Amazon To Host Second Annual ‘Represent The Future’ Summit To Help BIPOC Entrepreneurs

Amazon will host its second annual Represent The Future (RTF) Summit to help minority entrepreneurs beginning today. The event begins at 9 a.m. Pacific/12 p.m. Eastern.

The virtual career fair will run through Wednesday and is a chance for Black, Latinx, and Native American professionals of all backgrounds and levels of experience to gather. Speakers and sessions will highlight Amazon’s global business ecosystem, customer-obsessed culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion and the role innovation, invention, and intrapreneurship play in building the future.

For Erin Dowell, the summit is a testament to her career success.

“My personal story is a testimony to the power of this program. This time last year, I was attending Represent the Future as a prospective candidate and today, I’m here talking to you as the leader of Global Events in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion organization at Amazon,” Dowell told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

Minority leaders at Amazon will share what it’s like to work at the tech giant and the summit will feature panelists and discussions on work trends and issues including bias in the media industry and how to include and celebrate historically excluded customers.

“During the virtual event, we will also have panels, two-way, dialogue-driven sessions with insights from Black and Latino entrepreneurs who have partnered with Amazon to power their businesses,” Dowell said. “Not only will there be sessions about working at Amazon, we’ll be diving deep into some of our newest and most exciting programs—like the Black Business Accelerator, the Futures of Fashion and Entertainment at Amazon.”

Speakers and panelists for the summit include Amazon officials Margy Elliot, Danny Marin, and Shelby Christie; stylist Misa Hylton, and Grammy-nominated artist Jazmine Sullivan will perform and talk to RTF participants about her journey to success, particularly as a Black woman in the music industry. The summit will also feature several music breaks that will feature 13-year-old DJ Livia and 9-year-old DJ Michelle spinning records.

The agenda for Amazon’s RTF Summit can be seen here. Interested parties can register here.