Born to Georgia sharecroppers, Carl Ware faced hardship while growing up black in the Jim Crow South. He rose to become one of the most influential business leaders and philanthropists of his generation. As VP of Special Markets for Coca-Cola USA, he founded the Coca-Cola Foundation and became known as the "Daring Diplomat," later becoming the architect of his employer's South Africa disinvestment and the first American businessman to meet with Nelson Mandela after his release from prison.