Howard Schultz’s Reimagined Path Forward and Other Big Takeaways
This Monday night, we welcomed Former Starbucks Chairman & CEO Howard Schultz to the Chicago Ideas stage in front of a sold-out crowd for From the Ground Up: In Conversation with Howard Schultz, presented by CBRE.
In a conversation with his good friend and colleague, Ariel Investments President and Starbucks Vice Chair Mellody Hobson, Schutlz opened up about his journey from the housing projects of Brooklyn to building one of the world’s largest and most iconic companies—and now, his reimagined path forward with a potential White House run in 2020.
Here, we’ve summed up the night with some key quotes and themes explored, from restoring the American Dream and building a business, to how childhood experiences shape us and the state of our nation.
ON CHILDHOOD:
“I never knew when I opened the door to [my] apartment what I was going to face…so I found myself for hours in that stairwell trying to center myself.”
ON STARBUCKS:
“I was very lucky to find something I was so passionate and Starbucks gave me a blank canvas to paint a beautiful picture. So much about Starbucks is about dreaming a different kind of company.”
ON THE FUTURE:
“I promise I would do nothing whatsoever to be a spoiler to reelect Donald Trump. Nobody wants to see this president leave office more than me. If I don’t see the evidence to me, I’ll back out.”
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