LaDavia Drane: How we’re building inclusion at AWS

As the Director and Global Head of Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity (ID&E) at Amazon Web Services (AWS), I have the opportunity to influence change on a global scale to improve outcomes for underrepresented people. I chose to lead ID&E at AWS because of our ability to innovate and solve complex problems, such as building more equitable and inclusive technologies, workplaces, and futures for all people.

To build a workplace where everyone’s voice is heard and celebrated—which also helps us think bigger as we build products and services for diverse customers around the world—we have to remove systemic barriers to ensure all people have the opportunity to succeed. While I can’t say we’re totally there yet, I can confirm we’re committed to this journey and we’re seeing positive results.

As I think about a more inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible world for all people, here are a few of the ID&E focus areas I’m most proud of at AWS.  

We recognize that inclusion is dynamic and requires us to live and breathe it every day. Across AWS, more than 30,000 employees have signed our Inclusion Pledge, a global culture change initiative designed to increase inclusion sentiment and create a shared language around inclusion. The Pledge is motivating our people to visibly participate in building inclusion across AWS, and we’re measuring the commitments and actions taken.

I’m especially proud of our network of more than 13,000 passionate employee volunteers—ranging from early-career talent to senior executives—known as AWS Inclusion Ambassadors. These ambassadors are championing our ID&E efforts worldwide. They’ve become internal influencers, allies, and advocates, driving global culture changes such as the Inclusion Pledge, promoting ID&E programs and events, and interrupting noninclusive behaviors when they see them.

At AWS, everyone plays a crucial role in creating a culture aligned with our values. Alongside our Inclusion Ambassadors, we’re also providing resources that empower all employees to foster integrity in the workplace. There are three programs I’m especially proud of that we’ve developed: Inclusion in the Cloud, a series of virtual workshops that supports all employees on their own self-reflective ID&E journeys; Inclusive Leadership for People Managers, a learning series that provides managers with the tools to lead inclusively; and 360 Inclusion Leader Compass, a feedback tool that measures inclusive leadership and provides actionable feedback and one-on-one coaching to help executives lead inclusively.

As our work continues to pave the way for a more diverse and equitable workforce, we recognize that the foundation we’re laying needs to include the communities where AWS, our employees, and our customers live and work. Globally, we’re working with more than 100 community partners to deliver impactful and sustainable community efforts where ID&E and community intersect.

Through the AWS Innovation Fund, which awards grants to employees seeking to make a positive impact on society, we’re supporting causes that reach 25,000 people from underrepresented groups around the world. This includes support for racial and ethnic groups, people with disabilities, the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, women, and any associated intersections. The fund more than doubled to $750,000 in 2022, and it’s been one of the most rewarding moments of my career to see how this AWS partnership with social impact organizations is fighting barriers to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and addressing the systemic root causes of gaps in humanitarian equality.

I’m also energized by how we’re prioritizing ID&E in our innovations, especially in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to ensure our services are used to develop fair and responsible solutions for our customers. We’re removing barriers for diverse businesses through the AWS Impact Accelerator, funding AI and ML scholarships, increasing learning and mentorship opportunities for underrepresented communities, and even helping our customers improve equity across their own businesses.

Organizations that invest in diversity, equity, and inclusion programs are seeing positive business outcomes—such as a better competitive position, increased agility and innovation, and better brand perception— according to “A Mature Approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Delivers Real Results,“ a study commissioned by AWS and published by TechTarget's Enterprise Strategy Group. I encourage you to read this study to better understand why we believe ID&E isn't just the right thing to do, it's a business imperative.