Jefa-Owned (owned by a Latina Boss), a national visibility campaign under PepsiCo's Juntos Crecemos platform, calls upon Latinas in the food and beverage sector to apply for the Juntos Crecemos Hispanic Digital & Delivery Program, an eight-week personalized business building program

In celebration of Women's History Month, PepsiCo unveils the first-ever Jefa-Owned neon sign honoring the contributions of businesses owned by a Latina boss

PURCHASE, N.Y., March 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP) today announced the launch of Jefa-Owned (owned by a Latina Boss), a national visibility campaign powered by the Juntos Crecemos (Together We Grow) platform, to encourage more Latina-owned, food and beverage small businesses to apply for the personalized business building support services.

To mark the launch, PepsiCo leaders joined Latina business owners for the Nasdaq Opening Bell Ceremony, where they unveiled the first-ever Jefa-Owned neon sign, designed by PepsiCo, as well as limited-edition merchandise honoring businesses owned by a Latina boss designed in collaboration with Hija de tu Madre, a lifestyle brand founded by Latina entrepreneur Patty Delgado, who also established March 31 as National Jefa Day.

As part of its Racial Equality Journey Hispanic Initiative, PepsiCo launched the multi-faceted Juntos Crecemos platform last fall aimed at strengthening Hispanic-owned businesses, specifically restaurants, bodegas and carnicerías (meat markets), to address foundational business challenges, and support business growth. 

According to the 2020 State of Latinos Entrepreneurship Report, Latinas (women) represent 40% of all Latino-owned businesses (men and women), with 41% of Latina business owners reporting "large negative impacts" as a result of the pandemic. Furthermore, twice as many Latina-led companies experience closure compared to Latino-led (male only) businesses.

"Latinas are a powerful economic force in the U.S., creating businesses at a rate six times the national average," said Esperanza Teasdale, Vice President & General Manager, Hispanic Business Unit, PepsiCo Beverages North America. "Despite this accelerated growth rate, Latinas are confronting foundational challenges which must be addressed. This Women's History Month, PepsiCo is proud to grow the impact of the Juntos Crecemos platform with a focus on helping Latina business owners strengthen their businesses while raising visibility for them through the Jefa-Owned campaign. Having each Latina business owner turn on her Jefa-Owned neon sign is a testament to their entrepreneurial achievements, their resilience, as well as the important role they play in the U.S. economy."

How Businesses Can Apply for the Hispanic Digital & Delivery Program
Applications for the Juntos Crecemos Hispanic Digital & Delivery Program are open now. It is an eight-week personalized business building program that offers expert consultation for delivery logistics, technology, marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO), all which are designed to help businesses create a viable digital presence to access more customers. Participants will have access to one-on-one consultation from experts, where they will receive coaching and guidance on devising solutions for their unique business challenges. The first 40 Latina small business owners to complete the eight-week consultation curriculum of the Juntos Crecemos Hispanic Digital & Delivery Program will receive an exclusive Jefa-Owned neon sign. To apply for the Hispanic Digital & Delivery Program, visit: Pepsicojuntoscrecemos.com/jefaowned.

"Supporting Latina-owned businesses is intrinsically linked to strengthening the overall community it serves. From job creation to revenue generation, these businesses are positively impacting families, the communities and the economy," said Antonio Escalona, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Hispanic Business Unit, PepsiCo Foods North America. "Our Jefa-Owned campaign is not only a celebration of the 'Latina Boss,' it is an affirmation of the vital role they play in our economy and the commitment of PepsiCo to help their continued growth."

How Consumers Can Get Involved
Limited edition Jefa-Owned merchandise will be available for purchase on the Hija de tu Madre's online store, beginning on National Jefa Day, March 31. The merchandise, which will include t-shirts, tote bags, and notepads, honors businesses owned by a Latina boss. To shop the merchandise supporting Jefa-Owned businesses, visit: Hijadetumadre.com/collections/support-jefa-owned.

"To have PepsiCo support us, as small businesses, it feels like we are not invisible," said Elizabeth Espinoza, owner of Miranda's Grocery and one of the small businesses PepsiCo supports through Juntos Crecemos. "PepsiCo is providing much needed business tools, resources and training that we would otherwise not be able to access. I am truly proud to be a part of Jefa-Owned, and I look forward to being a beacon of light to other Latina business owners in our Hispanic community." 

Miranda's Grocery has remained open throughout the pandemic, as it was important for Elizabeth and her parents to continue serving their community in Chicago during these challenging times. Similar to other Latina-owned small businesses, they were disproportionately impacted during the pandemic, and as a result, applied to the resources provided by PepsiCo's Juntos Crecemos platform. Since then, they have participated in the eight-week Hispanic Digital & Delivery Program and IMPACTO Hispanic Business Accelerator, which helped them strengthen their business and build a larger consumer base. 

About PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos
In 2020, as part of its Racial Equality Journey Hispanic Initiative, PepsiCo committed $172 million over five years to address issues of inequality and create opportunity for Hispanic Americans within its workforce, business partnerships, and the communities it serves. As part of that, PepsiCo dedicated $50 million to support Hispanic-owned businesses over five years. As a result, PepsiCo launched Juntos Crecemos, a multi-faceted platform aimed at accelerating business recovery for Hispanic small businesses, specifically restaurants, bodegas, and carnicerías disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

Since the launch of Juntos Crecemos in August 2021, the program has:

• Hispanic Digital & Delivery Program: supported more than 130 businesses with tools to strengthen their online presence, delivery logistics, technology, marketing, and SEO;
• Bodegas and Carnicerías Essentials: provided more than 500 Hispanic-owned bodegas with safety essentials;
• The PepsiCo Foundation IMPACTO Hispanic Business Accelerator: provided $2 million in grants and business coaching to 150 businesses in 13 cities across the U.S. through the IMPACTO Hispanic Business Accelerator, funded by the PepsiCo Foundation. In the years to come, IMPACTO's goal is to provide $10 million in funding to help 500 Hispanic small food and beverage business owners. The next round of grant recipients will be announced in 2023.

Business owners interested in learning more about PepsiCo Juntos Crecemos, can visit: https://pepsicojuntoscrecemos.com/ and follow @PepsiCoJuntosCrecemos on Facebook and Instagram.

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 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.

Media Contact: pepsicomediarelations@pepsico.com

SOURCE PepsiCo, Inc.