As a woman-founded brand, Plano, Texas-based Stacy’s Pita Chips has been helping women rise through its annual mentorship program, the Stacy’s Rise Project.
With the launch of this year’s program, the brand is deepening its commitment by celebrating women’s strength in the face of adversity with “Rise,” a short film created by filmmaker Nisha Ganatra, and produced in collaboration with Hello Sunshine, a media company founded by Reese Witherspoon.
The film will debut in January, but a preview of the film premiered Sept. 12 during the Primetime Emmy Awards.
“We’re so thrilled to continue our partnership with Stacy’s Pita Chips through this inspiring short film that shines a light on the unique stories of three women entrepreneurs,” Witherspoon said. “At Hello Sunshine, we are honored to continue telling stories that put women at the center of the narrative, and we’re so grateful to partners like Stacy’s who believe in and support this mission through our work together.”
The film depicts the daily trials, tribulations and achievements of powerful women entrepreneurs. The film features an original poem by author and poet Rupi Kaur, which was inspired by Stacy’s greater mission to help women rise.
The film spotlights the stories of three previous Stacy’s Rise Project winners, including:
- Sajani Amarasiri is an immigrant entrepreneur and founder of Kola Goodies, which makes botanical-rich superfoods and tea latte blends to boost well-being with ingredients sourced from South Asian farmer collectives.
- Jocelyn Ramirez, who founded Todo Verde, is creating culturally relevant plant-based Mexican food experiences through seasoning for home cooks, a published cookbook and catering for the Los Angeles community.
- Maria Jose Palacio is a fifth-generation coffee farmer who founded Progeny Coffee with a mission to take Colombian farmers out of poverty.
Since 2017, Stacy’s Pita Chips has provided nearly $1 million in funding, in addition to resources and mentoring to elevate the leaders that help our communities thrive. Women entrepreneurs across the U.S. can apply to the 2022 Stacy’s Rise Project through Oct. 14 by visiting stacysrise.com.
Later this year, Stacy’s Pita Chips will select and award 10 female entrepreneurs with a $15,000 grant, mentorship from Frito-Lay and PepsiCo leadership and a built-in community of powerful women.
“It is so important to support women in their pursuit of entrepreneurship, because when one woman rises, we all rise,” said Rhasheda Boyd, VP of marketing at Frito-Lay. “Our goal with the Stacy’s Rise Project and ‘Rise’ is to spotlight the untold stories of women entrepreneurs and recognize their resilience. We’re honored to collaborate with like-minded partners, including Hello Sunshine, Reese Witherspoon and Nisha Ganatra to drive awareness for these countless women lifting up their communities.”
