Early Life
Howard Schultz was born on July 19, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York. He is the son of Fred Schultz, a former U.S. Army trooper, and Elaine Schultz. At the age of three, his family moved to Canarsie, where they lived in the Bayview Housing projects. Schultz showed exceptional athletic talent, excelling particularly in basketball, which earned him a football scholarship to Northern Michigan University in 1970.

Education and Early Career
Schultz majored in communications at Northern Michigan University, graduating in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree. Soon after, he started working for Hammarplast, a company specializing in selling European coffee makers in the U.S. Schultz quickly climbed the corporate ladder and became the sales director. During his tenure, he noticed that a Seattle-based company, Starbucks Coffee Company, was a significant buyer of Hammarplast’s coffee makers, sparking his interest in the company.

Starbucks Journey
In 1981, Schultz visited the original Starbucks, a company that had been operating since 1971, selling coffee beans. By 1982, he joined Starbucks as the director of retail and marketing. During a trip to Milan in 1983, Schultz was inspired by the numerous coffee bars and envisioned Starbucks selling coffee drinks. He proposed this idea to the owners, who were initially reluctant, as their business focused solely on coffee beans. Nevertheless, they allowed Schultz to test his concept in a new Seattle branch, which proved to be a huge success, marking the beginning of Starbucks’ coffeehouse era.

Despite the success, Schultz faced resistance from the owners and decided to leave Starbucks in 1985 to start his own venture, Il Giornale. The company thrived, and in 1987, Schultz raised funds from investors to purchase Starbucks, becoming its CEO and chairman. Schultz was determined to expand Starbucks in the American market, confident that consumers would pay a premium for quality coffee.

Leadership and Achievements
Schultz led Starbucks with a vision that revolutionized the coffee industry. However, in 2000, he resigned as CEO, only to return to the role in 2008 to guide the company through challenging times. Under his leadership, Starbucks continued to grow and innovate, solidifying its position as a global coffeehouse giant.

Recognition and Personal Life
Schultz’s entrepreneurial success earned him significant recognition. In 2006, Forbes Magazine ranked him No. 359 among the 400 wealthiest Americans. By 2013, he had climbed to No. 311 on the same list and was also ranked No. 931 on Forbes’ list of global billionaires.

In his personal life, Schultz married Sheri Kersch in 1982. The couple has two children, Eliahu Jordan and Addison. Their son, Jordan, is a sports writer for The Huffington Post.

Howard Schultz’s journey from a Brooklyn boy to the visionary leader of Starbucks exemplifies determination, innovation, and the pursuit of a dream that transformed the coffee culture worldwide.