Illinois

When the Affordable Care Act mandated that all hospitals go electronic with their records, the owner of the Chicago-based clipboard and binder company Carstens knew they had to find a way to breathe new life into the business and get sales coming in from another direction. They turned to Amazon as a sales channel.

“We really didn’t know what we were doing, but we just thought, ‘Okay, we’re going to give this a try,’” said CEO Barbara Vanderkloot. “And now we’re doing over $1 million worth of sales on Amazon.”

Amazon’s seller tools enhance Spikeball’s 16-person team’s ability to sell globally from the founder’s hometown.

Mohammad Salehi came to America with $295 to his name. Today his six-person Chicago-based company sells hand-harvested Afghan saffron nationwide, hires locally, and sends fair wages back to 354 farmers.

With Amazon powering international delivery, domestic logistics, and 30,000 subscribers, Tiege Hanley’s founders never had to leave the neighborhood to go global.

When wholesale suppliers became their competitors, David Dermer and his wife Linda watched their Northbrook, Illinois-based fashion jewelry business nearly collapse. Then Amazon invited them to sell in the store. After pivoting from jewelry to beanies to year-round headwear, Funky Junque hit $10 million in sales in 2025 with 47% year-over-year growth. Today the women-owned, family-run brand has 9,500 active listings, 20 employees inNorthbrook, and sells across five Amazon stores internationally. With Fulfillment by Amazon handling 90% of orders and AI tools tripling creative output, the Dermers are building a business they hope their granddaughters will one day run.

In 2003, Mojo Spa founder Amanda Kezios developed high-quality natural skincare products that were fun, but also conveyed a positive message. Since opening its doors two decades ago, her shop has become a gem of Chicago’s trendy Wicker Park neighborhood.

When the pandemic hit, Kezios turned to sales on Amazon to help cover rent, utilities and other expenses. Her company realized meaningful growth at a time when so many other small businesses were struggling to stay afloat.

“Amazon allowed us to grow as a company at probably one of the worst economic times we’ve ever had,” she said.