PLANO, TX — Stacy’s Pita Chips, a PepsiCo brand, continues to support female business owners by opening applications for the 2024 Stacy’s Rise Project.
Open to founders across the US and Canada, the fund awards 15 founders — 10 in the US and five in Canada — a $25,000 grant, mentorship from leaders at Frito-Lay and PepsiCo, and community resources.
While women own nearly 50% of all businesses in the US, only 2% receive venture capital funding. The Stacy’s Rise Project supports women entrepreneurs to get a larger share of said funding.
“The goal of the Stacy’s Rise Project is not only to spread awareness of the funding gap women-owned businesses face, but to ensure these founders have access to resources, mentorship and community to help them overcome the statistics,” said Rhasheda Boyd, VP of marketing, Frito-Lay North America. “Because at Stacy’s, we believe that when one woman rises, we all rise.”
In addition to the funding and support, Stacy’s is also introducing Stacy’s Rise Pies, pie crust cookies that illustrate the 2% of venture capital funding that goes to women business owners.
Janie Deegan, founder and CEO of Janie’s Life Changing Baked Goods and a 2017 recipient of the Stacy’s Rise grant, created the Stacy’s Rise Pies. The limited-time product includes flaky pie crust, a layer of apple pie filling and a caramelized streusel topping with Stacy’s Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips.
Stacy’s Rise Pies will be available for $25 plus shipping through Thanksgiving Day, while supplies last. Each purchase also includes products from previous Stacy’s Rise Project winners from the past five years. All proceeds will go to Deegan’s bakery.
