Born and bred in Brooklyn, New York, Howard Schultz was born to working-class parents. Schultz spent his youth pursuing team sports and college came calling in the form of a sports scholarship, making him the first person in his family to pursue higher education. While overseeing American Operations for Swedish Coffee Manufacturer Hammarplast, Schultz’s attention was caught by their client Starbucks Coffee Company with their breadth of knowledge and experience of coffee. Inspired by the social culture of espresso and coffee in Italy, Schultz brought that Italian café approach to the company.
That same team-oriented spirit that caused him to excel in sports in his youth fuelled his desire to make Starbucks a place where people came together to drink coffee and be social. It is a mentality that ultimately led him back to sports when he became owner of the Seattle Supersonics NBA franchise.
In 2004, Schultz was granted the International Distinguished Entrepreneur Award from the University of Manitoba for his outstanding success and commendable conduct of Starbucks. Throughout his life he had embraced movement, from the physical to the socioeconomic. But more than anything, he created a movement that has revolutionized how people drink their morning cups of coffee.
“Starbucks represents something beyond a cup of coffee.”
“Howard Schultz’s success proves that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You can take something that is in existence, give it a unique spin, and be successful.” – Bernardo Moya
