We have BIG news to share today! Cofounder Kristyn has been selected as one of 4 Canadian recipients into the Stacy’s Rice Project for 2023. 10 other women founders were selected in the US cohort for the project.
This is going to be a truly transformative opportunity for her and for 7 Summits Snacks as she not only receives an impactful grant towards the business operations, but even BETTER, entry into a mentorship program with execs at PepsiCo and Frito Lay Canada.
As a start-up superfood snack brand, the opportunity to work directly with leaders in one of the biggest snacking companies in the world is like getting coached by someone who produces the best athletes in their field.
Kristyn was moved and inspired by the story of Stacy’s Pitas through hearing Stacy’s story on a podcast- as a doer and a go-getter, Stacy Madison built her brand selling pita chips and eventually sold the business to PepsiCo. She had an internal beacon that she followed and endured through to pursue her goals- in business and life!
“Stacy was trying to grow her pita chip business during the low carb era in the early 2000’s. I feel like she would understand some of the struggles we have at 7 Summits Snacks with reminding folks that chocolate can actually be a perfect energy source for activity. When you’ve been told early in your life that chocolate is only a treat, transforming your beliefs that chocolate can be a purposeful snack is often a hard sell”.
Many people think their energy bars should be “low carb” “high protein” and expect them to taste bad. But like how you don’t wear your stilettos to the track, there’s also an energy bar for different occasions. The 7 Summits Snacks endurance bar is purposefully crafted for the long, slow burn- “we are like that shoe that is your cushioned, effective piece of heaven that’s going to make sure you get to the finish line after hours on the go”. Seven Summits Snacks provides carbs you can count on to “fuel your next adventure”.
The winners of the Stacy’s Rise Project were selected from a pool of more than 9,000 applicants and will each receive a $15,000 grant, in partnership with the help of new Canadian partner, Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada (WEOC) for the 4 Canadian recipients and Hello Alice for the American counterparts.
“Stacy’s Pita Chips is a brand that believes that when one woman rises, we all rise,” said Rhasheda Boyd, vice president of marketing at Frito-Lay. “Women-owned businesses only receive 2 percent of venture capital funding, ye businesses founded by women have an average return on investment of two times per dollar invested. Stacy’s is investing in the futures of women-led businesses through the Stacy’s Rise Project”
What does being a part of this project mean to Kristyn?
Apart from the funding uplift, which will help 7 Summits Snacks to create effective in-store marketing whilst allowing us to ramp up our production, the mentorship from folks in one of the biggest snacking companies in the world should truly be transformative.
“We, and our early adopters get that chocolate is a wonderful energy source for outdoor and athletic pursuits. Receiving coaching from a team where communication is part of their machine will help us to credibly spread the message that chocolate is even an optimal fuel source.
I’m also hoping that the networking opportunities with the Stacy’s Rise Project will unlock opportunities with consumers and markets that we haven’t yet been able to tap in to as a small, yet growing brand in Western Canada.”
...
Want to learn more about the Stacy’s Rise Project and the other women-owned businesses who are benefitting from the program? You can visit stacysrise.com or http://www.stacysriseproject.ca/ and find other resources to help support woman-owned businesses in their local area.