Photos by Taylor Kelliher, Joshua Trujillo, Connor Surdi

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Laxman Narasimhan took the helm of Starbucks as the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2023/laxman-narasimhan-assumes-role-of-starbucks-chief-executive-officer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new chief executive officer</a> on Monday, but before that, he spent almost six months being mentored by Howard Schultz, meeting with hundreds of partners (employees) around the world, earning his barista certification, and diving into the world of coffee. As Starbucks welcomes Narasimhan to his new role as ceo at today’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders, we take a look back at the people he has met across the company and around the world.&nbsp;

“It’s been a remarkable experience for me – from our origins, where we buy coffee from over a half a million farmers, through our roasting plans, our distribution centers, and into our stores,” Narasimhan said. “This immersion has been an incredible journey and a gift.”&nbsp;

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Narasimhan was welcomed as incoming chief executive officer of Starbucks with a coffee tasting in the place where it all began – at <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2015/store-tour-inside-1912-pike-place-seattle-usa/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Seattle’s Pike Place market store</a>. Soon after, he met&nbsp; Starbucks partners <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2022/incoming-starbucks-ceo-meets-partners-at-open-forum-shares-personal-journey/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">at his first open forum</a> on Sept. 8, 2022, three weeks before he officially joined the company Oct. 1. When Schultz, then interim chief executive officer, introduced Narasimhan to partners, he said that “the leader of Starbucks, the future of the company, must be steeped in humility and must have an innate understanding of humanity.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Schultz said as he got to know Narasimhan, he said he was stuck by his experience and leadership qualities. “I know we're going to be in great hands and I can promise you he is going to make us a better company.”&nbsp;

Listening and learning&nbsp;

Narasimhan worked with Schultz to create a unique immersion to learn about the Starbucks culture and the business.&nbsp;

“This time with Howard in stores, in the roasting plants, with partners, with investors, with customers – it's an incredible opportunity for me to be learning from one of the best entrepreneurs in the world,” Narasimhan said.&nbsp;

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Narasimhan began immersion as incoming ceo by earning his barista certification with four weeks of in-store training and visits to more than 30 stores around the world – working the drive-thru window, learning the point-of-sale system and perfecting the topping of a Pumpkin Spice Latte.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I thought it was very important for me to put myself in the shoes of the partners and really understand what they do and how they do it,” Narasimhan said. “There were things I learned through experience in all of this. It taught me a lot.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Alli Mendoza, a barista in Houston, was one of the partners who trained Narasimhan on the espresso bar. “People ask me what it’s like to train the ceo, like ‘Really, how was it?’” Mendoza said. “He loved interacting with people, he loves laughing and making people laugh. He just wants to learn and be a ceo who’s there for us.”&nbsp;

Coffee &amp; connection&nbsp;

In his visits to Starbucks stores, Narasimhan sat down with store managers, district managers and regional directors for their input and guidance. He said, “One piece of advice I hope to really live by was actually a question I was asked by a terrific store manager: ‘Did you earn your green apron today?’ It really got me reflective and thinking about how I could end each day in the future with that question, and hope that most days, the answer would be ‘yes.’”&nbsp;

The world of coffee&nbsp;

Narasimhan experienced the journey of Starbucks coffee from the first 10 feet to the last, starting from the fields where coffee is grown (such as Hacienda Alsacia above), to roasting plants in the United States and Europe, and Starbucks stores in London, Amsterdam, Japan, and the United States. Along the way, Narasimhan sipped countless cups of coffee. His favorite? Coffee from Guatemala.&nbsp;

Embracing innovation&nbsp;

Whether it’s hand-delivering a new cold foam blender to baristas in Seattle or testing out the virtual reality training for the new Clover Vertica™ in Minneapolis, Narasimhan has taken a hands-on approach to <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2022/recipe-for-reinvention-starbucks-unveils-innovations-for-better-customer-barista-experiences/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new technologies to help create a better store experience</a> for partners and customers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Celebrating with partners is one of the best part parts of the ceo job at Starbucks. In November, he attended his first <a href="https://historias.starbucks.com/en-es/press/2022/starbucks-green-apron-partners-showcase-their-coffee-craft-and-skill-at-the-latin-america-and-caribbean-barista-championship/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Barista Championship</a> at Hacienda Alsacia recognizing Starbucks coffee craft and expertise. In December, Narasimhan traveled to Arizona State University to honor the 850 Starbucks partners in the Fall 2022 graduating class who earned bachelor’s degrees through Arizona State University with the <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/careers/working-at-starbucks/education/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks College Achievement Plan</a>. In February, he spent time with partners in the Milan Roastery for the debut of <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/starbucks-oleato-olive-oil-meets-coffee" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks Oleato</a> beverages.&nbsp;

“On a very personal level, I’m going to be very connected to our partners and to our customers in the experience that we deliver – human connection,” Narasimhan said. 

