DANNON LIGHT + FIT® LAUNCHES PILOT RETURNSHIP PROGRAM TO HELP WOMEN RE-ENTER THE WORKFORCE

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., March 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- With nearly 1 million women having left the workforce since February 2020, Dannon Light + Fit is launching The Comeback, a new return-to-work initiative aimed at helping women reacclimate to their careers after a break – no matter how big or small.¹ In partnership with "the returnship experts," Women Back to Work, the program is focused on closing resume gaps to help professionals get back in the workplace with the introduction of a paid summer program.

Light + Fit recognizes the need to support women in balancing career and family and aims to be part of the solution. Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, women have been pulled away from the workforce due to a variety of barriers, from a lack of paid family leave, to limited childcare resources. Nearly half of women have said the pandemic has negatively impacted their career path, making it more important than ever for companies like Light + Fit to provide them with opportunities and support on their journey back, while they find their own rhythm in balancing life and work to help maintain an overall healthy lifestyle.²

"There are many factors that can make the move to reenter the workforce feel challenging for women. It's critical that companies come together to be a part of the solution by providing the support and balance women need to be successful at work and at home," said Surbhi Martin, VP of Marketing, Greek Yogurt & Functional Wellness. "The Comeback, Light + Fit's Returnship program, is a real-world way for us to help bridge the gap that may exist for women who left or lost their jobs, by making that first step back a bit easier. Our hope is to give participants access to the mentorship and experience they need to kickstart the next chapter of their careers."

The Comeback is a six-week paid summer program that is designed to help reacquaint participants with the workplace and ramp up their professional journey after an extended break through hands-on experience and mentorship. The program is open to all candidates that have been out of the workforce for at least one year and have 3 to 5 years of experience in marketing or sales. Hired candidates will work on the Light + Fit marketing team, receive training and support to further their skills and have the option to apply for full-time employment after successful completion of the program.

As part of this program, Light + Fit has also partnered with Women Back to Work, who have helped numerous, strong women return to work through similar successful return-to-work programs. Through this partnership, Light + Fit is spotlighting some truly inspiring stories from real women who have made their own comeback to the workforce as a way to inspire and empower other women on their return-to-work journey. A photo series of the women was captured by female award-winning documentary-style photographer, Hannah Yoon.

"As someone who left the workforce years ago to raise my family, and faced challenges when trying to re-enter, I understand firsthand the difficulties of being a woman with a resume gap," said Sonu Ratra, Founder of Women Back to Work. "Women Back to Work is honored to partner with Light + Fit to support women throughout their life and work journey. The pandemic has especially impacted women's career paths negatively, so this real-world returnship helps bridge the gap that may exist for women and other job seekers who left or lost their jobs."

Light + Fit is all about creating solutions that help you achieve your goals, like the balanced line-up of yogurt products that provide consumers delicious options to fit their lifestyle. Light + Fit's dedication to supporting those looking to return to the workplace is just one of the ways the brand is committed to supporting women throughout their life and work journey. In January, to bring attention to the issues impacting women, Light + Fit partnered with Dress for Success, the leading global nonprofit employment resource for women, to launch two new flavors – Lemon Cream and Orange Cream Greek Nonfat Yogurts – and donated $100,000 to support them in furthering their mission.

Applications for The Comeback open on March 7, 2022 and close on April 1, 2022. The six-week summer program begins on June 6, 2022. To learn more or to apply for the Light + Fit Returnship program, visit www.jointhecomeback.com.

¹ US Department of Labor
² MetLife survey via CNBC

About Light + Fit
Established in 1988, Dannon's Light + Fit yogurt features a balanced line-up of yogurt products that give you deliciously satisfying snack options that fit your unique lifestyle. Staying on track with your routine can be tough, but we believe it shouldn't be boring or feel like a constant struggle. Thanks to Light + Fit's more than 20 delicious flavors, you can keep your routine exciting and craveable, all while keeping your rhythm. To learn more about Dannon Light + Fit, visit http://www.LightandFit.com.

About Danone North America
Danone North America is a purpose-driven company and an industry leader in the food and beverage category. As a Certified B Corporation®, Danone North America is committed to the creation of both economic and social value, while nurturing natural ecosystems through sustainable agriculture. Our strong portfolio of brands includes: Activia®, DanActive^®, Danimals^®, Dannon^®, evian®, Happy Family® Organics, Honest to Goodness^®, Horizon^® Organic, International Delight^®, Light + Fit^®, Oikos^®, Silk^®, So Delicious^® Dairy Free, STōK^®, Two Good^®, Wallaby^® Organic and YoCrunch^®. With more than 6,000 employees and 16 production locations across the U.S. and Canada, Danone North America's mission is to bring health through food to as many people as possible. For more information, visit www.danonenorthamerica.com/. For more information on Danone North America's B Corp™ status, visit: https://bcorporation.net/directory/danone-north-america.

About Women Back to Work
Women Back to Work's mission is to create systematic pathways to facilitate the re-entry of women back into the workforce. WBW enables companies to tap into a diverse career-ready technical talent returning to work from a career pause; a talent pool often overlooked by traditional recruiting practices. As the nation's leading return-to-work organization, WBW Program has a profound impact on the lives and careers of women through Full Service Returnship programs with fortune 1000 companies. WBW is the only organization backed by the full recruiting resources of an award-winning, IT staffing firm, Akraya. Learn more about diversity hiring and how you can positively impact communities at www.womenbacktowork.org.

SOURCE Light + Fit®