Detroit Pistons, Amazon team up for small businesses

(CBS DETROIT) – The Detroit Pistons and Amazon pre-selected 100 sellers, entrepreneurs, and founders for an afternoon seminar that features various sessions designed to strengthen partnerships and share best practices for selling, pitching, and ways to support small businesses through brand marketing. 

The Summit is part of the Detroit Piston’s Shop 313 initiative.  

“We’re going to be talking about Amazon, one-on-one, how to use the platform, how to sell, how to grow your small business on our platform. And we’re also going to be talking about how to have funding conversations, how to go out and sell your business to others. We also have an opportunity for them to get headshots and get a chance to network with each other,” said Ian Conyers, director of community engagement for Amazon.

“Small business for Detroit is such a key part of our economy. So when you think about the impact, and you think about the opportunity for the Pistons to have a piece of that, it’s special, right? Because we have a big voice, a big stage, and the ability to reach a lot of people,” said Sarra Barnes. “Let’s not just use that to entertain people. Let’s do that to tell a great story and to put people in the spotlight that deserve to be there, the hard-working entrepreneurs of our community.”

Developed to promote Detroit’s local entrepreneurs and those interested in entrepreneurship, SHOP313 was created in 2021 to provide participating businesses and entrepreneurs with educational programming and resources, grant opportunities, and networking events. 

SHOP313 won the NBA’s Partnership of the Year Award in its first year.   

“It’s definitely going to make it more easy because we’re getting the exposure. Also, they’re helping us grow more as entrepreneurs. I don’t know what the summit will be, but I expect it to be great,” said Teresa Baker, founder and owner of Brown Boy, Brown Girl, along with her husband, David. “It’s going to teach us about more marketing techniques, also to say that you’ve been selected by Detroit Pistons, to really have the opportunity to grow and expand your business definitely as buzzworthy.”