Annual Meeting of Shareholders

Narasimhan led his first Starbucks Annual Meeting of Shareholders, in Seattle, on March 23, joined by board chair Mellody Hobson (right) and the Starbucks senior leadership team, including Zabrina Jenkins (left) and AJ Jones II (second from left). &nbsp;

“These past six months have enabled me to listen, to learn, and to think about what the future of Starbucks looks like and what we need to do to get there,” Narasimhan said. “As the new ceo&nbsp;of Starbucks, I am confident that I know our business and our people well, but I will continue to learn and I'm excited to continue earning my green apron every day.”&nbsp;

As Starbucks welcomes Narasimhan to his new role as ceo at the Starbucks Annual Meeting of Shareholders, we take a look back at the people he has met across the company and around the world.

Laxman Narasimhan’s immersive training – from Starbucks barista to ceo

Historias-en

Photos: Laxman Narasimhan’s immersive training – from Starbucks barista to ceo

https://historias.starbucks.com/en-es/stories/2023/photos-laxman-narasimhans-immersive-training-from-starbucks-barista-to-ceo/

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BUSTAMANTE, Costa Rica – For Kattya Hidalgo, the chickens came first. Then the eggs. It’s not clear which bring her more joy.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Hidalgo, 46, is part of a cohort of women farmers who work with <a href="https://www.beanvoyage.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bean Voyage</a>, a Costa Rican nonprofit supported in part by The Starbucks Foundation, that empowers smallholder women coffee farmers with training in farming techniques, climate change, business fundamentals, financial literacy and project management.&nbsp;&nbsp;

After they finish a year-long curriculum, they can apply for seed money to start income-diversification projects.&nbsp;

With $300 last year, Hidalgo bought eight chickens and built a coop.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Hens caught my attention the most because here at home, we rarely eat meat. We prefer to eat eggs,” Hidalgo says. “But eggs are very expensive. We would limit ourselves to one egg a day. If you had eggs for lunch, you had no right to eat eggs at night.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I can’t explain to you the joy of seeing the first eggs, seeing my children – ‘Mommy, eggs!’ – eating eggs produced by me.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

Since March 2022, <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/the-starbucks-foundation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Starbucks Foundation</a> has awarded 10 grants totaling nearly $3 million to nonprofits working with women in coffee and tea-growing communities across seven countries, including Bean Voyage. This announcement, on International Women’s Day, is part of the Foundation’s continuing <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2022/the-starbucks-foundation-commits-to-uplift-one-million-women-and-girls-in-origin-communities-by-2030/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">goal to positively impact 1 million women and girls in “origin communities” by 2030</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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“We’re proud to work with nonprofits to reach women in coffee and tea-growing communities like Kattya,” says Alicia Vermaele, executive director of The Starbucks Foundation. “Through our Origin Grants, we’re helping to create opportunities and promote more equitable access to resources that enable women to improve their lives and livelihoods. We know that when we invest in a woman, we uplift not only that woman, but also her family and her community – leading to a brighter future for all.” 

With these grants, The Starbucks Foundation expects to reach an additional 60,000 women and girls over the next three years.&nbsp;

In January, Sunghee Tark, co-founder and CEO of Bean Voyage, visited Hidalgo’s farm to check in on her and her hen project. Tark started the nonprofit in 2016 with her friend, Abhinav Khanal, after they graduated from college, in response to the millions of “invisible” women who work on coffee farms around the world. They chose the name Bean Voyage to help women coffee producers “feel like they’re traveling the world through their coffee,” Tark says.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Because of how the coffee industry has been structured, and then the cultural elements in many parts of the world, including Latin America, a lot of times, the work that women do isn’t necessarily valued the same way as the work that men do,” Tark says.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“As an organization, we believe that if women are provided with the resources and then the right conditions, they will know what to do moving forward. What we do is make those resources available so they can actually go out and build their own future for themselves.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

For 22 years, Hidalgo worked as a legal assistant in San José, the bustling capital of Costa Rica. But then her boss, a lawyer, died. She and her family moved back to the countryside, where she’d grown up, and took over a coffee, fruit and vegetable farm. Though she was enthusiastic, there was a lot to learn. That’s when she heard about Bean Voyage and became intrigued by its mission.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We live not only in a country, but in a world of aggression, where women have always been given very little space,” Hidalgo says. “Here and everywhere, people have always believed that men are the ones in charge, the ones who have to bring food to the table, and that women are only meant to raise children, and it's not like that. We live in times of equality when both you and I can work, and we both can contribute.”&nbsp;

