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Key people at Schultz Family Foundation.
Schultz Family Foundation was founded in 1996 by Howard Schultz (Co-Founder).
The Schultz Family Foundation functions as a philanthropic organization dedicated to fostering economic opportunity, particularly for young adults transitioning into independence. It employs a strategic approach that involves multi-sector partnerships, prototyping innovative solutions, and leveraging data to understand challenges. The foundation focuses on developing proofs of concept, iterating on these models, and ultimately scaling effective programs to achieve systemic change across areas like workforce development, youth mental health, and veteran support.
The foundation was established in 1996 by Sheri Kersch Schultz and Howard Schultz. Their founding insight stemmed from a belief in America's promise and the need to address barriers preventing individuals and communities from realizing their full potential. Howard Schultz, known for his leadership at Starbucks, brought a business-oriented approach to philanthropic endeavors, aiming to apply rigorous strategies to social impact.
The foundation serves various populations, including young people, veterans, and individuals navigating complex economic landscapes, by investing in pathways to education, skill development, and employment. Its long-term vision is to enable broad access to the American Dream, working to create a future where every individual has the chance to learn, grow, and achieve economic mobility through sustainable and scalable interventions.
Key people at Schultz Family Foundation.
Schultz Family Foundation was founded in 1996 by Howard Schultz (Co-Founder).
The Schultz Family Foundation is a philanthropic organization, not a company or investment firm in the traditional sense, founded in 1996 by Sheri and Howard Schultz to create greater economic opportunity accessible to all, with a primary focus on enabling young people (ages 16-24) to achieve economic mobility through learning, growth, and earning opportunities.[1][2][5] It partners with nonprofits, businesses, governments, and entrepreneurs to develop cross-sector solutions addressing inequities, particularly for historically marginalized communities including Black and Indigenous peoples, while also supporting veterans and responsive giving in crises; key programs include the Young Adults initiative for education and career pathways, the Entrepreneurs Equity Fund offering equity investments and low-cost loans to diverse-owned businesses (with a $100 million commitment), and prototyping scalable solutions like the WA COVID Response Corps to combat youth unemployment and food insecurity.[1][2][4][5]
Sheri and Howard Schultz co-founded the Schultz Family Foundation in 1996, deeply rooted in their personal values that "talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not," with Howard Schultz known as the former longtime CEO of Starbucks (1986-2000 and 2008-2017) and co-owner of NBA and WNBA teams.[2][5] The foundation evolved from a broad commitment to "lifting the human spirit" regardless of background, narrowing focus over time to young adults facing systemic barriers, veterans' transitions, and entrepreneurial equity, exemplified by initiatives like the 2020 WA COVID Response Corps partnership with Serve Washington to support youth during economic downturns via data-driven impact tracking.[1][5][6] Pivotal moments include launching the $100 million Entrepreneurs Equity Fund for non-predatory investments in high-potential diverse businesses and responsive grants for refugee support post-Afghanistan crisis.[5][7]
While not a tech firm, the Schultz Family Foundation influences the tech-adjacent startup ecosystem through its Entrepreneurs Equity Fund, providing equity investments, loans, and grants for entrepreneurial training to diverse-owned businesses, fostering economic development and racial equity in emerging sectors.[5] It rides trends in workforce development and DEI amid post-pandemic youth unemployment and systemic inequities, partnering with tech-enabled tools like UpMetrics for impact tracking and research firms like Mathematica for studies on intersecting issues such as social capital and inclusive workplaces.[1][6] Market forces like labor shortages and demands for scalable social solutions favor its prototyping-to-scaling model, influencing the ecosystem by connecting innovators, employers, and funders to build "living wage" pathways and inclusive tech-driven career advancement for underrepresented talent.[2][4][6]
The foundation is poised to expand its scaling efforts, advocating for public-private investments in proven models like youth opportunity pathways and diverse entrepreneurship, potentially growing the Entrepreneurs Equity Fund beyond its initial $100 million amid rising focus on equitable economic mobility.[4][5] Trends in AI-driven workforce tools, remote learning, and DEI policy shifts will shape its journey, amplifying impact through data-informed partnerships that address barriers for young people and veterans entering tech-influenced job markets.[1][6] Its influence may evolve by inspiring more philanthropies to adopt multi-sector prototyping, tying back to its core mission of making opportunity accessible to all through purposeful, compassionate action.[2]
