Gray Lyden
They/Them

Starbucks is a large corporation based out of Seattle, Washington. Their first coffee shop opened on March 30th, 1971, in the Pike Place district in Seattle, Washington. They have over 20,000 stores. It is a coffee company that serves fancy coffee drinks such as frappuccinos, mochas, and other drinks. Their logo is of a siren, and they were inspired by a character in moby-dick named Starbo, which was how they got their name. They expanded over the years but stayed loyal to the inclusive environment created in their original store. It is currently facing controversy for its funding of Israel’s government, which is actively killing Palestinians, which is causing massive boycotts. However, they have a history of being inclusive and accepting of diversity. Starbucks states,” [they] are rooted in [their] mission to nurture the limitless possibilities of human connection. [They] are committed to creating environments where everyone is welcome and belongs” (Starbucks, 2024). This definition seems to describe inclusivity rather than diversity. They acknowledge that they attempt to be inclusive of all but do not discuss diversity very much.  What is fascinating is that the photo on the Inclusion and Diversity Initiatives page contains three white women, two who appear to be a lesbian couple and one who is just smiling separately. That does not show the best representation of diversity, as it is only minority groups highlighted, lesbians and women. Their photo lacks diversity.

Starbucks' mission states,” With every cup, with every conversation, with every community - we nurture the limitless possibilities of human connection” (Starbucks, 2024). Starbucks lists its employee resource groups including Armed Forces Network, Black Network, Disability Advocacy Network, Hora Del Cafe Network, Indian Network, Indigenous Network, Interfaith Network, Next Leaders Network, Pan-Asian Network, Sustainability Network, Pride Network, Refugee & Immigrant Network, and Women’s Impact Network. Surprisingly, their first Employee Resource group was the Pride Network, founded in 1996 (Starbucks, 2020). Their partnership funds mentorship programs, pay equity, and a fifteen-course anti-bias curriculum. They prioritize diversity in hiring. They have financial compensation for the executives who work on behalf of the employee resource groups. It was funded with $100M to enhance racial equity and environmental resilience (Starbucks, 2024). They provide grants to impacted youth and towards Feeding America. They have a goal of improving diversity in advertisements. It seems to portray its LGBTQ+ workers in a positive light. A recent commercial that Starbucks ran in India highlighted a transgender woman getting her father to accept her over a cup of coffee at Starbucks (NBC News, 2023). They seem pretty willing to highlight LGBTQ+ people in a positive light in commercials, and some stores even decorate for Pride Month in June. They seem to focus more on customers' acceptance in commercials; however, almost every Starbucks I have gone into has had someone wearing either a pronoun pin or some sort of rainbow pin on their hat, meaning the workplace is somewhere they can feel comfortable expressing themselves.

Starbucks was sued in early January 2024 for human rights violations at their coffee bean farms in Brazil. According to the case against them, they have been paying farms that mistreat their employees for their coffee beans and are fully aware of that, yet they advertise their coffee as “100% ethical” (NBC News, 2024). There are cases of human rights and labor abuse reported at their coffee and tea farms in Guatemala, Brazil, and Kenya. Since learning this, Starbucks claims they have taken corrective action to fix these issues. (NBC News, 2024). It is too early to tell if they have taken such actions in only a month and a half since the reports were made. I would be willing to work for Starbucks. They actively pay above minimum wage in every state and have good benefits for their employees, such as health insurance, 401(k), paid time off, parental leave, education at Arizona State University, commuter benefits, assistance in a financial crisis, a Spotify premium account, access to emergency backup daycares in the area, and many more benefits (Starbucks). While I disagree with their stance when it comes to the Israel-Palestine genocide, they seem reasonable to work for. I would not be willing to spend my money at a place that funds genocide, but working for Starbucks is taking their money and putting it in my pocket. They are one of the least corrupt corporations in the United States of America; however, they still value money above all else.