Dream Wired
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Celebrity
  • DramaAlert
  • Gossip
  • Movie
  • TV
  • Music
  • Comics
  • Shop
  • Home
  • Celebrity
  • DramaAlert
  • Gossip
  • Movie
  • TV
  • Music
  • Comics
  • Shop
No Result
View All Result
Dream Wired
No Result
View All Result
Home Gossip

KJ Smith Talks PepsiCo’s ‘Taste of Tomorrow’ Initiative [Exclusive]

rmtsa by rmtsa
November 28, 2024
in Gossip
0
KJ Smith Talks PepsiCo’s ‘Taste of Tomorrow’ Initiative [Exclusive]
74
SHARES
1.2k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


You might also like

What Caused the Flooding in Texas? How the Floods Happened – Hollywood Life

Jason Momoa’s Unexpected Move At Ozzy Osbourne Show Goes Viral

Drake’s New Single ‘What Did I Miss?’ Airs Out Betrayal Amid Beef

KJ Smith Talks PepsiCo’s ‘Taste of Tomorrow’ Initiative [Exclusive]

Source: Quintin McRea

KJ Smith and her fellow FAMUans painted Orlando orange and green for a football rivalry, and the actress shone a spotlight on an HBCU-celebrating initiative.

Before the Florida A&M Rattlers defeated the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats during the Florida Blue Classic, Smith continued her work as social media ambassador for Pepsico’s Taste of Tomorrow initiative.

KJ Smith x Pepsico

Source: Quintin McRea

Designed to increase Black representation in STEM careers, Taste of Tomorrow tackles the fact that Black professionals currently make up only 9% of the STEM workforce. PepsiCo and the PepsiCo Foundation are addressing this disparity through a $350,000 investment in scholarships and resources for HBCU students pursuing STEM at nine HBCUs, including FAMU, Bethune-Cookman, Hampton, and Howard, with a particular focus on food science and technology.

For Smith, who was joined by her husband Skyh Black at the Classic, her involvement in Taste of Tomorrow resonates deeply.

KJ Smith x Pepsico

Source: Quintin McRea

 

The Tallahassee native pursued her graduate degree at FAMU after growing up in a Rattler-celebrating household, so it’s special to see Pepsico take a particular interest in her alma mater.

“My interntion in going to FAMU was to pursue and even higher education, and in doing that, they were all about Black excellence,” said Smith. “FAMU provided an incubator for me to prepare for the world. It changed my life forever. I wouldn’t be an actress had it not been for FAMU.”

She also scoffed at the idea that HBCUs don’t prepare graduates for success, something Taste of Tomorrow aims to debunk.

“The woman in the highest position in the United States went to an HBCU,” said Smith. “And being at the Florida Classic, you see all of the excellence ascend in one place and that’s what Pepsi is really here for as well, they’ve always been a part of that journey, they’ve always been proactive in recruiting, getting everyone involved. And right now with Taste of Tomorrow, they’re doing even more, they are getting more specific.”

KJ Smith x Pepsico

Source: Quintin McRea

She continued,

“It’s like, ‘Not only do we want the black community to excel and suceed’, we are going to get to the specific area in which we don’t see the black community; STEM; science, technology, engineering and math, and we’re going to encourage them to go into those areas because we need more Black people in those areas. We want to change the world and what changes the world is science, technology, engineering and math.”

 

KJ Smith Talks The Future Of HBCUs With Pepsico’s Taste of Tomorrow

Elsewhere in the interview, Smith reflected on the broader vision of Taste of Tomorrow and the transformative potential for HBCU students in the future.

KJ Smith

Source: Quintin McRea / Quintin McRea

“Tomorrow looks very hopeful,” she told BOSSIP. “We’re seeing more of us entering positions of influence—disruptors, inventors, creators. That’s what’s exciting about this initiative. Pepsi is empowering students to focus on their education and mental space, freeing them to innovate and dream big.”

With Taste of Tomorrow, PepsiCo is ensuring that HBCU students not only see the possibilities but have the resources to seize them.

As Smith put it,

“Pepsi is helping us shape a future where we’re not just present in the room but leading the conversation.”

 

KJ Smith x Pepsico

Source: Quintin McRea

Part of that conversation has been on social media, where Smith spreads the word about Taste of Tomorrow, something she’s privileged to undertake.

