The PepsiCo Foundation and Doritos® SOLID BLACK® Invest in 16 Nonprofit Leaders for Black Changemakers Program

February 22, 2023

Selected participants will receive a $50,000 grant and leadership development training to further propel positive impact in their communities

Purchase, NY, February 22, 2023 – The PepsiCo Foundation and Doritos SOLID BLACK today announced 16 Black nonprofit leaders selected for the 2023 Black Changemakers program, a program developed to uplift Black community leaders and amplify their bold voices to showcase the positive impact they are making. The nonprofit leaders selected for this year’s program represent organizations focused on education, youth development & mentorship, food insecurity, job training, financial literacy, and more.

Selected Black Changemakers will each receive a $50,000 grant, leadership development training with Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, which provides nonprofit professionals and volunteers with research-based education and training, and regular one-on-one fundraising coaching, software, and technical assistance from Network for Good, a Certified B Corporation software company that offers software and coaching for charities and nonprofit organizations.

Black nonprofit leaders are historically underrepresented. Black-led organizations generate 24 percent less in revenue than white-led organizations. The PepsiCo Foundation and Doritos SOLID BLACK are committed to elevating Black leaders who are driving change within their communities.

“Many Black community and non-profit leaders face roadblocks in gaining access to capital to start, sustain and/or scale up their work. In partnership with Doritos SOLID BLACK, the Black Nonprofit Changemakers program, seeks to narrow that gap and provide participants with the assets they need to not only survive but to adapt and thrive,” said C.D. Glin, President of the PepsiCo Foundation and Global Head of Philanthropy for PepsiCo. “We believe lasting impact is led by those with lived experiences in local communities. These Black nonprofit leaders are proximate to the issues their organizations are striving to address and closest to the Black communities we’re working to support more broadly.”

This program supports leaders with philanthropic capital, personal and professional leadership development, fundraising capabilities, impact measurement, and network building. Additionally, the program offers an opportunity to amplify the nonprofits’ mission to inspire and catalyze others to support their cause.

“We’re proud to continue our partnership with the PepsiCo Foundation to grow the SOLID BLACK initiative and take our support of Black Changemakers to another level,” said Stacy Taffet, senior vice president of marketing, Frito-Lay North America. “Doritos has long been a brand that champions bold self-expression and we’re honored to continue providing a platform and resources to the bold individuals who are inspiring change and having an impact on their communities.”

The program’s capacity-building support aims to fuel participants’ dedication to making bold, positive impacts in their communities and arm them with the resources they need to drive transformative, lasting change. Today’s announcement kicks off the year-long partnership with the Changemakers. Visit our website to learn more about the Black Changemakers program and for the latest updates.

The Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy and The Fund Raising School are honored to have been selected to assist these 16 Black Changemakers, in partnership with the PepsiCo Foundation and Doritos SOLID BLACK, as they and their nonprofits create positive change in their communities. We look forward to sharing our expertise and proven practices to help these community leaders build upon and expand the leadership abilities they have already demonstrated,” said LaKoya Gardner, Director of Programs for the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy. The Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy and The Fund Raising School are part of the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

The 2023 class of Black Changemakers includes:

Adrinda Kelly, BE NOLA: Based in New Orleans, Adrinda serves as the executive director of BE NOLA, with a mission to build the capacity to uplift the spirit of Black educators to ensure excellent, culturally-affirming, holistic, and joy-filled education for Black children in New Orleans.
Alvin Irby, Barbershop Books: Based in New York, NY, Alvin founded Barbershop Books with a mission to inspire Black boys and other vulnerable children to read for fun through child-centered, culturally responsive, and community-based programming and content.
Antoinette Caroll, Creative Reaction Lab: Based in St. Louis, MO, Antoinette founded Creative Reaction Lab with a mission to educate and mobilize Black and Latinx youth to challenge racial and health inequities impacting communities.
Candice Brackeen, Lightship Foundation: Based in Cincinnati, OH, Candice founded Lightship Foundation with a mission to provide entrepreneurship education programs for founders of diverse backgrounds and enable growth within the minority innovation economy.
Gabrielle Madison, Bonton Farms: Based in Dallas, TX, Gabrielle serves as the president of Bonton Farms, with a mission to transform lives by disrupting systems of inequity, laying a foundation where change yields health, wholeness and opportunity as the norm.
Glen Providence, Hebni Nutrition Consultants: Based in Orlando, FL, Glen serves as the executive director of Hebni Nutrition Consultants, with a mission to provide nutrition programs and services that empower and educate underserved and minority communities.
Jamila Trimuel, Ladies of Virtue: Based in Chicago, IL, Jamila founded Ladies of Virtue with a mission to empower Black girls and provide them with opportunities through one-on-one and group mentoring, leadership development, and mental health support.
Jessica Johnson, The Scholarship Academy: Based in Atlanta, GA, Jessica founded The Scholarship Academy with a mission to equip school districts and nonprofit organizations with the training, financial aid immersion experiences, and technology needed to help low-income and first-generation students close critical financial aid gaps that often prevent matriculation.
Marvin Pierre, Eight Million Stories: Based in Houston, TX, Marvin is the co-founder and executive director of Eight Million Stories, with a mission to give at-promise youth/young adults (age 9-21) a transformative opportunity to break generational poverty through education, skills training, and authentic relationships.
Matt Stephenson, Code2College: Based in Pflugerville, TX, Matt is the co-founder and CEO of Code2College, with a mission to build generational wealth and joy for Black and brown students through free workforce development programs.
Nikole Collins-Puri, TechBridge Girls: Based in Oakland, CA, Nikole serves as the CEO of Techbridge Girls, with a mission to equip out-of-school time providers with equitable STEM curriculum and training to support Black, Indigenous, and Latina girls who experience economic insecurity.
Phil Olaleye, Next Generation Men & Women: Based in Atlanta, GA, Phil serves as the executive director of Next Generation Men & Women, with a mission to close the opportunity gap for under-resourced high school students and prepare them for college and career pathways.
Quadrean Lewis-Allen, Youth Design Center: Based in Brooklyn, NY, Quadrean founded Youth Design Center with a mission to lower the barriers disconnected youths face to enter the STEAM professions and increase their experience in the innovation economy.
Dr. Tony Alleyne, Delaware College Scholars: Based in Wilmington, DE, Tony founded Delaware College Scholars with a mission to prepare first-generation, low-income high school students for college through its residential college access program.
Van Brooks, Safe Alternative Foundation for Education, Inc: Based in Baltimore, MD, Van founded SAFE to provide underserved students and young adults in Southwest Baltimore with career and technical education programming, access to quality education, and the resources and opportunities needed to achieve their academic and life goals.
William Jackson, Ph.D., Village of Wisdom: Based in Durham, NC, William founded Village of Wisdom with a mission to create a community of liberatory-minded Black parent leaders and create the learning environments that Black students deserve.