Starbucks Alumni Community

For many, the new year signals a time of transition. Whether you’re looking to make a change in your career, life, or location, you’re not alone, there is a whole community behind you. Leverage our directory and sort via location, company, or both to catch up with old friends or forge new connections. Your community awaits, once a partner, always a partner. https://lnkd.in/eZfk-siX #Networking #CareerDevelopment #WelcomeBack #Starbucks #StarbucksAlumni #OnceAPartnerAlwaysAPartner

The notion of “Once a partner, always a partner” means never having to leave the Starbucks circle. A concept community member, Paula Luu, is extremely familiar with.    Paula has dedicated her career building waste-free ecosystems. Her firm, Closed Loop Partners, focuses on testing and investing in emerging solutions and technologies to scale viable, safe, and circular supply chains for companies like Starbucks.    Back in 2017, Paula joined Starbucks as an MBA intern. The project assigned to her required her to engage with stakeholders across nine different organizations, and address 1,000 vendors who serviced 9,000 North American stores.🤯   “Let’s just say I spent the summer very caffeinated and networking non-stop.”    Prior to Starbucks Paula had never worked for a company larger than 40 people. She was uncertain how she'd fare working for a global company, and she was pleasantly surprised by the tight-knit team and community that welcomed her.   “The focus on empowering and developing partners, along with fostering belonging and collaboration, resonated deeply. These principles continue to shape my approach to building relationships, and guide the systems-change work I do today.”   Nowadays Paula leads an initiative called the Composting Consortium, which is a collaboration aimed at scaling food-waste composting infrastructure in the U.S. She’s still in the Starbucks circle, though now as a key corporate partner working towards our sustainability goals.    If you’re interested in connecting with Paula, reach out to her directly via our Starbucks Alumni Community Directory. https://lnkd.in/eZfk-siX

Doing things for others is in Lucy Helm’s bones. For the former chief partner officer and current Starbucks Alumni Community member, caring for others is at the root of nearly everything she does. “I have always been drawn to the ‘helping’ professions,” Lucy reflects. Lucy brought her “helping” mantra to Starbucks on day one. “I asked my hiring manager, Starbucks general counsel Shelley Milano, if it would be possible to continue my volunteer work as a pro bono lawyer, serving people who could not afford legal services. Not only did she say yes, but she also put me in charge of creating a committee to organize our Starbucks legal team to provide pro bono legal services.” After an illustrious 21 years of serving partners and her community, Lucy hung up the green apron. But her service to others never ceased.  Lucy continues to sit on the board of directors for two amazing nonprofits. The first, Mercy Corps, an organization that connects people to the resources they need to build better, stronger lives. The second, the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth, led by fellow alumni member Xavier McElrath-Bey, MA, is a national nonprofit that leads efforts to ban juvenile life without parole and other extreme sentences for children. Lucy’s service also found its way to the disability community. For over 20 years, she’s helped lead a summer camp for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. More than 60 campers with many types of disabilities come to Camp Parkview each year, along with volunteer counselors like Lucy. She also serves on the advisory board of Disability Rights Advocates, a national disability rights legal center To hear her incredible story and learn more about her allyship and advocacy for persons with disabilities, Starbucks Alumni Community members can join Lucy in a fireside chat for Disability Advocacy Pride Month on July 23rd. RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/gJExvKWG #DisabilityPride #DisabiltyMonth

It’s day one. What do you tell them? #CareerGuidance #ProfessionalGrowth

Amazing weekend with Alumni and partners coming together across the country to celebrate Pride! Jobs may change but values stay the same. 💚 #Pride2024 #StarbucksPride #Inclusion #Diversity #LGBTQ2IA+

Neighborhood Grant results are in and alumni are excited! 🎉🥳 Thank you to our amazing alumni members for continuing to support your local communities. Your nominations have contributed to over $400,000 to local nonprofits to date. #NeighborhoodGrants

Starbucks was recently recognized among Newsweek’s America’s Greatest Workplaces for LGBTQ+ 2024. For Alumni like Josh Ward, this may not be a surprise. “Starbucks saved my life.” - recounting his experience coming out as a teenager. Long before donning the green apron, Josh had thought of Starbucks as his third place. Growing up in rural Buffalo, Starbucks was sanctuary between school and home. A place he frequented so much he decided he might as well work there. Shortly after joining Starbucks, Josh made the life-altering decision to come out of the closet. Tragically, this was met with losing his paid internship with a religious organization and eventually being kicked out of his parent’s home. Heartbroken and experiencing homelessness, Josh came into work a shell of himself. His coworkers knew something was off and it wasn’t long until he unloaded his story. They immediately took to action. His coworkers scrambled to find him an apartment. His manager increased his hours to pay his bills, but as Josh put it: “Above all, I walked into work feeling loved when I needed it most.” It wasn’t easy but Josh found his new footing, enrolled in the Starbucks College Achievement Program, became a Coffee Master and eventually even a regional Barista Champion. But the thing he reveled in most was being a resource for other partners who had experienced adversity. Starbucks is a leader in LGTBQIA2+ advocacy because of inclusive health benefits, but it’s a great place for the Queer community because of partners like the ones in Josh’s store in Buffalo, New York. To read the Newsweek article click the link below. https://lnkd.in/gA-F_Bb9 

“I went from being behind bars to being behind the bar.” – Starbucks Alumni Community member and Executive Director of the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth, Xavier McElrath-Bey, MA. Xavier has dedicated his life’s work to banning extreme juvenile sentences, such as life without parole. CFSY is an equity-driven organization that explicitly works to dismantle the racial disparities, social injustices, and residual harms caused by the legal system. A system he knows all too well. “My first arrest was at nine years-old, and I had joined a gang by the time I was 11. I had 19 arrests by the time I was 13. So, what did I want to be when I grew up? I wanted to be safe and loved.” Reentering society after incarceration, Xavier sought an opportunity to redefine himself. When he landed his first job ever as a barista at Starbucks, Xavier seized the moment. He honed his social skills and learned to appreciate the impact he could have in the lives of others. “Treating people with respect and dignity, being patient and kind, sharing a smile, showing humanity and a bit of hope, could change someone’s day or life.” Thriving as a barista, Xavier had the flexibility and support to pursue his education, eventually completing his Master’s Degree. Today, he is giving others a chance to redefine themselves. Want to hear more of Xavier’s story or get involved in CFSY? Reach out to Xavier directly via our directory. https://lnkd.in/eZfk-siX

🚨 2024 Neighborhood Grant awards are now live! 🚨 Head to our site to see if your nomination received a grant—or to learn more about how you can support local nonprofits in your community through The Starbucks Foundation Neighborhood Grant program. https://lnkd.in/g9_JHWKU #ToBeAPartner #OnceAPartnerAlwaysAPartner

Three incredible partners hung up their aprons this month with nearly 30 years of servant leadership between them. Welcome to the Starbucks Alumni Community Angela Batista, Vanessa Thammavongsa and Dru H.! Thanks for sharing your journeys and looking forward to seeing what you accomplish next. Once a Partner, Always a Partner. 💚💚💚 #ToBeAPartner