“I feel personally honored to be part of this because I have accomplished a goal of, what I’m saying to people matters, my influence matters,” said Smith. “It lets me know that Pepsi has a pulse on the culture; I’m on a very influential show, and it lets me know that they’re not just picking anybody; they could’ve picked anybody, anybody with millions and millions of followers; they picked someone they know cares.”

 

 

Ultimately, at the root of Taste of Tomorrow is Black excellence, and the stunning star told BOSSIP she’ll never lose sight of its importance.

“Black excellence is being authentically you and what that version of Blackness looks like,” said Smith. “Oftentimes we’re like, Black excellence is wearing a suit and being behind a pulpit, or a pedestal or the White House, but Black excellence is showing up as you, your authentic self—whether that means having tattoos, being colorful, having a bald head. It’s whatever you want it to look like, whatever feels authentic to you.”

She continued,

“We can’t put it in a box or put pressure on ourselves to think, ‘I don’t look like that, so I must not be excellent.’ Black excellence is about being authentically you.”

KJ Smith

Source: Quintin McRea



Source link

Tags: exclusiveInitiativePepsiCosSmithTalkstasteTOMORROW
Share30Tweet19
rmtsa

rmtsa

Recommended For You

What Caused the Flooding in Texas? How the Floods Happened – Hollywood Life

by rmtsa
July 6, 2025
0
What Caused the Flooding in Texas? How the Floods Happened – Hollywood Life

Image Credit: Getty Images Flash floods swept through Central Texas in early July 2025, unleashing a catastrophic disaster that has already claimed at least 70 lives and left...

Read more

Jason Momoa’s Unexpected Move At Ozzy Osbourne Show Goes Viral

by rmtsa
July 6, 2025
0
Jason Momoa’s Unexpected Move At Ozzy Osbourne Show Goes Viral

Ozzy Osbourne’s long-awaited "Back To The Beginning" concert was already destined to be one for the books, a historic final performance by Black Sabbath with their legendary frontman,...

Read more

Drake’s New Single ‘What Did I Miss?’ Airs Out Betrayal Amid Beef

by rmtsa
July 6, 2025
0
Drake’s New Single ‘What Did I Miss?’ Airs Out Betrayal Amid Beef

Heartbreak Drake is still stuck on the friendship breakups after his squad seemingly switched up to pop out with Kendrick Lamar during their beef. Since both heavy hitters...

Read more

5 Things to Know About Rebel Wilson’s Wife – Hollywood Life

by rmtsa
July 6, 2025
0
5 Things to Know About Rebel Wilson’s Wife – Hollywood Life

View gallery Image Credit: WireImage Rebel Wilson and her wife, Ramona Agruma are more in love than ever. Now that they’re married, Rebel and Ramona have been spotted...

Read more

Brad Pitt Makes Bold Legal Move Against Angelina Jolie Over French Winery

by rmtsa
July 6, 2025
0
Brad Pitt Makes Bold Legal Move Against Angelina Jolie Over French Winery

Despite the former couple recently finalizing their divorce, they remain embroiled in a heated legal battle over the winery, in which Jolie sold her stake back in 2021,...

Read more
Next Post
Vanderpump Rules Cast Was Kept “In the Dark” About Reboot

Vanderpump Rules Cast Was Kept "In the Dark" About Reboot

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Browse by Category

  • Celebrity
  • Comics
  • DramaAlert
  • Gossip
  • Movie
  • Music
  • TV
  • Uncategorized

CATEGORIES

  • Celebrity
  • Comics
  • DramaAlert
  • Gossip
  • Movie
  • Music
  • TV
  • Uncategorized
No Result
View All Result

Recent News

  • ‘Pierced the Heart of My Family Forever’ • Hollywood Unlocked
  • RHOM Star Alexia Nepola’s Ex Todd Buys $4.2 Million Miami Penthouse Just Months After Filing for Divorce
  • Awesome Trailer For CHAINSAW MAN

Copyright © 2023 DramaWired.
DramaWired is a content aggregator and not responsible for the content of external sites.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Celebrity
  • DramaAlert
  • Gossip
  • Movie
  • TV
  • Music
  • Comics
  • Shop

Copyright © 2023 DramaWired.
DramaWired is a content aggregator and not responsible for the content of external sites.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In