Washington

When Dan Olmstead started Poverty Bay Coffee from a kiosk in suburban Seattle, he aimed to make a difference—for his employees, the farmers who grow the beans, the environment, and his local community.

By using Fulfillment by Amazon to handle packing, shipping and customer returns, he grew his direct-to-consumer business and saw a quick boost in sales—proceeds he used to raise staff wages and support Seattle’s unhoused population.

While struggling to give her toddler a dose of antibiotics, Connie Wan had a lightbulb moment: What if medicine came in gummy form? A former chemist, lawyer, and investment banker, she was uniquely qualified to make it happen.
Wan founded Seattle Gummy in 2017.

While awaiting FDA approval for prescription drug-delivery gummies, she launched a line of drug-free supplements in the Amazon store—starting with a jitter-free caffeine gummy. With help from Amazon’s tools and customer insights, she built a multimillion-dollar brand sold nationwide.

While stationed overseas, Makieda Hart and her husband—a U.S. Army veteran—had a craving for a taste of home. To satisfy it, SGT Hart improvised the recipe for what would become their bestselling BBQ sauce. After returning to the U.S., Makieda began bottling and selling it in the Amazon store under the name SGT Hart’s BBQ.


Today, she’s not just the heart and soul of the brand—she’s its face, sharing recipes and tips with customers in real time on Amazon Live.

Inspired by the inventor of the Pet Rock, Spring Faussett has been on the lookout for a million-dollar idea since childhood. Following an a-ha moment at the Chicago Marathon, she created the first prototypes for Tiger Tail—a massage stick that would go on to become an Amazon bestseller.

As someone who’s always coming up with new product ideas, Faussett appreciates how Amazon’s data tools and customer reviews allow her to test and iterate new products quickly.

“I’m super excited by how fast I can bring something to market with Amazon’s product research tools,” she said.

When Sarah Parks launched ZenToes in the Amazon store in 2015, she was simply trying to help her aunt find a more dignified solution for foot pain. Today, her company’s innovative foot wellness products line the shelves of Target, Walmart, and major retailers nationwide—a transformation made possible by leveraging Amazon’s real-time data to identify and capitalize on emerging wellness trends.

“Most retail data only shows what’s already selling on shelves,” explains Parks, from her headquarters in Bellingham, Washington. “Amazon’s insights let us see what consumers are actively searching for—including products that don’t exist yet. That’s invaluable for innovation and expansion.”

Byron’s journey with Amazon had begun in 2000, when the company first invited independent sellers into its store. “It was like a startup back then; exciting and so much happening,” Byron recalled of those early days. Amazon’s seller interface was simple and basic, but Byron saw the potential. His early adoption of Amazon’s emerging tools and programs allowed him to witness firsthand how the company’s investments in logistics and technology helped level the playing field for small businesses.

“It felt like I was part of something massive,” Byron said. “We were building business history together.”

Gordie Murphy has been holding a fishing rod for nearly as long as he’s been walking—so he knows the value of quality gear. After launching Fishoholic, a sunglasses and apparel brand designed by a fisherman, for fishermen, Gordie turned to Amazon to reach customers as passionate about angling as he is. The result? His polarized sunglasses are now among the top-selling brands in the Amazon store.

If there’s one thing the people who work at Pickleball Central have in common, it’s a passion for pickleball and a desire to connect with the estimated 36.5 million pickleball players in the U.S. at every stage of their “pickleball journey.”

Today, the company has 62 employees and is the largest specialty retailer of pickleball products in the U.S. It carries more than 20,000 items in both its Amazon store and its DTC website to meet the dizzying demand of pickleball mania.

“Amazon allows us to reach new customers we can’t reach directly on our website. Amazon has a huge customer base in the U.S. and internationally. We want to be in front of those customers to teach them about our brand,” said Jimmy Blue, Senior Director of Channel Marketing at Pickleball Central.