Building People, Places, and Possibilities

How Amazon A&E Helped Selena Rodgers Dickerson Scale Her Vision

By ICIC | December 12, 2025

The Amazon Accelerate and Empower Program (Amazon A&E) is a national initiative that helps strengthen procurement readiness, build capacity, and expand opportunities for small and diverse-owned suppliers. For the Amazon A&E program, ICIC partners with Amazon and Actaris Impact Investors to combine world-class executive education, coaching, capital access training, exposure to Amazon operations, and direct engagement with procurement leaders. Built on ICCC’s core curriculum and a 20-year legacy of impact, as well as support from Regions Bank, the program empowers businesses to scale and grow. 

This year, 44 small businesses from across the Delta Region—representing 14 industries and five states—completed the intensive 10-week program. Among the cohort was civil engineer, entrepreneur, and ecosystem builder Selena Rodgers Dickerson, President of SARCOR LLC, a multi-modal transportation and transit design firm in Alabama. For Selena, Amazon A&E was more than an education program. It became a catalyst that clarified her role as a CEO, deepened her commitment to community, and highlighted the power of bringing the next generation along for the journey.

Selena describes her work:

“I focus on building people, places, and possibilities.”

A Daughter on Stage and a Room Full of New Possibilities

Anyone who was at the Amazon A&E capstone pitch event at Miles College will remember Selena’s eleven year old daughter, Allison, joining her on stage. The moment did not just move the audience, it shifted the atmosphere in the room. Throughout the day, attendees remarked on what her presence signalled for the future of entrepreneurship and how it opened a conversation about inviting students and families into professional spaces. 

Allison has been involved in Selena’s business from a very young age, attending meetings at just three months old. This began early in Selena’s career as an entrepreneur, who recalls appearing before her first major client while heavily pregnant. Having absorbed business wisdom through constant exposure, Allison now frequently motivates her mother by reflecting on that advice. Selena now sees Allison as a thought leader in her own right.

When Selena was invited to bring Allison on stage, she knew it was an important moment.

“I didn’t plan to bring her up at first. But when they asked, I thought if I have the opportunity to let her talk about her business, we are going to do that. She’s been in entrepreneurship classes, she’s written her own pitch, and she was ready. She did not shy away from the opportunity.”

For Selena, that moment spoke to the heart of why programs like Amazon A&E matter.

“Every young person needs to see that ownership is possible. Ownership is powerful. I want my daughter to know that success, responsibility, purpose, and ambition can be a normal way to live, not just an idea.”

How Family Lessons Shaped the Start of Her Own Journey

Selena attributes a lot of her drive and focus to her parents who exposed her to college campuses, affluent neighborhoods and luxurious playgrounds. 

“They couldn’t afford college, but they made it a point to say, we want you to go. So you’re going to need scholarships, you’re going to need to be the best fit.”

Selena succeeded. She achieved a scholarship and finished with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Tennessee State University. Long before that, Selena was already testing her entrepreneurial muscles. When she was just a child, she had begun her first foray into business by selling freeze cups. 

“I collected cans at football games instead of cheerleading. My dad would take me to the recycling center, and I used that money to buy the supplies to make the freeze cups. That was my first venture”

Those experiences shaped a core belief that still drives her companies today: business is a tool to leave communities stronger than you found them, not just a way to collect a paycheck.

“I want to leave a stronger community. I want to be an advocate for people who do not even know they need to ask for things like drainage and stormwater. I feel like it is a responsibility not to just go into projects thinking about the check, but thinking about the end user.”

From 10,000 Small Businesses to Amazon A&E

Before joining Amazon A&E, Selena completed the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program in 2019, program ICIC supports focused on helping entrepreneurs grow revenues and create jobs. This encounter entirely shifted her perspective on how to approach commerce. 10,000 Small Businesses gave her a clear view of how a company should function: roles, systems, and financial clarity.

“I knew how to work strategically as an engineer. I didn’t yet know how to work strategically as a business owner. 10,000 Small Businesses taught me that. It taught me how a company should function and the importance of being intentional about growth.”

By the time she entered Amazon A&E, she was ready to build on that foundation with a program tailored to diverse-owned suppliers who were ready for growth with large buyers.