Hidalgo says she’s learned so much from Bean Voyage – not only about better farming techniques but also about being a leader in her community, climate change adaptation and business and entrepreneurship. She sometimes sells her extra eggs to neighbors, which provides additional income. And she hopes to export her coffee one day.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I want to keep learning. I no longer see myself as someone who struggles to learn,” she says. “On the contrary, I want to learn more every day and become even better than what I am.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I love them. You have no idea,” she says, laughing. “My hens will die of old age, but I won’t eat them.”&nbsp;

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The Starbucks Foundation Origin Grant recipients

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Three women smiling outside on a farm, holding a plastic tub of eggs

Here’s what impact looks like. Meet Kattya, a smallholder coffee farmer in Costa Rica, who’s building a better life for her family, one egg at a time.

New round of grants from The Starbucks Foundation will help uplift women and girls in coffee-growing communities

https://historias.starbucks.com/en-es/stories/2023/the-starbucks-foundation-announces-grants-to-uplift-1-million-women-and-girls-in-coffee-growing-communities-2/

When I was in college, I often went to the Starbucks store nearby. I was always inspired by the relaxing and joyful atmosphere created by Starbucks partners behind the bar. I thought being a barista should be fun, so I joined Starbucks.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The moment I put on my apron, I decided to be a good barista, because I always have role models around me. When I do a heart in latte art, my friends can already do reverse tulip. When I learned tulip, they can do swan... Not just latte art, but other skills as well.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Our partners are not only diligent in practicing, but also willing to share experiences with me. So, I would love to share my coffee knowledge with more partners. When we share the same interests and beliefs, the way forward is hopeful, full of passion and strength. In the store, when a customer is smiling (because of) satisfying latte art, or reply to our greetings, these kinds of details make me feel that we are doing the right thing with our mission and values.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A small coffee bean holds great energy, and so do we. As long as we keep our faith and keep moving forward, we can certainly inspire the infinite possibilities of coffee and ourselves.

Meet the women at Starbucks who are crucial to the coffee business, every step of the way, around the globe.

Sylvia, national coffee ambassador, store manager – China

https://historias.starbucks.com/en-es/stories/2023/sylvia-national-coffee-ambassador-store-manager-china/

In 2007, by chance, the book “Put Your Heart Into It“ came into my hands, and after reading it, I was deeply impressed to learn Howard Schultz's vision of making a company led from the heart, developing it with the soul and always placing people in the center. I immediately wondered if a company that puts its partners and clients at the center of its operation was the right place for me. The answer was simple: yes it was.

My journey with Starbucks began in 2008, as District Manager, when I cut the ribbon on store number 29 in Chile. Today, after 15 years working in the company, we are about to open our 300th store in the Southern Cone, and will celebrate our 20th, 15th and 5th anniversaries in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay, respectively.&nbsp;

I am passionate about having the possibility to impact different communities and make our stores unique places to work. There are more than 4,000 partners in Starbucks Southern Cone to whom we offer training and real and attractive career development.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Starbucks also allowed me to walk the path towards the exciting world of coffee, being able to see first-hand the entire value chain that exists behind each bean: from planting, maintaining the coffee trees, harvesting and subsequent sale. I had the unique opportunity to be in Costa Rica, and see the support that Starbucks provides to the coffee communities. That experience made me realize the responsibility of honoring each coffee bean that we serve daily, as a show of respect for all families and especially to all the women who are behind its production.

Claudia, director of Starbucks South Cone – Argentina, Chile, Uruguay

https://historias.starbucks.com/en-es/stories/2023/claudia-director-of-starbucks-south-cone-argentina-chile-uruguay/

Rina started as a part-time barista in college before taking on different roles in marketing, public affairs, digital strategy and social impact. In 2022, she helped launch the <a href="https://www.ywcakl.org.my/post/starbucks-upcycled-flavorlock-pouch-project-launch-in-starbucks-stores" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks Upcycled Flavorlock Pouch project</a>, where Starbucks works with local seamstresses to help turn whole bean coffee packaging into <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKKVtKwQr8g" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">small lined handbags</a>, giving them a second life. Not only does this save potential trash from the landfill, but for every pouch sold, Starbucks donates money to the YWCA in Kuala Lumpur.&nbsp;&nbsp;

It is more than just coffee. I am very fortunate to love what I do and be presented with many interesting opportunities. At Starbucks, every day is an ongoing learning journey and it’s always exciting for me! Inspired by many partners, communities and NGOs that I worked with, my team and I are happy to pay it forward by strategizing sustainable social impact programs that are able to empower and create pathways to the beneficiaries. While it has its challenges, it is undoubtedly a very fulfilling career.

