Mars Honors 20 Change-Making Women Through M&M'S® Flipping the Status Quo Program In Celebration Of International Women's Day

M&M'S puts the "fun" in funding initiatives from 20 trailblazing women to create a positive impact on the world.

NEWARK, N.J., March 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, M&M'S®, proudly part of Mars, announced the 20 winners of its "Flipping the Status Quo" program. These women were nominated by friends, family and colleagues for positively impacting the community around them and paving new paths for those who follow, redefining what happiness and success look like for women everywhere. M&M'S is thrilled to award each of these game-changing women with a $10,000 grant to further fund their missions.

Doubling down on its purpose to create a world where everyone feels they belong, M&M'S is offering up its platforms this International Women's Day to spotlight the winners across M&M'S digital and social platforms, as well as several retail stores, including the Las Vegas, Disney Springs, Mall of America, and Times Square locations. The brand identified winners in partnership with the M&M'S FUNd Advisory Council, a group of external partners who are experts in the space of belonging.

The 20 women who are flipping the status quo include:

• Ahna Miller: Flipping the Status Quo in disability inclusion.
• Angie Wallace: Flipping the Status Quo in mental health stigmas.
• Cat Smith + Kiah Gibian: Flipping the Status Quo in the culinary world.
• Consuelo Poland: Flipping the Status Quo in occupational gender stereotypes.
• Courtney Pettway: Flipping the Status Quo in financial education.
• Emily White: Flipping the Status Quo in voter turnout.
• Gretchen Evans: Flipping the Status Quo in overcoming disabilities.
• Janet Huger-Johnson: Flipping the Status Quo in excellence in education.
• Kathy Meyer: Flipping the Status Quo in period poverty.
• Kimberly Iozzi: Flipping the Status Quo in dressing for success.
• Leah Meyerhoff: Flipping the Status Quo in equality in filmmaking.
• Liz Maday: Flipping the Status Quo in girls' sports.
• Lynne Hughes: Flipping the Status Quo in grief support.
• Magybet Mendez: Flipping the Status Quo in immigration education.
• Marissa Soria: Flipping the Status Quo in mental health care.
• Melanie Adams: Flipping the Status Quo in fashion in male-dominated industries.
• Neha Shukla: Flipping the Status Quo in innovation and technology.
• Tiffany Yu: Flipping the Status Quo in the disabled community.
• Veronika Scott: Flipping the Status Quo in social injustice.

"The M&M'S brand is committed to using the power of fun to create a world where everyone feels they belong," said Gabrielle Wesley, Chief Marketing Officer, Mars Wrigley North America. "The winners of the M&M'S Flipping the Status Quo program are breaking barriers and positively impacting their communities across the U.S., creating a space for more incredible women to follow in their footsteps. Their immense efforts to flip the status quo in areas such as well-being, equality, education, and inclusion are an inspiring example of how harnessing the power of fun through meaningful passions and initiatives, can help to create a world where everyone feels they belong."

Earlier this year, M&M'S released its first-ever packs spotlighting the dynamic female M&M'S characters, in celebrations of women everywhere who are flipping the status quo. The limited-edition product features Purple, Brown and Green on inspirational packaging, and is the first united representation of the female trio spokescandies.

As part of the Flipping the Status Quo campaign, M&M'S is providing nearly $1 million in support for organizations that are committed to uplifting and empowering women. $1 from every limited-edition pack sold (totaling up to $500k) will go towards supporting She Is The Music and We Are Moving the Needle. Additional donations (totaling up to $400k) outside of the limited-edition packs will be made to Female Founder Collective, Geena Davis Institute On Gender and Media and the 20 nominated women who are flipping the status quo, as part of the overall program.  

More information on the 20 inspiring winners and a full list of their initiatives and organizations can be found on mms.com/flipthestatusquo, or via M&M'S social platforms on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

ABOUT MARS, INCORPORATED

Mars, Incorporated is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. As a global, family-owned business, Mars is transforming, innovating, and evolving to make a positive impact on the world. Across our diverse and expanding portfolio of quality confectionery, food, and pet care products and services, we employe 140,000+ dedicated Associates. With almost $45 billion in annual sales, we produce some of the world's best-loved brands including Ben's Original™, CESAR®, Cocoavia®, DOVE®, EXTRA®, KIND®, M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, and WHISKAS®. We are creating a better world for pets through our global network of pet hospitals and diagnostic services – including AniCura, BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, Linnaeus and VCA™ – using cutting edge technology to develop breakthrough programs in genetic health screening and DNA testing. For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Contact: Angelina Franco                                                 Katie Durkin 
               [email protected]                             [email protected]  

SOURCE Mars, Incorporated