The story behind the rise of Starbucks' Howard Schultz, who just gave a raise to every US employee of his $82 billion coffee company

Thirty years ago, Howard Schultz got into the coffee business with one goal in mind: to enhance the personal relationship between people and their coffee.

He's now responsible for Starbucks, one of the world's most beloved brands and the largest coffee chain on the planet, with a market capitalization of $82 billion as of July. Last year, Starbucks' profits reached $2.8 billion on revenues of $19 billion, both record highs.

But Schultz isn't singularly focused on the traditional bottom line. He's a dynamic model of a progressive CEO who's as animated by social issues and employee welfare as he is profit margins. In fact, in a letter to employees on Monday, Schultz announced wage raises ranging from 5% to 15% for all US employees, effective October 3. The wage hike reinforces Schultz's longstanding commitment to investing in his employees' success, and it positions Starbucks as a key player in the biggest economic story in America today.

How did Schultz, who came from a "working poor" family in the Brooklyn projects, overcome adversity and grow a quaint Seattle coffeehouse into the world's largest coffee chain and a model for conscious capitalism?

Scroll through to learn the story behind Starbucks and its leading man.

Additional reporting by Shana Lebowitz.