Rina, head of sustainability and social impact – Malaysia

https://historias.starbucks.com/en-es/stories/2023/rina-head-of-sustainability-and-social-impact-malaysia/

My journey, it’s been full of curiosity, learning new things, and of course, developing myself from a barista to a store manager.&nbsp;

When I started working in an <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/starbucks-opens-two-all-female-stores-in-india/">all-women store</a>, we were open about everything, like sharing anything with our team. When we have our store briefings, we could talk openly. So that was one thing which I loved the most about an all-women store. And I love how the customers also observed us… it was like, they were surprised. They’ve never seen this thing.&nbsp;&nbsp;

What makes it special is, of course, the development of our women partners. They start building the leadership qualities.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Starbucks is a place where new ideas are welcomed. It means working in a positive environment where there are no boundaries to one’s growth and learnings. I always go back to the time when I was new to this organization and I was happy to know that the mission and values are not just theoretical, they also can be seen vividly in our stores.

Sneha, manager, one of 15 all women stores – India

Sneha, manager, one of 15 all-women stores – India

https://historias.starbucks.com/en-es/stories/2023/sneha-manager-one-of-15-all-women-stores-india/

I was married in my 20s and a housewife since then. My first part-time job was at age 76 (with Starbucks). When people are almost 80 years old, they are not given much responsibility in society generally. However, when I come to the store, I feel responsible and work on cleanliness as if I am in charge. As a resident of this area for nearly 50 years, I consider it my role to connect the community and my store. I want to be a bridge between artists and my store.&nbsp;

I am happy, rewarded and grateful to be given the responsibility of keeping the store and backyard clean. I am happy to be in a circle of young partners who are as old as my grandchildren and to talk with them.&nbsp;&nbsp;

I thought I can cheer up the elderly in my community through my work. Younger partners will be able to provide customer service that is sensitive to the feelings of younger people. I can understand how elderly people are feeling. When I find someone who looks tired in the crowded store, I call out to him or her and also place a reserved card on a seat and ask him or her to sit and wait.

Katsuko, café attendant – Japan 

https://historias.starbucks.com/en-es/stories/2023/katsuko-cafe-attendant-japan-2/

For Starbucks, being people’s "third place" means offering quality coffee and products, but above all, it means creating a space of inclusion in which all people feel safe and respected.

Following our values of acting with courage and finding new ways to grow our company and each other, we work every day to make Starbucks an increasingly diverse and inclusive place for partners and customers alike.

This Pride month, we want to share the initiatives and efforts we actively promote in the region to contribute to greater inclusion in the communities we serve.

Keep on being just who you are

For the third consecutive year, the <a href="https://historias.starbucks.com/br/stories/2020/eu-sou/">EU SOU</a> project in Brazil offers free legal and psychological support for partners who wish to put their real name and gender on their official papers.

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This year a new phase of this initiative began with the employability of trans people in the country added to the project’s goals. The campaign takes a new step to support the LGBTQIA2+ community through job interviews and a training program designed specifically for members of the trans community who apply for jobs at Starbucks.

"Inclusion is critical to Starbucks as a company," said Sandra Collier, director of marketing, loyalty and ESG for SouthRock, the brand's licensee in the country. "With the expansion of EU SOU, Starbucks Brazil confirms its commitment to achieving tangible and lasting change by facilitating the entry of members of the trans community into the workforce."

Added to these efforts is the launch of a very special beverage, the Pride Frappuccino®, which will be available from June 16 to 19 in stores. Starbucks Brazil will donate the net proceeds from the sales to different LGBTQIA2+ advocacy associations as well as to partners participating in the São Paulo Pride Parade that took place on June 19.

More inclusive and more connected

This year, Starbucks Chile was recognized as a Company A within Pride Connection, a network that seeks to promote inclusive workspaces for sexual diversity and to generate alliances to attract LGBTQIA2+ talent to the different organizations that comprise it.

We also obtained the Equidad Chile certification from the Human Rights Campaign for our work promoting the inclusion of the LGBTQIA2+ community.

Starbucks Chile also launched the "Academy of the Future" program in partnership with the Selenna Foundation, the only school for transgender students in the country.

This program is designed to offer training, resources, and a welcoming space for people in the trans community.

The ADS FOR GOOD campaign carries on in Chile ─ and is being expanded to Argentina and Uruguay ─, which calls on university students to make graphic pieces for associations in favor of diversity and inclusion to contribute to raising awareness on the subject.

The final pieces will be exhibited in different stores in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay to bring the theme closer to our clients and give visibility to the foundations.

