Starbucks

Howard Schultz - From Brooklyn Projects to Starbucks CEO Visionary


Another larger-than-life business figure who overcame major adversity is Howard Schultz. As CEO for over 30 years, Schultz masterminded Starbucks’ global trajectory into the ubiquitous coffeehouse chain worth $100 billion today. But his backstory reads as an against-all-odds playbook.

Schultz grew up impoverished in the Bayview projects in Brooklyn, raised by a father who held odd blue-collar jobs and a mother who never worked outside the home. As a little kid, to escape the dire reality of his surroundings, he dreamed of playing for the Yankees one day. Though athletic, Schultz lacked the skills to excel at team sports. However through that youthful aspiration, the seed was planted that with relentless effort, anything was possible coming from nothing.

After attending college with sports scholarships and working odd jobs, Schultz discovered a small shop in Seattle called Starbucks that imported premium coffee bean varieties no one else offered. He became enamored with their dedication to sourcing exotic arabica beans despite modest traffic. Convinced it could transform the entire coffee culture, Schultz invested to join the fledgling company in 1982.

A few years later when Starbucks refused to adapt Schultz’s vision to expand the brand into espresso bars across the nation, he left to launch his own prototypical cafe in Seattle using $400,000 raised from private locals. Two years later with wild success proving demand, Schultz purchased Starbucks outright and applied his inspirations companywide as CEO and chairman.

The rest writes itself - taking the Starbucks experience global, cementing their competitive edge via training programs, navigating economic ups and downs. Schultz demonstrated how unrelenting belief layered on top of humble beginnings can scale empires. He recently weighed running for president and remains a revered figure across business for what vision plus tenacity can achieve.