AWS Impact Bootcamps: celebrating progress and looking ahead

Fresh ideas can come from anywhere, and innovation is never dependent on gender, ethnicity, background, or age. In fact, teams that are diverse consistently outperform those that aren’t, seeing greater financial success, retention, and team morale. Diverse companies bring a wider range of experiences to the table, contributing to better decision-making, creativity, and customer understanding.

Yet, when it comes to building and scaling businesses, 70 percent of Venture Capital (VC) funding goes to companies with white male founders. Of the global venture capital deployed in 2024, just 2.3 percent in the US went to female-only founding teams, and investment in LGBTQ+, Latinx, and Black founders often falls disappointingly low. Black founders have gone from receiving 1.3 percent of VC funding in 2021 to just 0.4 percent in 2024, and similar declines are being felt across underrepresented communities of all kinds.

How we champion underrepresented founders

At AWS, we know that while talent and entrepreneurial spirit is equally distributed, funding is not. With this in mind, we wanted to reach more founders in more places, offering the mentorship and guidance they need to pitch, finance, and scale their businesses.

Enter the AWS Impact Bootcamps: two-day intensive workshops designed to train underrepresented startups in pitching their business and connect founders with each other. In partnership with startup accelerator Techstars, we curated the AWS Impact Bootcamps to fast-track AI innovation and unite like-minded founders in Atlanta, New York, Mexico City, and London this year.

Successful applicants are eligible to receive up to US$5000 in AWS Activate credits to support their product development and scaling. Plus, the top-performing founders from the bootcamps will be invited to participate in the AWS Founder Retreat, an invitation-only weekend holding investor meetings and an opportunity to win up to US$50K in grant funding.

“We believe deeply in the power of networks and building connections, and the result that that brings,” said Techstars’ Sarah Lila. “As underrepresented founders face similar challenges, having them together in the same room and connecting them with mentors and peers is going to have an amazing result in their growth.”

Kicking off the bootcamps

September saw the first two AWS Impact Bootcamps take place in Atlanta and New York. Each bootcamp took place over two days, with the first day focusing on connection and business growth, and the second centering around fundraising.  

Each bootcamp kicked off with a speed networking session, allowing the founders in attendance to get to know each other and practice their rapid business pitch, boosting the energy in the room.

Douglas Wilson, Founder of SyncPop and attendee at the Atlanta bootcamp, said “I was able to identify individuals that are creating in some really interesting spaces who, just like me, are very niche and focused on what they’re developing.” By socializing and discussing each other’s business propositions, the founders were able to not just expand their network of peers but also identify opportunities for future collaboration and partnership.

Founder-focused education

Throughout the bootcamps, AWS and Techstars focused on actionable advice for founders. In New York, this included a session on cultivating a winner’s mindset from entrepreneur Laura Texidor, a talk on using AI for product optimization with AWS, and a workshop about customer discovery. “I’m really learning how to understand the sales funnel, get in front of customers, and convert their feedback into the product,” said New York bootcamp attendee and CEO of Aira Security, Mohan Kumar. “The core DNA of being a founder is resilience. Today I learnt more about building that resilience and being okay with hearing nos.”

Keera Godfrey, Founder of DecisionLoop, found the customer discovery sessions particularly valuable at the Atlanta bootcamp: “Through the sessions we’ve had, I’ve been able to understand my customer profile, understand the need, and fit that to the marketplace.”

The bootcamps also included practical advice on the fundraising process, like understanding Simple Agreements for Future Equity (SAFEs), Convertible Loan Notes (CLNs), capitalization tables, and term sheet negotiation. The New York bootcamp featured a panel on the founder journey, with insights from three successful business leaders.

Understanding biases

The AWS Impact Bootcamps not only acknowledge inequality in fundraising, but equip founders with practical advice. At the New York bootcamp, Roberta Leão, Co-founder of Layer 1 Agriculture, explained, “Funding is a challenge for everyone, but maybe more so for female founders. And sometimes age is an issue too…I hope we can show that, while we manage and juggle many things, women and mothers can be just as dedicated and productive as founders. And we bring some really important perspective into the space.”

In Atlanta, Rafael Williams, Founder of Know[ledge], explained that the advice on biases was the most eye-opening of the program. “One of the biggest challenges that I’ve faced as a founder is the lack of representation in my current VC ecosystem. The bootcamp helped me understand the biases that might arise and how to re-pivot conversations from being preventative or defensive to promoting my organization and its impact.

Pitching practice

The second day of each AWS Impact Bootcamp was focused on securing funding by perfecting the founders’ pitches. Attendees were given guidance on building the best pitch deck, including common mistakes and strategies when building the pitch story. The founders then practiced their pitches in small groups, with a handful presenting to a board of judges for live feedback.

Sarah Dooley, founder of AI-Empowered Mom, said, “The pitch coaching that we received gave me the confidence to reach out to one of our early adopters and bring her story into my pitch. I think it really brought it to life, and I don’t think I would have done that without the coaching we had yesterday.”

She added, “This experience has given me so much confidence. It’s given me a framework to answer investor questions and it’s given me a boost knowing that I belong in this room and I earned this spot.”

Creating connections

For the AWS Impact Bootcamp attendees, meeting and socializing with other underrepresented founders was one of the most valuable parts of the experience. Ryan Brown, Founder of Squadies, explained, “It’s been incredible to meet people from all over the world and make connections. It’s also been refreshing to be in a room where there’s no competition, just genuine access, support, and relationships.”

Laura Texidor, Co-founder of Investrio, agreed, “The networking was huge for the business itself, but for me as a founder, just being surrounded by other entrepreneurs was by far the best part of the program.”

What’s next for AWS Impact Bootcamp?

The AWS Impact Bootcamps are an extension of our US$30 million commitment to Black, Latino, LGBTQIA+, and female founders that launched in 2022. The program, called the AWS Impact Accelerator, provides pre-seed startups with eight weeks of personalized training, growth tools, and expert advice.

With initiatives like the AWS Impact Bootcamps, we want to continue reaching more founders in more places, with the goal of building a more inclusive entrepreneurial community.

Ready to prove what’s possible?

If you’re inspired to start building with AI, AWS Startups can connect you with comprehensive resources for every stage of your journey. Bring your vision to life with tailored support and trusted, cost-efficient industry-leading tools.

The AWS Activate program offers access to credits, expertise, and a rich library of technical and business educational content to make it easier to build on AWS. You can also dive deeper into technical insights and learn from fellow builders in the Generative AI Community space. With free training and on-demand content, you can take advantage of the latest AWS generative AI tools on your terms.