A third place for everyone

To reinforce Starbucks' commitment to diversity, store and corporate partners in Argentina received training on Human Rights, sexual diversity, and interculturality.

Additionally, Buenos Aires’ stores were recognized by the City Government’s Buenos Aires Convive program with the certificate of Space Committed to Diversity, which distinguishes places that encourage good coexistence and inclusion.

“Starbucks for me is not just a job; it is a space of connection that allows me to transcend beyond the counter,” says Lean, a partner of Starbucks Argentina for 8 years and who today serves as manager of the Bellini store in Buenos Aires. “What I enjoy most about working here is feeling free and being able to express myself as I am. It represents the possibility of being genuine, authentic, and happy. That is why I am proud to belong to this family, where I am respected as I am”.

Still a long way to go

While we are proud of the positive results we have achieved so far in terms of diversity and inclusion in the region, we are aware that there’s still much to be done.

Our mission is and always will be to inspire and nurture the human spirit, which is why we will continue to work towards inclusion and diversity by creating increasingly empathetic and tolerant spaces where everyone feels like they belong.

In Starbucks we celebrate Pride month with different initiatives in the region that seek to promote diversity and inclusion in the communities we serve.

This is how we celebrate Pride in Latin America - Historias-en

This is how we celebrate Pride in Latin America

https://historias.starbucks.com/en-es/stories/2022/pride-in-latam-2022/

(updated September 29, 2022)

The Starbucks Foundation has a 25-year history of investing in communities across the U.S. and globally. In March 2022, The Starbucks Foundation&nbsp;<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2022/the-starbucks-foundation-launches-global-community-impact-grants-initiative/">announced</a>&nbsp;a $30 million investment by 2030 in its Global Community Impact Grants portfolio designed to drive locally relevant impact in the communities where Starbucks operates around the world.

In the inaugural year of the <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/emea/stories/2022/supporting-youth-empowerment-hunger-relief-and-refugees-in-emea/">Global Community Impact Grants</a> program, The Starbucks Foundation awarded&nbsp;grants to nearly 90 nonprofits, all of which were nominated by Starbucks international licensees and will reach communities in more than 40 markets. Between grants and co-investment from international licensees, over $3.2 million was awarded in 2022 for causes aligned to The Starbucks Foundation’s community impact goals, including youth empowerment, inclusion &amp; diversity, social services, hunger relief, economic opportunity, and coffee-, tea- and cocoa-growing communities.

In the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), The Starbucks Foundation awarded 31 grants across 14 markets for causes ranging from youth empowerment and hunger relief to promoting inclusion &amp; diversity and advancing economic mobility &amp; opportunity. Grants were awarded to nonprofit organizations in Argentina, Bahamas, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.

<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/global-community-impact-grants/">Learn more</a>&nbsp;about the program and organizations we are supporting in LAC and across the globe.

Supporting Youth Empowerment, Hunger Relief, and Economic Mobility in Latin America and the Caribbean - Historias-en

Supporting Youth Empowerment, Hunger Relief, and Economic Mobility in Latin America and the Caribbean

(updated September 29, 2022) The Starbucks Foundation has a 25-year history of investing in communities across the U.S. and globally. In March 2022, The Starbucks Foundation&nbsp;announced&nbsp;a $30 million investment by 2030 in its Global Community Impact Grants portfolio designed to drive locally relevant impact in the communities where Starbucks operates around the world. In the […]

https://stories.starbucks.com/uploads/sites/34/2022/04/PA063_GlobalCommunityImpactGrants_FY22_OverviewPage_FeatureHorizontal.jpg

https://historias.starbucks.com/en-es/stories/2022/supporting-youth-empowerment-hunger-relief-and-economic-mobility-in-latin-america-and-the-caribbean/

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​​Over the last four years, The Starbucks Foundation has partnered with nonprofit organizations around the world to support 250,000 women and girls in coffee-, tea- and cocoa-growing communities including the investment of $14 million in grants. This International Women’s Day, we are pleased to announce our new goal to positively impact 1 million women and girls by 2030.​

In Latin America &amp; the Caribbean, The Starbucks Foundation is awarding eleven new grants to uplift women in coffee communities in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Peru.​

<a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2022/the-starbucks-foundation-commits-to-uplift-one-million-women-and-girls-in-origin-communities-by-2030/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Learn more</a> about the organizations we are supporting in Latin America and across the globe.

