For the fourth year in a row, Amazon is co-sponsoring National Small Business Week, with plans to participate in local events across the U.S. and online in a free virtual summit May 2–3.

While Amazon celebrates its small business partners every day, National Small Business Week gives us a special opportunity to honor them and demonstrate our steadfast commitment to their success.

More than 23 years ago, Amazon opened our store’s virtual shelves to independent businesses to sell directly to customers. Today, products from independent sellers, most of which are small and medium-sized businesses, account for nearly 60% of all items sold in our store. In the U.S., Amazon selling partners come from all 50 states, and their work adds up to a big local impact in communities. Selling in Amazon’s store has allowed our selling partners to employ an estimated 1.5 million people in the U.S.

This year, we’re proud to co-sponsor National Small Business Week again to recognize the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. As part of our sponsorship, Amazon will participate in a virtual summit (May 2–3), hosted by the U.S. Small Business Administration and SCORE, which will allow small business owners and entrepreneurs to access free educational webinars, business resources, and networking opportunities to help fuel their success. Throughout the week, we will also join events in cities across the country to celebrate local award-winning small businesses and share tools and resources to promote small business growth.

We are inspired by small businesses and want to see them succeed. That’s why we work year-round and invest in tools and services that empower small businesses to establish and build their brands, connect with more customers, and create jobs in their communities.

Amazon offers hundreds of thousands of hours of free educational content for small businesses at all stages of their entrepreneurial journey. For example, in February, we introduced the expanded Amazon Small Business Academy, a free interactive resource to help support entrepreneurs from concept to launch and beyond. We are also a proud member of the Small Business Digital Alliance, a co-sponsorship agreement between the U.S. Small Business Administration and Business Forward to help small businesses connect with digital tools and reach new customers. Earlier this year, we also joined the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration in a strategic partnership, GoGlobal with Commerce and Amazon, to help small businesses across the U.S. expand their businesses globally and increase sales.

At the National Small Business Week virtual summit, Amazon will host a webinar titled “Growing Your Business and Making an Impact with E-Commerce,” highlighting three successful entrepreneurs who have used ecommerce to launch and grow their businesses. The panel, moderated by Abby Malchow, manager of small business partnerships at Amazon, will offer helpful tips from Amazon selling partners Nona Lim, founder and CEO of Nona Lim; Dean-Paul Hart, president and CEO of Compac Industries; and Cristy Templeton, co-owner of Doug and Cristy Designs.

Tune in live on Wednesday, May 3, at 3:25 p.m. EDT. Register for the summit online.

Learn more about the three inspiring small business selling partners featured in Amazon’s National Small Business Week webinar below.

Nona Lim—Nona Lim
Lim is the founder and CEO of Nona Lim, a business based in Oakland, California, making Asian comfort food. A native of Singapore and former competitive fencer, Lim recognized that during training she craved convenient, nutritious food that could fuel her performance and remind her of home. Finding limited options, Lim launched her company in 2014, and it’s become a national brand, reaching customers through ecommerce and physical retail locations across the U.S. Lim’s Singaporean food heritage drives the brand’s obsession with authentic flavor, and she continues to invest in her community and source local products whenever possible.

See the full selection of Nona Lim product offerings in Amazon’s store.

Compac Industries—Dean-Paul Hart
Hart is the president and CEO of Compac Industries, a business that his father purchased more than 40 years ago. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Hart emigrated to Atlanta, Georgia, where he currently operates his business. Compac Industries creates innovative products that help make life easier for people of all ages. This now includes six brands—Brilliant, Baby Buddy, Better Grillin’, Brush My Teeth, Compac Home, and HartFelt. Compac Industries began selling in Amazon’s store in 2000, and today lists over 600 products from their various brands. As a family-operated and minority-owned small business, Compac Industries is proud to have most of its products made in the U.S.

Visit the Amazon store for products from Compac Industries.

Doug and Cristy Designs—Cristy Templeton
Templeton is the co-owner of Doug and Cristy Designs, a handmade furniture company founded in 2014 by Cristy and her husband, Doug. Over the years, the couple turned a hobby that started in their garage into a flourishing business—using recycled wood to craft original furniture pieces. Their products, including consoles and side tables, can be found in half a million homes across the country all through ecommerce sales. They now oversee a team of more than 20 employees and are in the building stages of their first storefront in the town of Sunnyvale, Texas.

Check out products from Doug and Cristy Designs in Amazon’s store.

Learn more about how Amazon is powering the growth of small businesses and brands.