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The Emes Project, LLC

Website:

emesproject.com/
Location:

Seattle, WA
Status:

For-Profit Limited Liability Corporation
Formation:

2020
Type:

For-Profit
Executive Director:

Vivek Varma

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The Emes Project, LLC, is a Seattle-based left-of-center initiative designed to “steward Sheri and Howard Schultz’s philanthropic efforts” at the left-of-center Schultz Family Foundation and support the Schultz’s work on policy advocacy and business ventures. 1 2

The Emes Project was founded in July 2020 by Starbucks founder and current interim Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and his wife Sheri. 3 The Emes Project incubates and supports initiatives with a focus on philanthropy, public policy, entrepreneurship, venture capital, private equity, and social impact 4 and develops partnerships between philanthropies, businesses, think tanks, advocacy groups, and government to achieve Schultz’s philanthropic objectives. 5 6

History and Leadership

The Seattle-based 7 Emes Project was founded in July 2020 8 by Sheri and Howard Schultz, the founder and as of early 2022 interim CEO of Starbucks coffee company. 9 10

Vivek Varma is the CEO of the Emes Project. 11 Former Washington Post journalist and Starbucks senior vice president Rajiv Chandrasekaran is Emes Project’s head of policy and strategy. 12 Tyra Mariani, former Obama administration official and chief operating officer of the left-of-center think tank New America, is Emes Project’s head of philanthropy. 13

Activities and Funding

The Emes Project was established as an overarching initiative to “steward Sheri and Howard Schultz’s philanthropic efforts” at the left-of-center Schultz Family Foundation and to support their advocacy work in areas of policy reform and new business ventures. 14 15

In a letter announcing Emes Project’s launch, Howard Schultz said that the project will bring an entrepreneurial lens to public-private partnerships, strategic advocacy, policy changes, and political reform. Schultz also said the critical race theory-influenced concept of racial justice will be present in all the Emes Project does. 16 Schultz also views the Project as a “vehicle to support initiatives that increase opportunity and reduce inequality for all Americans” 17 and a way to address what Schultz calls the “African American and Latino wealth gap in our society.” 18

The Emes Project incubates and supports initiatives 19 with a focus on philanthropy, public policy, entrepreneurship, venture capital, private equity, and social impact. 20 It also works to develop partnerships between philanthropies, businesses, think tanks, advocacy groups, and government to achieve Schultz’s philanthropic objectives. 21

In 2021, the Emes Project partnered with Main Street America’s BackToBiz initiative to help small businesses develop knowledge and skills to accelerate recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. 22

Schultz Family Foundation president and Emes Project head of philanthropy Tyra Mariani works closely with both organizations to coordinate the Schultz’s philanthropic initiatives in concert with their efforts on advocacy, policy reform, and new business ventures.  23

Funding

The Emes Project is funded in part by investments made by the Schultz family in entrepreneurial companies. Returns from these investments are then re-invested in the Schultz Family Foundation and the Emes Project to drive long-term projects. 24

References

  1. Vivek Varma.” LinkedIn. Accessed April 15, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivek-varma-21253675/.
  2. “Schultz Family Foundation Appoints Tyra Mariani as New President.” Schultz Family Foundation. July 14, 2020. Accessed April 16, 2022. https://www.schultzfamilyfoundation.org/news-release/schultz-family-foundation-appoints-tyra-mariani-as-new-president.
  3. “The Emes Project.” Emes Project Website. 2021. Accessed April 15, 2022. https://www.emesproject.com/.
  4. “The Emes Project.” LinkedIn. Accessed April 15, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/company/emes-project-llc/about/.
  5. Schultz Family Foundation Appoints Tyra Mariano as New President.” Schultz Family Foundation. July 14, 2020. Accessed April 15, 2022. https://www.schultzfamilyfoundation.org/news-release/schultz-family-foundation-appoints-tyra-mariani-as-new-president.
  6. “The Mission Continues Announces Three New Members to Join Board of Directors.” Yahoo! Finance. September 20, 2021. Accessed April 15, 2022. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mission-continues-announces-three-members-234000404.html.
  7. “The Mission Continues Announces Three New Members to Join Board of Directors.” Yahoo! Finance. September 20, 2021. Accessed April 15, 2022. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mission-continues-announces-three-members-234000404.html.
  8. “The Emes Project.” LinkedIn. Accessed April 15, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/company/emes-project-llc/about/.
  9. “The Emes Project.” Emes Project Website. 2021. Accessed April 15, 2022. https://www.emesproject.com/.
  10. Catherine Larkin and Leslie Patton. “Starbucks CEO to Retire; Founder Howard Schultz Returns as Interim CEO.” Bloomberg. March 16, 2022. Accessed April 16, 2022. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-03-16/starbucks-ceo-to-retire-founder-schultz-returns-as-interim-ceo.
  11. “Vivek Varma.” LinkedIn. Accessed April 15, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivek-varma-21253675/
  12. “Rajiv Chandrasekaran.” Schultz Family Foundation. Accessed April 14, 2022. https://www.schultzfamilyfoundation.org/team/rajiv-chandrasekaran.
  13. “Tyra A. Mariani.” Jobs for the Future. Accessed April 16, 2022. https://www.jff.org/about/staff/tyra-mariani/
  14. “Vivek Varma.” LinkedIn. Accessed April 15, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivek-varma-21253675/.
  15. “Schultz Family Foundation Appoints Tyra Mariani as New President.” Schultz Family Foundation. July 14, 2020. Accessed April 16, 2022. https://www.schultzfamilyfoundation.org/news-release/schultz-family-foundation-appoints-tyra-mariani-as-new-president.
  16. “Letter.” Howard Schultz Website. September 14, 2020. Accessed Via Web Archive April 15, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20201114001644/https://www.howardschultz.com/buildingabetteramerica/.
  17. [1] “Letter.” Howard Schultz Website. September 14, 2020. Accessed Via Web Archive April 15, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20201114001644/https://www.howardschultz.com/buildingabetteramerica/.
  18. “Letter.” Howard Schultz Website. September 14, 2020. Accessed Via Web Archive April 15, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20201114001644/https://www.howardschultz.com/buildingabetteramerica/.
  19. “The Mission Continues Announces Three New Members to Join Board of Directors.” Yahoo! Finance. September 20, 2021. Accessed April 15, 2022. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mission-continues-announces-three-members-234000404.html.
  20. “The Emes Project.” LinkedIn. Accessed April 15, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/company/emes-project-llc/about/.
  21. “Schultz Family Foundation Appoints Tyra Mariano as New President.” Schultz Family Foundation. July 14, 2020. Accessed April 15, 2022. https://www.schultzfamilyfoundation.org/news-release/schultz-family-foundation-appoints-tyra-mariani-as-new-president.
  22. “Announcing BackToBiz.” Main Street America. August 31, 2021. Accessed April 15, 2022. https://www.mainstreet.org/blogs/national-main-street-center/2021/08/31/announcing-back-to-biz.
  23. “Schultz Family Foundation Appoints Tyra Mariano as New President.” Schultz Family Foundation. July 14, 2020. Accessed April 15, 2022. https://www.schultzfamilyfoundation.org/news-release/schultz-family-foundation-appoints-tyra-mariani-as-new-president.
  24. “Letter.” Howard Schultz Website. September 14, 2020. Accessed Via Web Archive April 15, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20201114001644/https://www.howardschultz.com/buildingabetteramerica/.
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The Emes Project, LLC

508 Yale Avenue N
Seattle, WA