Supporting Women in Coffee, Tea &amp; Cocoa Communities  - Historias-en

Supporting Women in Coffee, Tea &amp; Cocoa Communities 

​​Over the last four years, The Starbucks Foundation has partnered with nonprofit organizations around the world to support 250,000 women and girls in coffee-, tea- and cocoa-growing communities including the investment of $14 million in grants. This International Women’s Day, we are pleased to announce our new goal to positively impact 1 million women and girls by […]

https://stories.starbucks.com/uploads/sites/34/2022/03/HSBUX_LAC_IWD.4.jpg

https://historias.starbucks.com/en-es/stories/2022/supporting-women-in-coffee-tea-cocoa-communities/

Supporting Women in Coffee, Tea & Cocoa Communities 

It can be hard to find the right words to convey the experience of 2021 – another year largely shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic that was full of peaks, valleys and just the day-to-day stresses of the unknown. Things we’d hoped would be normal again by now are still challenging.&nbsp;

But even within that, there were – and are – still so many beautiful moments when we truly see the humanity of the world and what happens when we come together.

Around the world, our partners (employees) once again stepped up for each other, their communities and their customers. They gave back, brought joy and worked hard, knowing that comfort can sometimes be found in a cup and that the ritual of a trip to Starbucks can provide even a little bit of normalcy in a world that can be so unpredictable.

For Starbucks, 2021 also marked our 50th anniversary. From our beginning back in 1971 as a small coffee, tea and spice shop in Seattle’s Pike Place Market to today, we are looking forward to our next 50 – bringing people together over coffee, and helping create a better future for our planet and everyone on it.&nbsp;

While it can be hard to find the words to hold all that, sometimes photos can, so today we’re looking back at some of our favorite images from 2021. Reminding us of the powerful moments we have been able to share. And most importantly, inspiring all of us to keep going forward with hope and optimism for what is yet to come.

Our stores are in neighborhoods and towns around the world and our partners represent, support and celebrate those communities. We span a beautiful spectrum, and we honor our diversity. From <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/aapi-heritage-month/">Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month</a> to <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/pride-heritage-month/">Pride Month</a>, <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2021/black-history-month-starbucks-partners-share-what-inspires-them-to-keep-going/">Black History Month</a>, <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2021/starbucks-celebrates-latinx-heritage-month/">Latinx Heritage Month</a>, <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2021/in-disability-pride-month-starbucks-partners-share-their-stories-and-how-others-can-be-better-allies/">Disability Pride Month</a>, <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2021/celebrating-american-indian-and-alaska-native-heritage-month/">American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month</a> and more, we featured partners and their stories of identity, culture and tradition.

Visit our <a href="https://www.instagram.com/starbucks.stories/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram</a> to see more stories from our Heritage Month series.

50th anniversary

In 1971, a small coffee, tea and spice shop opened near Seattle’s Pike Place Market with a name out of Moby Dick and an alluring siren as a logo.

In 2021, while we celebrated our 50th anniversary, it was a great time to unbox some of the historic and <a href="https://archive.starbucks.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">archival items</a> that had been gathered and stored at Starbucks headquarters in Seattle – spanning the history of the company.

We found original menus, bags of coffee and tea, our first-ever holiday cup, tokens for free coffee and even unopened bottles of <a href="https://archive.starbucks.com/record/mazagran" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mazagran</a> – a carbonated coffee beverage launched in 1994 that lasted only a brief time but developed a dedicated following.

Store dedicated to the Navajo Nation

Like so many across the world, the Navajo Nation was ravaged by the pandemic. In the early days of COVID-19, Starbucks store manager <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/coming-home-store-manager-brings-covid-19-supplies-to-navajo-nation/">Ty Barbone worked to make sure essential supplies were reaching people in his community</a>. But Barbone wasn’t done. He&nbsp; reached out to Starbucks leadership and became the spark behind the new Indigenous Partner Network – one of 12 partner-led networks across the U.S.

Barbone’s store on the edge of the Navajo Nation in Gallup, New Mexico was remodeled and reopened as Starbucks 22nd Community Store, dedicated to the Navajo Nation and indigenous people.&nbsp;Each Community Store hires local partners, works with local artists and contractors, and teams up with nonprofits, with the goal of becoming a hub of community activity.

In November the store was dedicated in a community ceremony, with dancers from nearby Zuni Pueblo performing a traditional Deer Dance to honor the new gathering space. A hand painted mural by Navajo artist Daniel Josley is a centerpiece of the store, celebrating his heritage.

Stepping up, helping out

Even in the midst of the pandemic, Starbucks partners didn’t sit idly by in 2021. As always, they were getting involved in community efforts around the globe. We continued our work with Feeding America® to address the growing need for food assistance, and partners gave their time in food banks to <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2021/starbucks-grants-support-equitable-access-to-food/">to help get food to those in need</a>. They also volunteered in homeless shelters and with many other organizations that offer help to those in need.