“When I walked into A&E, I was ready to build on that foundation. Programs like this are essential for owners because they force you to stop and really work on the business, not just keep making the widget.”

Why Amazon A&E and Why Now

Selena felt ready to transition her company and the Amazon A&E Program, built on ICCC’s mini MBA model, felt like the right next step. Selena explains that her firm had been very aligned with state and municipal government work and hadn’t yet partnered with large entities. Amazon A&E gave her the tools to strengthen her executive team and provided a framework to scale.

One unique aspect of Selena’s Amazon A&E experience was how she involved her team.

“The cohort gave me the opportunity to engage my COO and a long tenured team member. They listened in on sessions. That meant it was not just me as the CEO learning about strategy and structure. I did not have to teach it second hand. The whole leadership group could hear where we needed to go directly from the experts.”

A Shift From Daily Tasks to Strategic Leadership

The shared learning experience paid off. One of the most significant shifts Selena experienced during the Amazon A&E Program came in the final weeks, as she prepared for the pitch competition. In the last two weeks of the program, she pulled away from the day to day operations and began to lean on her newly appointed COO. That experience showed her something powerful.

“It gave me real insight that I can actually work on my business. Nothing failed. The business kept going. I realized that staying in day to day operations was draining me and limiting our growth.”

She already knew she had hired a strong COO. Amazon A&E accelerated the trust and release process, which gave her clarity on what she needed to do as a CEO. 

Learning From a Diverse Cohort and Looking Beyond One Sector

Another powerful aspect of Amazon A&E was the diversity of the cohort. 

“I met people who helped me see pathways to work in Tennessee, even outside of the Amazon footprint. I reconnected with leaders like Sharon Reynolds, someone I have admired for years. It let me see that what I am doing is not in vain.”

Hearing from entrepreneurs across industries showed how growth challenges often overlap. Selena recognized that a lot of the participants had similar growing pains. She was able to see her business with a wider lens and identify patterns and systems which helped with growth.  

Looking ahead, Selena is clear about her next move.

“My word for next year is execution. We have hired for leadership and impact. Now it is about executing on what I have learned.”

Selena intends to revisit the program’s learning videos and set up regular Zoom coffee conversations with members of the cohort to keep the dialogue active and sustain the community that formed during the Amazon A&E program. The virtual format made this possible and became one of the elements she appreciated most.

“I hope they leave the class videos up for a while. I want to recycle that information, make a top ten list of things I need to do in the next three to five months, and then go back and pick up what I was not ready to implement the first time.”

For Selena, Amazon A&E was not only an education program but a turning point in how she leads, collaborates, and imagines scaling. It sharpened her systems, expanded her network, and confirmed that her work is part of something larger than any single project: a commitment to building stronger communities through stronger businesses.

“I know I have the dream. Now I know how to get there. A&E opened my horizon.”

About the Amazon A&E Program

ICIC, through its ICCC program, proudly partnered with Amazon and Arctaris Impact Investors to launch Amazon Accelerate and Empower (Amazon A&E). This innovative program is designed to accelerate the growth and development of disadvantaged-owned and small businesses (DOSBs) in under-resourced communities.

Built on ICCC’s 20-year legacy of impact and a curriculum proven to support small business growth, the program integrates supplier-focused content from Amazon to deliver tailored education, procurement readiness coaching, capital resources, and direct access to Amazon’s Global Procurement team.

To learn more and apply, visit icic.org/iccc.

About the ICCC Program

ICCC is a 40-hour “mini-MBA” designed for established small business owners who want to lead, grow, and innovate in today’s fast-moving world. The ICCC program brings together executive education, networking, one-on-one coaching, and access to capital—empowering small businesses in under-resourced communities to break barriers, build stronger companies, and drive community impact. This expert-designed curriculum is offered at no cost to qualifying businesses, thanks to ICIC’s funding partners.

Learn more here.

About Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses provides business education, support services, and pathways to capital for growth-oriented entrepreneurs. Participants gain practical skills to take their business to the next level, with topics like financial statements, negotiations, and marketing. The program is offered tuition-free and delivered in partnership with academic institutions across the country.

Learn more about Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses at icic.org/10ksb