The PepsiCo Foundation supports future employees and entrepreneurs in the United States through scholarship and workforce development programs, offering students financial assistance, networking opportunities, and career guidance.As part of its continued aim to inspire positive change in communities, the foundation has awarded approximately 6,000 scholarships throughout the United States over the last five years. In 2024, the organization will have provided over 1,800 scholarships worth roughly $8.4 million to students across the US.
The PepsiCo Foundation offers three signature programs: PepsiCo Foundation Family Scholars, PepsiCo Foundation S.M.I.L.E. (Supportive Mentorship for Inspiring Leaders and Entrepreneurs) Scholarship, and PepsiCo Foundation Uplift Scholarship. These programs promote educational access and workforce development.
The Family Scholars initiative intends to help PepsiCo employees with the financial burden of postsecondary education while also fostering long-term success for their children and communities.
Mike B, a PepsiCo employee for nearly 30 years, pushed his daughter, Shaye, to apply to the PepsiCo Foundation Family Scholars program. Shaye was awarded a scholarship for all five years of her undergraduate study. “To see PepsiCo invest in my daughter’s future like that was just amazing,” Mike told me.
After graduating, Shaye joined PepsiCo’s sales leadership program and now works full-time in regional sales. “The assistance enabled me to turn my part-time summer work at PepsiCo into a profession. “The scholarship allowed me to forge my own path at PepsiCo,” stated Shaye.