With grants from The Starbucks Foundation, <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2021/starbucks-celebrates-world-water-day/">our partners worked to bring clean, safe drinking water</a> and handwashing stations to communities in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

Expanding support for farmers and the planet

Coffee farmer Walquíria Peixoto Correa holds the coffee she saved for her own family after the conclusion of harvest on her family farm in Guaranésia, Brazil.

In 2021, <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2021/starbucks-opens-farmer-support-center-in-brazil-for-coffee-growing/">Starbucks opened our first farmer support center in Brazil,</a> our 10th globally, offering resources to farmers like Walquíria. Located in Varginha, Minas Gerais state, the new Farmer Support Center provides open-source agronomy and training on ethical sourcing practices to farmers, regardless of whether or not they sell to Starbucks.

A coffee farming community in the hills near Turrialba, Costa Rica. Costa Rica is home to Hacienda Alsacia, the only Starbucks-owned farm in the world.

The heartbeat of Starbucks

Our partners are truly the heartbeat of Starbucks. Even during this pandemic, they bring joy, care and connection to our customers and each other every day.

In 2021, we were able to feature some of our partners and their real-life stories in everything from <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2021/meet-gigi-barista-musician-and-star-of-starbucks-new-tv-spot/">ads celebrating our 50th anniversary</a> to storytelling about what these amazing humans are able to accomplish, including those who work hard to earn their bachelor’s degree through the Starbucks College Achievement Plan.

As always, we are in love with coffee, including the way it comes to life in our cups.

A looping GIF shows milk cascading through a cup of Starbucks Cold Brew, photographed with a macro lens.

Working with local artists

Through the Starbucks Art Program, we have the privilege of working with talented local artists to create original pieces for our stores and offices around the world. In 2021, the team worked with many artists including longtime contributors Jen Ament and Marisol Ortega, here working on new pieces in their studios.

Using our skills to help speed vaccine delivery

Starbucks partners tested out the flow of mock vaccine stations, including pretending to deliver vaccines, at the company’s Tryer Center.&nbsp;

Starbucks serves 100 million customers a week in 30,000 stores around the world. You could say we have lots of experience moving people through spaces.

In January <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2021/offering-to-serve-starbucks-joins-effort-to-help-speed-covid-19-vaccination-delivery/">Starbucks teamed up with the State of Washington</a> and other companies to help find efficient ways to move people through COVID-19 vaccination sites. Mock stations were set up in the Tryer innovation lab in our Seattle headquarters, and tests were conducted on how to move people through the vaccination process. The information was shared with the Washington State Vaccine Command and Coordination Center and implemented at early mass-vaccination sites in Washington State.

Taking flight for the holidays

In early December, Starbucks teamed up with longtime partner, Alaska Airlines, to offer a unique BOGO flight deal. On Dec. 7, a custom-painted Alaska plane decorated with Starbucks holiday cups lifted off from Seattle Tacoma International Airport en route to Chicago. A large prop cup, part of a photoshoot, seemed to walk past the airplane on the tarmac before takeoff.

As the curtains close on 2021, one thing is clear: The year was made so much better because of the people. Our partners and the wonderful customers that visit our stores all coming together to lift humanity and leave us all inspired. As we’ve always known, it truly is about so much more than coffee.

We're looking back at 2021 with images that remind us of the powerful and uplifting moments we have been able to share amidst another year of upheaval.

Starbucks 2021: The year in pictures

https://historias.starbucks.com/en-es/stories/2021/starbucks-2021-the-year-in-pictures/

Our aspiration is to be people positive — investing in humanity and the well-being of everyone we connect with, from our partners to coffee farmers to the customers in our stores and beyond.

ADVANCING RACIAL AND SOCIAL EQUITY

An Update on Our Progress

Goal: Advance racial and social equity on behalf of our partners, our customers and our communities.&nbsp; Since the beginning, Starbucks has set out to be a different kind of company rooted in providing a third place where everyone is welcomed and respected.&nbsp;

Each day we reaffirm our responsibility to one another — to care for each other, to strengthen our communities and to ensure diverse perspectives are represented at the company’s highest levels. We are committed to furthering that work with intention, with transparency and with accountability. Some of those commitments in FY20 included:&nbsp;

core/list

We know this work is a journey. Our partners, our customers and the communities we serve ground us in an open dialogue and a collective desire to create lasting change.

Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index: 100%

Goal: Continue to be a top employer for LGBTQIA2+ workplace equality In 2020, for the eighth consecutive year and eleventh year overall, we achieved a 100% rating from the <a href="https://www.thehrcfoundation.org/professional-resources/corporate-equality-index-2020-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index</a> based on corporate policies and practices for LGBTQIA2+ equality.

