The Starbucks culture reflected Howards upbringing in Brooklyn, NY.

His family was very

poor with his father never earning more than $20,000. Upon injuring himself on the job,
Howards family faced tremendous financial hardship. Howard wanted to build a company
his father never got to work for - one that struck the delicate balance between profitability
and a social conscience. As a result, Starbucks has an extensive benefits program and
provides stock options to every employee.