The Hershey Company ranked No. 3 on the Fair360 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list.
Last year, Hershey sponsored the first all-Black team, Full Circle Everest, to climb Mount Everest. Seven members of the team successfully reached the highest point in the world, bringing the total number of Black climbers who have summited Mount Everest to 15 — out of 11,000 total successful climbers.
According to the Outdoor Industry Association, only 9% of outdoor recreationists identify as Black. The number is even smaller for Black climbers.
The goal of the expedition, organized by Full Circle Expeditions founder Phil Henderson, was to show that the outdoors is for everyone. Full Circle Expeditions is a nonprofit organization that encourages everyone to see themselves in nature.
The Full Circle Everest team spent a year and a half planning, training and raising the funds needed to go on the expedition. Hershey became a sponsor, helping make the expedition a reality.
Read more about the experience from Eddie Taylor, a high school chemistry teacher and one of the Full Circle Everest team members.