Disability Equality Index: 100/100

Goal: Continue to advance disability inclusion in the workplace In 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019, Starbucks scored 100 out of 100 on the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://disabilityin.org/what-we-do/disability-equality-index/" target="_blank">Disability Equality Index</a> (DEI) and was recognized as a “Best Place to Work.” We are a member of Disability:IN’s Inclusion Works program, a national forum for peer institutions to share best and evolving practices on Access and Disability Inclusion. Starbucks Retail Inclusion Academy, operating since 2017, prepares people with disabilities for retail jobs. This work is consistent with <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2015/starbucks-commitment-to-access-and-disability-inclusion/">our commitment</a> to access and disability inclusion.

Our approach to hiring, development and advancement of our partners is critical to our journey to advance inclusion, diversity and equity at Starbucks. As of August 2020, our U.S. partner base was 69% female and 47% BIPOC. Within BIPOC representation, partners are 8% Black, 27% Hispanic or Latinx, 6% Asian, 5% Multiracial, 0.6% American Indian or Alaskan Native and 0.6% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. As of August 2020, our senior leadership was comprised of 51% women and 19% BIPOC.

In looking at representation data, with more detail <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/workforce-diversity-at-starbucks/">here</a>, we have identified opportunities to improve career advancement for our BIPOC partners throughout the organization, and we’re using this data to help us focus our efforts to promote greater equity and inclusion among BIPOC partners at all levels.&nbsp;

5,221 Veterans in FY20, 2,620 Refugees to Date

We remain committed to hiring 5,000 military veterans annually and 10,000 refugees globally by 2022. In FY20, we hired 5,221 U.S. veterans and military spouses; we were able to confirm hiring 520 refugees in the U.S., Canada and EMEA, bringing our cumulative total to 2,620. In FY20, we evolved our tracking of Opportunity Youth hiring targets to focus on our diversity goals established in FY20.

100% Gender and Racial Pay Equity in the U.S., 100% Gender Equity in Pay in China, Canada, Austria, Great Britain, Italy and Switzerland

Starbucks has achieved and maintained 100% <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/how-starbucks-is-addressing-the-pay-gap/">pay equity</a> for women and men, and for people of all races performing similar work in the U.S. In 2018, when we first hit that milestone, we announced that we are committed to reaching 100% gender equity in pay for all partners in Starbucks company-operated markets globally. A year later, we reached the goal of gender equity in pay in China and Canada, and we maintained that in FY20 while achieving gender equity in pay in other company-owned markets: Austria, Great Britain, Italy and Switzerland.

In FY20, our licensed partners in Singapore, the Philippines and <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2019/tata-starbucks-achieves-100-pay-equity-approaches-30-gender-diversity-milestone-in-india-aims-for-40-gender-diversity-by-2022/">India</a> announced they had achieved 100% pay equity for women and men. In India, women comprise 29% of the Starbucks workforce, a key gender diversity milestone toward the goal of 40% by 2022.

Goal: Continued cultivation of inclusion, diversity and equity awareness In FY20, the 15-course <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.starbucksglobalacademy.com/to-be-welcoming" target="_blank">To Be Welcoming</a> anti-bias curriculum grew from 5,688 enrollments to 54,740 enrollments. We made the curriculum publicly available and saw high levels of engagement from partners and non-partners, with Starbucks partners comprising 48.5% enrollees and non-partners comprising 51.5% of enrollees.

We also offer the Third Place Development Series, designed to equip store managers and store partners with new tools for reflection and to facilitate discussions about important and challenging topics related to mental health, equity, inclusion and bias.

COLLEGE EDUCATION BENEFIT

Goal: Graduate 25,000 Starbucks partners from Arizona State University (ASU) by the end of 2025 The <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/starbucks-celebrates-our-college-graduates/">Starbucks College Achievement Plan</a> (SCAP) is helping benefits-eligible U.S. partners working part- or full-time complete their education by receiving 100% tuition coverage for a first-time bachelor’s degree through Arizona State University’s online program. As of FY20, nearly 4,500 partners have graduated with degrees since the program began in 2014, and the May 2020 graduating class was the largest ever at 700. More than 14,000 partners across the U.S. participated in ASU’s online degree programs in FY20, and more than 20% of those were first-generation college students.

Goal: Continued leadership in innovative, relevant benefits for full- and part-time retail partners We’re proud that we have pioneered innovative benefits for full- and part-time partners around the world. In the U.S., eligible partners who work at least 20 hours a week receive a <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2017/starbucks-commitment-to-partners">benefits package</a> that includes comprehensive and affordable health insurance, 100% college tuition coverage, equity in the form of stock, paid parental leave, child and adult back-up care and more.&nbsp;

People