ESSENCE and Pepsi Host 2-Day "She Got Now" Virtual Homecoming Event |...

NEW YORK, Oct. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today ESSENCE – the leading media, technology and commerce company dedicated to Black women and their communities – announced with PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA), the return of She Got Now, with the first-ever two-day virtual homecoming celebration for HBCU students and alum. The collaboration, which celebrated its inaugural She Got Now program last year, brings together two brands that aim to continue to inspire, support and celebrate the achievements of HBCU students by bringing the much-anticipated homecoming weekend to the screens of HBCU students and alum around the country. The virtual celebration will take place on Saturday, October 24th, 2020 at 7:30PM ET and on Sunday, October 25^th, 2020 at 10AM ET on ESSENCE.com and ESSENCE Studios.

Last year, ESSENCE and Pepsi launched She Got Now, a multi-tiered platform that connected with HBCU students nationwide, to celebrate the innate entrepreneurial spirit of young Black women and shine a spotlight on the fantastic culture of the nation's top HBCUs. The platform also led to the creation of the She Got Now Allen McKellar Jr. Internship Program, which saw 12 stellar young women from the country's top HBCUs take impactful internships within the larger PBNA – South Division business. Now in a year where life for HBCU students and alums is anything but normal, ESSENCE and Pepsi are bringing back She Got Now as a two-day virtual homecoming celebration of HBCU culture and the brilliant women whose HBCU education has propelled them to great opportunities around the world.

"As a young single mother pursuing higher education, my HBCU experience at Texas College offered a Single Parent Program that afforded me the opportunity to pursue my bachelor's degree while being a full-time mother. My 15-year corporate career started on-campus and as a trustee at Talladega College, I am proud to be a manifestation of what HBCUs are, the global leaders they help shape, and the passion those of us that matriculated through have for preserving the HBCU experience for generations to come," said Caroline Wanga, Interim Chief Executive Officer of ESSENCE Communications, Inc. "ESSENCE is honored to partner with Pepsi once again for the return of She Got Now to recognize and celebrate the role HBCUs play – incubating the principles and practices of social justice in this urgent societal moment while molding the past, present, and future cultural catalysts that have been a part of the ESSENCE legacy for the past 50 years, and will be for 50 more. Together with Pepsi, we are excited to celebrate the She-Got-Nows and the She-Got-Nexts."

On October 24-25, ESSENCE and Pepsi are bringing the HBCU homecoming on-campus experience to ESSENCE STUDIOS, a global digital studio designed to deliver a dynamic variety of unparalleled content that propels the culture, narrative, and community forward. The two-day event – hosted by Terrence J will feature appearances from HBCU alum and cultural icons like Monica; Keisha Knight Pulliam; Jonathan McReynolds; DOE and many more. With robust programming, She Got Now will reimagine the homecoming experience by leveraging dynamic content from past HBCU events including band performances and step shows.

"We are honored to partner with ESSENCE again to bring back She Got Now during homecoming season, which is such a crucial moment culturally and socially for HBCU alums and students," said Hampton University graduate, Derek Lewis, President, South Division, PepsiCo Beverages North America. "To be able to provide this experience to the HBCU community, and simultaneously extend our work to provide opportunities to HBCU graduates at PBNA with the expansion of our Allen McKellar Jr. Internship Program, is incredibly special, and we can't wait to kick it off on October 24."

In addition to the exciting content from past legendary HBCU halftime band and step performances, the incomparable Doug E Fresh and friends will close out the first day of She Got Now with a 30-minute old school party with performances by world renowned artists and surprise guests. The two-day festival won't just be a celebration of the past either; several community initiatives and calls to action will be woven throughout programming, alongside a recommitment to growing the She Got Now Allen McKellar Jr. Internship Program into a full blown recruiting pipeline, to get the best and brightest minds of young HBCU women around the country opportunities within PepsiCo – strengthening the company and the community for the future.

To learn more and register for the exciting event, visit ESSENCE.com/SheGotNow and look for the hashtag #SHEGOTNOW on social platforms.

About ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

ESSENCE Communications, Inc. is the number one media, technology and commerce company dedicated to Black women and inspires a global audience of more than 31 million through diverse storytelling and immersive original content. With a multi-platform presence in publishing, experiential and online, ESSENCE encompasses its signature magazine; digital, video and social platforms; television specials; books; as well as live events, including Black Women in Music, Black Women in Hollywood, Street Style and the ESSENCE Festival. Essence Communications is owned by Essence Ventures, an independent Black-owned, consumer technology company merging content, community and commerce to meet the evolving cultural and lifestyle needs of people of color.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $67 billion in net revenue in 2019, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 23 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. "Winning with Purpose" reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of the business. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com

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