Transforming Amazon's Workplace Culture: How to Drive Positive Change

Von Collins, Senior Program Manager (Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) at Amazon, gave her top tips on how to drive positive change in the workplace. Discussing the value of self-belief and building a network of like-minded, progressive people, she offers advice for those who are afraid to be themselves at work.

Many folks have different coming out stories. As for me, I kind of just blurted it out. I was talking to my mom when I decided to tell her that I identify as queer. I was in college at the time, and my parents thought it was just a phase. Of course, I knew it wasn’t. In fact, I’d kept this part of myself quiet for many years because I was raised in a religious environment and feared I wouldn’t be accepted as I am. Even though I didn’t feel supported right away, I didn’t let it stop me from pursuing a happy, authentic life.

Fast forward to now, I've been with my partner for nine years, we've got two kids, and my parents have become amazingly supportive. It’s a completely different dynamic, and they see that they have two daughters as opposed to one. I’m very happy to have that now, but I realize there are still many people who don’t have a support system, and that’s why LGBTQIA+ advocacy has become a big part of my life both personally and professionally.

I started my Amazon career unpacking boxes during the nightshift at a fulfillment center in Baltimore eight years ago. From there, I moved into a role in human resources where I took on a passion project to scale the company’s LGBTQIA+ affinity group, Glamazon, to fulfillment centers around the world. Leaders took notice of my work with Glamazon over the years, and eventually offered me my current role as a senior program manager in the LGBTQIA+ office under Amazon’s Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team, where I now focus on creating programs and initiatives for employees and communities around the world.

I like to say that my “gay job” has become my day job, because the volunteer work I’ve done with nonprofit organizations outside of the office—aka my gay job—has actually become the focus of my role at the company. I’ve learned a lot during my career journey, including many lessons on what it takes to drive positive change. Here are some of my best tips to use your passion to make a difference.

1 - Believe in yourself enough to get started.

I was working as a human resources assistant at the fulfillment center in Baltimore when I learned about Glamazon, which only had one chapter in Seattle at the time. I quickly saw the value it could have for employees in other cities too, so I approached the Seattle leaders to see how I could help expand the group to our Operations employees.

I had no idea what I was doing at first, but I started talking to leaders and getting buy in to bring Glamazon to employees at my fulfillment center, then other fulfillment centers reached out for help onboarding Glamazon in their areas too. The group now reaches more than 70,000 employees globally. You don’t always need a pre-determined process to take on a big project. You’ll never get started if you get caught up in doubt from the beginning.