Sheri Kersch Schultz

Sheri Kersch Schultz co-founded the Schultz Family Foundation in 1996 with her husband, Howard Schultz, chairman emeritus of Starbucks Coffee Company.

Guided by a belief that the right opportunities at the right time can unleash human potential—and that “inequality of opportunity” is stifling America’s own potential, the Foundation invests in innovative solutions and collaborative partnerships that create new pathways to opportunity so disconnected populations can overcome barriers to success.

A passionate volunteer and long-time advocate for at-risk youth, Sheri recognized early in her work shaping the foundation how a fractured system of social supports was failing to reach people who were motivated but unable to escape homelessness or poverty, or simply to improve their lives.

Refusing to accept the status quo, Sheri, Howard, and the Foundation decided to concentrate their efforts on two communities: Opportunity Youth, the 4.6 million 16- to 24-year-olds in the country who are not in school and not working, and America’s 4.2 million Post 9/11 Veterans, heroic individuals whose valuable skills and experience are often misunderstood and undervalued when they return to civilian life.

Under Sheri’s leadership, the Foundation has launched two national initiatives:

A portfolio of programs and investments that put Opportunity Youth on a path towards skills training and employment, and an initiative which helps returning military service members and their families successfully transition into civilian jobs and professional careers. Each program actively engages the business community, bringing together leaders from the private and public sectors, whose collaboration is key to sustaining each program’s success.

Sheri grew up in Lima, Ohio and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Denver.