PepsiCo Grants $100,000 to ¡Ya Oaxaca!, Winner of the 2024 Greenhouse Accelerator: Juntos Crecemos Edition

PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator: Juntos Crecemos Edition Announces ¡Ya Oaxaca! as Ninth Class Winner

PepsiCo has named ¡Ya Oaxaca!, a food company renowned for its artisanal Mexican mole sauces, adobos, and salsas, as the winner of the ninth class of the Greenhouse Accelerator. This marks the second year of the Greenhouse Accelerator Program: Juntos Crecemos (Together We Grow) Edition, designed to uplift emerging consumer packaged food and beverage brands inspired by Hispanic flavors and culture while promoting sustainability.

Founded by Chef Susana Trilling and her sons, Kaelin Ulrich, Jesse Ulrich-Trilling, and Azul Couzens, ¡Ya Oaxaca! sources ingredients directly from Mexico to craft its bold and diverse flavors, bringing the authentic taste of Oaxaca to consumers with ease and convenience. As the winner, ¡Ya Oaxaca! will receive a $100,000 grant and additional resources to help scale operations and expand its reach.

Transforming Flavors into Success
¡Ya Oaxaca! earned the top spot following a competitive selection process and a five-month mentorship program provided by PepsiCo. The program guided eight finalists through business challenges such as brand building, supply chain optimization, and market strategies. Each finalist received a $20,000 grant and tailored support from PepsiCo experts in R&D, Supply Chain, and Design.

Through the program, ¡Ya Oaxaca! achieved impressive growth, increasing revenue by 350%, expanding retail distribution by 200%, and enhancing operational efficiencies to improve gross product margins.

Antonio Escalona, Senior Vice President of Emerging Business for PepsiCo Foods North America, praised the participants, stating:
"It inspires me to see how all eight finalists leveraged PepsiCo's mentorship to elevate their businesses, from growing revenue to innovating in new food and beverage categories. ¡Ya Oaxaca! stood out for its commitment to transforming grocery aisles with bold flavors and exciting product variations. Their outstanding results demonstrate the potential to redefine the food and beverage industry."

Driving Entrepreneurial Growth
Since its North American debut in 2018, the PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator, led by the PepsiCo Ventures Group, has empowered entrepreneurs to overcome challenges such as sustainability and evolving consumer needs. The Juntos Crecemos Edition continues to foster growth for Hispanic-inspired businesses that are better for people and the planet.

Azul Couzens, Co-Founder of ¡Ya Oaxaca!, expressed gratitude:
"We are so honored to be selected as the winner of the PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator: Juntos Crecemos Edition. This program and PepsiCo’s mentorship have been invaluable in helping us achieve our business goals. With this $100,000 grant, we can further our mission of sharing the vibrant flavors of Oaxaca through our mole sauces, adobos, and salsas."

For more details on the PepsiCo Greenhouse Accelerator: Juntos Crecemos Edition and the innovative work of this year’s finalists, visit greenhouseaccelerator.com/juntos-crecemos. To learn more about ¡Ya Oaxaca!, visit yaoaxaca.com or follow @yaoaxaca on social media.