, Supply Chain, Design and other experts at PepsiCo to learn
how to solve their direct business challenges, including brand
development, go-to-market strategy and more. Visit the PepsiCo
Greenhouse Accelerator: Juntos Crecemos Edition page to
learn more about the ten finalists and their sustainable food and
beverage business innovations.
"Selecting a winner was no easy task for the panel of judges
because all ten finalists showcased strong advancements in their
businesses over this six-month journey in the areas of brand
development, product optimization, scaling technology, business
model development, go-to-market strategy and more," said
Antonio Escalona, Senior Vice
President & General Manager of Hispanic Business Unit, PepsiCo
Foods North America. "CHUZA's focus and commitment to elevating the
snack segment, demonstrated throughout the entire process, inspires
us to maintain that same entrepreneurial mindset at PepsiCo as we
develop food and beverage solutions that deliver on flavor,
function, health, convenience and sustainability."
"It is truly an honor to be selected as the winner of the
PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator: Juntos Crecemos Edition from
such a talented pool of participants. Over the past six months, my
business has experienced substantial expansion and efficiency, all
thanks to the invaluable guidance and support provided by the
PepsiCo mentors," said CEO & founder Daniel Schwarz, of CHUZA. "Consumers crave
authenticity and diverse snack flavors, so with the $100,000 grant, we plan to expand brand and
marketing development to raise awareness of my products and
continue sharing our flavors, culture and flair with the
world."
The selection of the winner comes after an extensive application
and review process that was launched in April, and a finalist
selection process in July that included a $20,000 grant and invaluable business resources
to each of the 10 finalists.
The winner was announced during a special ceremony at PepsiCo
headquarters in New York to
celebrate the journey of all ten finalists and their business
improvements and thank the PepsiCo mentors who lent their business
expertise to advance small, Hispanic-owned food and beverage
companies.
"In this year's PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator: Juntos
Crecemos Edition, we have witnessed ten exceptionally skilled
Hispanic-owned businesses take innovation to the next level with
PepsiCo's mentorship and business resources," said Esperanza Teasdale, Vice President & General
Manager of Hispanic Business Unit, PepsiCo Beverages North America.
"We congratulate CHUZA, as well as all of the participants who
demonstrated true leadership in advancing the future of the food
and beverage industry."
Since expanding to North
America in 2018, the PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator has
evolved to assist innovators and entrepreneurs in addressing
consumer needs. This year marks the eighth class of the program,
and its fundamental goal remains the same: to foster the growth of
entrepreneurs. Through its partnership with PepsiCo Juntos
Crecemos, a multifaceted platform designed to provide critical
resources to Hispanic-owned small businesses, the PepsiCo
Greenhouse Accelerator expanded its support to a different
entrepreneurial segment, while contributing to stronger, more
equitable communities.
For more information on PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator Program:
Juntos Crecemos Edition, finalists, and winner, please visit
https://greenhouseaccelerator.com/juntos-crecemos/. To learn more
about CHUZA, please visit https://chuza.com/ and follow
@chuzasnacks on all social channels.
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 $86 billion in net revenue in
2022, driven by a complimentary 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 pep+ (PepsiCo
Positive). 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 the planet and people. For more
information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on
Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.
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SOURCE PepsiCo, Inc.