Above and beyond: The Harvey C. Russell Award winners

Harvey C. Russell was a member of the first all-Black sales force, and in 1962 he made history at PepsiCo when he was named vice president, becoming the first Black officer of a major U.S. multinational corporation.

To honor his legacy, PepsiCo established the Global Harvey C. Russell Inclusion Awards in 2003 to recognize associates who go above and beyond to support the company’s diversity efforts. This year’s awards went to employees behind a variety of endeavors, like employee resource groups (ERG) that have created better support systems, local collaborations with nonprofits that have helped underserved groups, and creative teams that have raised money and awareness for diverse groups with beautifully designed bags of Fritos, Doritos and Stacy’s Pita Chips.

Mexico has released Doritos Rainbows chips in support of Pride for the last four years. In 2019, the team wanted to go further, so it created bags decorated with real images of LGBTQ+ people. In addition, they hosted internal events and workshops to promote acceptance and inclusion and donated money to Cuenta Conmigo (“Count on Me”), an NGO focused on uplifting LGBTQ+ individuals.

This global campaign allowed PepsiCo employees to shine a light on women farmers around the world and addressed one of the main causes of food insecurity: gender inequality. By partnering with CARE, this program will bring needed resources and recognition to millions of female farmers.

Our Girls Go to School, funded by local employee donations, is a scholarship program for female students that provides 360-degree support by offering remote learning programs, internships, and volunteer work with NGOs and charities.

The Adelante ERG is committed to supporting the Hispanic associates within PepsiCo and increasing outreach to the community. They have identified Hispanic recruitment opportunities at universities, developed the first-ever Adelante Learn and Leverage (ALL) event series, and elevated Hispanic Heritage Month.

Since 2009, PepsiCo Foods has worked with local and regional governments in the development of the Asplabel “peel plant” in Risaralda, Colombia. The processing plant has benefited low-income plantain growers and provided employment for single mothers who have been victims of armed conflict and violence.

In 2018, data collected by Pitchbook showed that only 2% of venture capital funding went to female-founded businesses. The Stacy’s Rise Project was founded to level the playing field for female entrepreneurs in the food and beverage space by providing funds, mentorship and community support.

In rural areas of Guatemala, only 2.9% of local women attend high school. To help, the country team worked with FUNDAP, a local NGO, to develop a program that would help women in nine communities learn agriculture, sewing and entrepreneurial skills. The PepsiCo Foundation linked them with Isabella Springmühl Tejada, a Guatemalan fashion designer, to create a unique 28-piece collection.

A team at PepsiCo’s Caribbean plant saw an opportunity to enhance the earning potential of local women and help them escape poverty. Through one-on-one mentoring, the Women With Purpose program teaches important personal and business skills the participants can use to start their own small businesses and supplement their current income.

For Memorial Day, Fritos made 22 million specially marked bags in honor of the number of people who have ever served in the U.S. military, and it partnered with Carry the Load to support health and well-being programs for veterans and first responders.

To support local students, the Dallas team partnered with the South Oak Cliff High School Collegiate Academy to develop an initiative with a dual purpose: Frito-Lay associates would help students get ready for college and beyond — and create a future pipeline for employees at the local Frito-Lay, Gatorade and Pepsi offices.

In 2012, the Northeast Women’s Inclusion Network (WIN) team created the companywide summit, which takes place every fall. Year after year, the WIN Summit has grown in size and scope, and attracts senior leaders and attendees across functions and divisions.