Starbucks to inspire positive change

In contrast to the divisiveness and cynicism currently fuelling the world, Starbucks debuted “Upstanders,” its first original content series, which aims to inspire Americans to engage in acts of compassion, citizenship and civility. “Upstanders” features ten stories, each told in written, video and podcast form, about ordinary people doing extraordinary things to create positive change in their communities.

The series is written and produced by Howard Schultz, Starbucks chairman and ceo, and Rajiv Chandrasekaran, Starbucks executive producer and a former senior editor of The Washington Post. “We’ve asked ourselves what is the role and responsibility of a public company and, as citizens, how we can catalyse hope in a time when we need more optimism, empathy, compassion and leadership,” said Schultz. “We have always been storytellers at heart, and more of these stories need to be heard. We are using our scale to share them as broadly as possible.”

“‘Upstanders’ is a set of stories told in a unique way,” said Chandrasekaran. “When we turn on the news or scroll through our social media feeds, we are inundated with stories of discord and dysfunction. But there is more to America than that. In cities and towns across the country, there are people who are courageously, selflessly, collaboratively, and thoughtfully creating positive change. We want to share their stories, which are often ignored by traditional news organisations, with millions of our fellow Americans through Starbucks unparalleled platform.”

Through September, Starbucks will continue to celebrate these upstanders through local Town Hall events in Memphis, TN, Dallas, TX, Deerfield, FL and Washington D.C. Hosted by Chandrasekaran, these events will welcome local citizens and civic-minded organisations to learn about and share how we can all do more to create positive change. “Upstanders,” a Starbucks original series, is available now in written and video form on Starbucks.com/Upstanders. Audio versions of each story that will launch weekly through downloadable podcasts will also be accessible through the site.