New AWS short film series celebrates the

local community in eastern Oregon

Fourth grade friends and small business owners, rodeo athletes, singer-songwriters, robotics whiz kids, star bakers and inspirational teachers. They are all part of this tightknit community in eastern Oregon, and they are all connected to Amazon Web Services (AWS).

“Data Centered: Eastern Oregon,” is a five-part short-documentary series looking at the real-life impact of the more than $15 billion investment AWS has made in the local community, and how the company supports jobs, generates economic growth, provides skills training and education, and unlocks opportunities for local businesses and suppliers. The series launched today with the drop of the first video, showcasing the story of small business owner Alma Nuñez Lezama of Xocolatl Bakery.

The idea for the series was inspired by the local relationships and connections AWS has cultivated since it began constructing and operating data centers in eastern Oregon in 2011. During that time, AWS has worked in close collabora- tion with local schools, community-based organizations, and many local businesses.

“AWS is proud to call eastern Oregon home, and as our presence has grown in the region, we’ve continued to deepen our commitment to the community,” said Cornelia Robinson, Head of Inclusion and Outreach, AWS. “We see this series as a way to honor this community and elevate the stories we’ve heard over the years of how lives and livelihoods have been made better by the cloud.”

AWS began working on the series more than six months ago, filming on location to tell the stories of its five inspiring subjects. In addition to Lezama, who we see preparing custom designed cookies for her biggest AWS commission yet, the series also follows fencing contractors Shawn Eng and Ted Brittner as they strengthen the foundation for a business they hope to pass to the next generation; AWS data center employees Dallin Puzey, Fidel Contreras, and Tasha Engum who are excelling in their careers without having previous tech experience; Blue Mountain Community College teacher Pete Hernberg and his latest class of data center technicians in training; and the award-winning robotics team of Umatilla High School as they gear up for another year of competition. Together with their family and friends, they share their stories, their passion for their hometowns, and their hopes and dreams for the future.

The first episode of the series is now available, and subsequent episodes in the series will release every other Wednesday until the end of July. The videos can be watched on the AWS YouTube Channel and on the About Amazon blog.

Later this year, AWS will host a community celebration to close out the series and honor its subjects. More information on the community celebration will be shared at a later date. Watch the trailer for a deeper look at the series and watch the first episode now: https:// www .youtube.com/ watch?v=hc7ErWr_gvs.