In November 2018, Amazon chose Arlington, Virginia as the home of its second headquarters. What followed was a real test: could a company of Amazon’s scale show up as a genuine community partner—and deliver on that promise over time?

This session tells the story of how Amazon and the National Landing Business Improvement District built one of the most closely watched local partnerships in the country—and what it actually took to make it work.

From a $1 billion affordable housing commitment that increased Arlington’s supply of long-term multifamily affordable housing by 22%, to a public high school opening on the HQ2 campus, to a 2.5-acre public park activated weekly by community events, the outcomes are visible. But the real story is how they got there.

This partnership didn’t start with a preconceived idea. It started with listening—and evolved through iteration, trust-building, and sustained commitment.

You’ll hear what worked, what required course correction, and what it takes to move from corporate presence to true community anchor.

Then you’ll put it into practice. In a hands-on exercise, you’ll work through a partnership design framework you can apply to your own organization—whether you’re launching a new facility, entering a new market, or rethinking how you engage with the community.

What You’ll Walk Away With:

• A practical framework for building corporate–community partnerships grounded in listening and trust
• Real examples of how Amazon aligned its capabilities with community priorities in Arlington
• Tools to identify community needs and design partnerships built to last
• Insight on how to measure what matters to the community—not just what’s easiest to track