Rodney H. Banks

PepsiCo and Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design Kick-Off Three-Year Partnership To Increase Representation in Design Industry With Inaugural Student Lounge Design Program

Retrieved on: 
Friday, March 31, 2023
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DETROIT, March 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, PepsiCo and Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design celebrate the first step in their three-year partnership to develop Black designers and increase representation in the design industry. PepsiCo is revealing the work from its inaugural program at Pensole Lewis, the first and only Historically Black College or University (HBCU) dedicated to design, which tasked students to create a new student lounge on campus. Designers from the PepsiCo Design & Innovation team and MillerKnoll mentored Pensole Lewis students through the design process, a precursor to how PepsiCo will invest in bringing the winning concept to life this summer with support from MillerKnoll. In addition, PepsiCo teamed up with NBA star Russell Westbrook, who was inspired by the program and shares its mission to create opportunities for the community, to further amplify the effort and unveil the completed lounge on campus.

Key Points: 
  • PepsiCo is revealing the work from its inaugural program at Pensole Lewis, the first and only Historically Black College or University (HBCU) dedicated to design, which tasked students to create a new student lounge on campus.
  • Designers from the PepsiCo Design & Innovation team and MillerKnoll mentored Pensole Lewis students through the design process, a precursor to how PepsiCo will invest in bringing the winning concept to life this summer with support from MillerKnoll.
  • Pensole Lewis students Rodney Banks and Angel Buckens were selected for their winning design for the Pepsi Stronger Together Relax and Refresh Lounge.
  • "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.