Amazon’s second annual virtual career enrichment experience to uplift Black, Latinx, and Native American professionals of all backgrounds and levels of experience is happening August 24th & 25th!
At Native Business Magazine, our #1 focus is the empowerment and uplift of OUR Indigenous communities. We are constantly looking for ways to bring positive assets and opportunities to all of you. So, when Amazon announced they were bringing back the upcoming “Represent the Future Summit”, we knew we wanted to again partner in getting the word out and connecting our audience to this great opportunity. We spoke to Erin Dowell, who is Amazon’s Global Leader, Diversity Conferences, about the Summit, how it did last year and their continuing commitment to the Native American community.
Hello Erin. We’re excited to talk to you today. Can you start by telling us a little about yourself and your role at Amazon?
Thank you for having me. I’ve been the leader of Global Events in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion organization at Amazon after (virtually) attending Represent the Future in 2020. I oversee the strategic vision and execution of our external events, and I’m responsible for ensuring these experiences are authentic and inclusive for diverse customers, which ultimately strengthens Amazon’s brand trust and standing as an employer of choice in diverse communities worldwide.
Amazing. Tell me, was last year’s Summit a success?
My personal story is a great 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.
WOW! What an empowering. story. What I love is that you are doing more than just talking the talk, you are really is walking the walk. Can you talk a little about the Summit? What it is and why it is important?
We are very excited about the return of this event. Amazon is hosting its second Represent the Future summit on August 24-25, 2021. Represent the Future is a free, virtual career enrichment experience, designed to uplift Black, Latino, and Native American/Indigenous professionals. The Summit will offer two days of speakers and sessions highlighting 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. It’s going to amazing.
Erin, many times we speak to corporations who have solid D&I goals for Hispanic and Black communities, but frankly, they miss the mark when it comes to connecting with Native Americans. How is Amazon different?
As a tech company, we are fully aware of the long history in STEM that Native American communities have. From Code Talkers during the wars to under-represented TECH specialists today, we have created a welcome place in our company. There is also regional overlap with many tribal communities and our Tech Hubs in the west and southwest.
Erin, this has been great. How can our audience participate?
Thank YOU! Visit https://www.amazonrepresents.com to register. You DO NOT want to miss this incredible experience.
Native Business Magazine
Carmen Davis - Founder, Publisher and Executive Editor
Mrs. Davis is the founder, publisher and executive editor of the only Native American wholly owned and operated national tribal business publication, Native Business Magazine, and the producer of the annual and nationally attended Native Business Summit.
Mrs. Davis is also president of Davis Strategy Group has over 23 years of service to Indian Country and as an entrepreneur she has successfully established, operated, managed and grown several businesses in multiple sectors. She is equal parts a strategic visionary and behind-the-scenes implementor, essential in guiding and overseeing every process of brand development, business expansion, nation-to-nation relationship building and more.
She was named in 2009 as one of the first recipients of the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development’s, “40 Under 40” award which recognizes up and coming community and business leaders from across Indian Country.
