Press release
PepsiCo Names Emerging Snack Startup CHUZA as Winner of the 2023 Greenhouse Accelerator: Juntos Crecemos Edition
San Diego-based snack food business awarded a $100,000 grand prize after an extensive six-month mentorship program PURCHASE, N.Y., Nov. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/
About this update from Pepsico, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"San Diego-based snack food business awarded a $100,000 grand prize after an extensive six-month mentorship program\nPURCHASE, N.Y., Nov. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP) today 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.\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \nFounded 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.\n\"Selecting a winner was no easy task for the panel of judges because all ten finalists showcased strong advancements in their businesses over this six-month journey in the areas of brand development, product optimization, scaling technology, business model development, go-to-market strategy and more,\" said Antonio Escalona, Senior Vice President & General Manager of Hispanic Business Unit, PepsiCo Foods North America. \"CHUZA's focus and commitment to elevating the snack segment, demonstrated throughout the entire process, inspires us to maintain that same entrepreneurial mindset at PepsiCo as we develop food and beverage solutions that deliver on f...