PepsiCo 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.
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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.
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.
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.
