Without extensive networks or capital, authors, technologists, and entrepreneurs can achieve their dreams by using Amazon’s products and services.
The AWS We Power Tech program was launched in 2017 to improve diversity across the tech industry by providing technical training to both professionals and students while also amplifying the voices of leaders who have been underrepresented. The program partners with over 70 organizations throughout the world supporting underrepresented communities in tech by providing access to AWS credits and learning modules. We Power Tech hosts events and workshops to support entrepreneurs and founders who are women, people of color, LGBTQ, and/or people with disabilities from Bahrain to Milan. They also host thought leadership events like the Aspen Institute’s Latinos in Society workshop, and programming at AWS re:Invent and across the AWS global summits.
Half of the items purchased on Amazon come from small and medium-sized businesses, and these businesses have created more than 900,000 jobs. Through the Amazon Business credentialing program, minority-owned, women-owned, veteran-owned, and LGBTQ-owned small businesses can promote their products. Customers can shop at storefronts like one supporting women-owned businesses, Black-owned businesses, and the Amazon Saheli Store, which displays products from women supported by NGOs in India.
Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) has enabled over one million authors to publish their books globally, including publishing options in 40 languages. Amazon promotes content creation tools at events like the Congressional Black Caucus and AfroTech to encourage more people of color to access Amazon’s services for authors and content creators.
Amazon is also intentionally incorporating content representing a wide variety of communities on their platforms. For Pride 2018, there were more than 60 official-selection feature films from Outfest LGBTQ film festivals on Prime Video. Amazon Studios also pledged support for the Reframe initiative to advance inclusion and gender parity in the entertainment industry and in 2018, Amazon content was awarded the ReFrame TV stamp for gender parity. In 2020, Amazon’s Black Employee Network partnered with FireTV, IMDb, and Amazon Books to curate reading, listening and watch lists that highlight Black content creators, culture, stories, and achievement,
Beyond enabling sellers and supporting content creators and builders, Amazon’s focus on accessibility has made shopping and other daily experiences simpler for people with disabilities. From voice technology to frustration free packaging, Amazon’s customer obsession for accessibility was recognized with the 2019 American Foundation for the Blind Helen Keller Achievement Award. Read more on specific accessibility technologies.
