SIYC Newsletter | July 2026

Tools & Resources

Amazon Accelerate 2026: Registration is now open

Join us in Seattle from September 22-24 for Amazon Accelerate, the annual seller conference built to help you grow. Get personalized support through one-on-one meetings with Amazon subject matter experts, access exclusive content and expert-led trainings, and connect with 70+ Amazon-vetted selling programs and trusted service providers through Partner Connect.

Register by August 8^th and save $100 on registration.

Register here.

SIYC in Action

‍SIYC sellers bring their stories to Capitol Hill

In May, 20 SIYC sellers from across the country traveled to Washington, DC to meet directly with their members of Congress. From Alabama to Texas, sellers sat with their elected representatives to share how they've built and scaled their businesses in Amazon's store, the tools fueling that growth, and the positive impact they're making in their local communities.

​​Sellers showed up, shared their stories, and made real connections with the people making decisions that affect small businesses. No scripts, no formal asks, just honest conversations about what it takes to run a business today. Several sellers also gained the opportunity to build ongoing relationships with their representatives, giving them a direct line to the conversations that shape small business policy.​

‍‍DC Chamber of Commerce Small Business Summit

SIYC sellers Kemi of UpBounders and Angie of Soapbox brought their products and their stories to the DC Chamber of

Commerce's 2026 Small Business Summit, where over 700 attendees, including Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Council members, gathered to celebrate local entrepreneurs. Both sellers had product displays for attendees to browse, while they connected with customers and community leaders. Mayor Bowser and Council Member Doni Crawford stopped by to meet the sellers, and the Mayor later featured Kemi from UpBounders in her post-event social media recap.

"The DC Chamber Summit was a wonderful opportunity for Soapbox to connect with other DC based businesses and local leaders while sharing our mission with organizations equally passionate about strengthening our community and creating meaningful impact. Events like this help bring the DC business community closer together, and we appreciate Amazon for making them possible,” said Angie Grimaldo, Financial Advisor for Soapbox.

Events like these are one of the ways SIYC helps sellers build visibility beyond their Amazon storefront, putting your brand in front of the community leaders and decision-makers in your city.

IP Accelerator x Women in Toys Panel in Los Angeles

If you're building a brand, protecting it early can save you time, money, and headaches down the road. SIYC partnered with the LA chapter of Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment to host a brand protection education event in Culver City, California. Seller Lily Wilmoth of Hearth & Homestead shared how IP Accelerator helped her secure trademark protection before her government approval was finalized, saving a critical year of business and unlocking Brand Registry weeks instead of months after applying.  

“Being invited by Amazon to talk about IP, alongside women who are scaling remarkable brands, was both humbling and clarifying. We're not just making skincare, we're building something worth protecting and worth scaling, and these other brands are also building amazing things. It was delightful to be able to share the beginnings of H&H with that audience and talk about how Amazon's Brand Registry and IP Accelerator programs really set us up for success in the early days of our business, to be an encouragement to these women entrepreneurs, and hopefully answer some of their questions,” said Lily Wilmoth, owner of Hearth & Homestead.

Whether you're launching a new product line or thinking about protecting what you've already built, the IP Accelerator program can help you get there faster.

‍Learn more.

Amazon Updates

Seller stories from all 50 states are now live

SIYC seller stories now cover all 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, capturing the journeys of sellers building businesses in communities large and small, from rural family operations to urban startups. These stories are used to show policymakers, community leaders, and customers the real people behind the products in Amazon's store.

Want to see who's selling near you? Explore the full library on Selling Partners About Amazon.

Explore seller stories from your state.

Seller Spotlight

Spikeball: Chris Ruder

Chris Ruder had been working in corporate ad sales for nearly a dozen years when he decided to bet on an idea he'd been tinkering with since college. He'd rediscovered a net-based game from the 1980s, purchased the rights, and started building sets in his Chicago basement with $100,000 pooled from friends. That basement operation became Spikeball, now a globally recognized sports brand that has sold over a million nets and ships to 35 countries from its hometown of Kankakee, Illinois.

"When Amazon sales took off, volume outgrew what one person could manage," said Ruder. Rather than relocating to a bigger market, he moved operations back to Kankakee, where he grew up, hiring locally and building a 16-person team. Using Fulfillment by Amazon and Amazon Global Selling, Spikeball expanded from a single-product startup to an international brand without leaving the small city that shaped it.

Chris is deeply rooted in his community. Kankakee's mayor credits businesses like Spikeball as part of the city's revitalization, with 175 new businesses opening in the last 18 months and industrial vacancy under 1%. "We didn't need to be in a big city to build a big brand," said Ruder. "The tools exist to compete from anywhere."

Read the full story.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you know a seller who would be interested in SIYC? Share our website.

‍