PEPSI® Announces Scholarship with Mary J. Blige, Part of $200,000 in Donations to Organizations and Initiatives Supporting Women in Return to the Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit

The brand returns to co-present the weekend-long festivities in Atlanta, giveback to Atlanta organizations elevating women, and amplify local restauranteurs via Pepsi Dig In

PURCHASE, N.Y., May 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pepsi is returning as co-presenter of Mary J. Blige's "Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit" during Mother's Day weekend in Atlanta, Georgia, once again bringing its powerhouse roots in music and culture to amplify the festivities. Back for year two, Pepsi is supporting Blige's refreshingly unapologetic vision to elevate, educate and empower festival-goers throughout the expanded weekend of activities. This year, the brand's focus is on creating opportunities for connection and growth within the Atlanta community and beyond – including a scholarship in partnership with Mary J. Blige to be granted to an HBCU student later in the year.

"The whole mission of this festival is to celebrate and advocate for Black women," said global icon Mary J. Blige, "so to have Pepsi, show up and show out in the way they do is overwhelming.  With their support for the Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit, we are able to pay it forward in so many impactful ways and to be able to grant an HBCU scholarship for a deserving student is nothing short of incredible."

With an additional day of programming and robust calendar of events, Pepsi will co-present with Mary J. Blige and her team to create joyful spaces where attendees and the women who inspire them are spotlighted and celebrated all weekend long, with contributions to culture and community designed to drive long-term impact. Activities include:

• Pepsi Dig In Spotlights Atlanta's Female-run, Black-Owned Restaurants: Pepsi Dig In – the brand's platform designed to drive access, business growth, and awareness for Black-owned businesses – will provide complimentary food from a selection of local Black female-owned restaurants. Summit attendees will get to try signature dishes from Atlanta eateries including Ms. Icey's Kitchen, Gocha's Breakfast Bar, Twisted Soul, and Local Green Atlanta, bringing these businesses to the forefront during one of the city's biggest weekends.
• PepsiCo Donates $200,000 Towards Local Organizations That Support Opportunities for Women, Announces HBCU Scholarship in Partnership with Mary J. Blige: To drive long lasting change for women in need in the Atlanta area and beyond, PepsiCo is donating $200,000 towards the inaugural "PepsiCo x Mary J. Blige Strength of a Woman Scholarship," and funding local organizations reflective of the summit's programming pillars. Selected in collaboration with Blige, the organizations empower women in the areas of wellness, technology, finance, and the creative arts and include Silence the Shame, City of Refuge, Right Hand Foundation, and Earth Girl ATL. To carry the shared mission further, PepsiCo is also announcing its scholarship with Blige, to be awarded to a Black female student aspiring to or currently attending an HBCU, with the recipient to be announced during the company's HBCU tour in the fall.
• PepsiCo Empowers and Uplifts Female Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders: PepsiCo will be utilizing the festival's inspiration and aspirational environment to engage women leaders from across the company and industry. Bringing together local female entrepreneurs through its Stacy's Rise Project and Black changemakers through its Doritos SOLID BLACK platform, PepsiCo will host a dinner to elevate and celebrate the women who have made an impact internally at the company and externally in the community.

"The Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit has proven to be a powerful platform for Pepsi and its brands to create opportunities that bring long-lasting change to amplify and elevate women. This year, with even more events for fans to experience, we want to recognize, celebrate, and support the voices of the community, from the incredible on-stage talent, including the iconic Mary J. Blige, to the on-the-ground local restauranteurs and entrepreneurs whose vision and passion inspire others," said Kent Montgomery, Senior Vice President, Industry Relations and Multicultural Development, PepsiCo.

The partnership with Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit complements PepsiCo's DEI strategy and larger U.S. Racial Equality Journey Initiative, a more than $400 million set of commitments over five years to increase Black representation at PepsiCo, support and elevate Black businesses and voices, and help create economic opportunity in Black communities.

The Mary J. Blige and Pepsi "Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit," in partnership with Live Nation Urban, returns to the vibrant city of Atlanta, GA with four days devoted to music, comedy, female empowerment and community building between May 11th -14th, 2023. All tickets can be purchased at www.soawfestival.com.

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 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 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 planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo. 

SOURCE PepsiCo Beverages North America