PepsiCo and Pensole are working together to promote diversity in design by launching a student lounge design program.

Today, PepsiCo and Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design are celebrating the first successful step in their three-year partnership to help build the design industry's representation of Black designers. Through this inaugural program, students were tasked with creating a new student lounge on campus. PepsiCo Design & Innovation team and MillerKnoll provided mentorship to the Pensole Lewis students throughout the design process, and with the help of NBA star Russell Westbrook, PepsiCo will be bringing the winning concept to life this summer with MillerKnoll's support.



Studies show that Black designers make up only 3% of the design industry1, and this partnership seeks to address this issue by providing students with resources and opportunities such as mentoring from professionals, apprenticeships, and job recruitment.



Rodney Banks and Angel Buckens were chosen for their winning design of the Pepsi Stronger Together Relax and Refresh Lounge. With guidance from the PepsiCo and MillerKnoll designers, the lounge includes branding, vending equipment, workstations, furniture from the MillerKnoll brands, and more. This space is dedicated to the close friend and mentor of Pensole Lewis Founder, Dr. D'Wayne Edwards, Author Kevin Carroll.



Mauro Porcini, SVP and Chief Design Officer at PepsiCo, said, “Our partnership with Pensole Lewis is about giving Black talent resources to overcome barriers to enter the design field. By providing access to the industry's best designers at PepsiCo, we can offer the next generation of creatives valuable resources and mentorship. Our goal is to bring more diversity and perspectives to the design field through education, inspiration, and recruitment.”

Today, PepsiCo and Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design are celebrating a milestone in their three-year partnership to develop Black designers and increase representation in the design industry. To mark this occasion, PepsiCo is unveiling the work from its inaugural program at Pensole Lewis, the first and only Historically Black College or University dedicated to design. The program tasked students to create a new student lounge on campus, with mentorship from PepsiCo Design & Innovation team and MillerKnoll. What's more, PepsiCo teamed up with NBA star Russell Westbrook, who is passionate about creating opportunities for the community, to amplify the effort and unveil the completed lounge on campus.



Studies show that only 3% of the design industry is made up of Black designers, making PepsiCo and Pensole Lewis' larger partnership that much more impactful. The program looks to create opportunities for students through mentoring with PepsiCo professionals, one-of-a-kind apprenticeships, and creating a pipeline for job recruitment.



Pensole Lewis students Rodney Banks and Angel Buckens were selected for their winning design for the Pepsi Stronger Together Relax and Refresh Lounge. The lounge space will be dedicated to a close friend and mentor of Pensole Lewis Founder Dr. D'Wayne Edwards, Author Kevin Carroll, who helped to inspire Dr. Edwards to start the Pensole brand.



PepsiCo's Chief Design Officer, Mauro Porcini, said, “Our partnership with Pensole Lewis is about providing resources to help address the barriers that specifically hinder Black talent from entering a career in design. By giving students access to some of the industry’s best designers at PepsiCo, we can offer valuable resources and mentorship for the next generation of creatives. To drive innovation, we must create a pipeline for more diverse perspectives and backgrounds to enter the design field. Our hope is that through education, inspiration, and recruitment, PepsiCo’s program with Pensole Lewis will champion that.”

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