Hamdi Ulukaya

Hamdi Ulukaya is a prominent Turkish-American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and activist, best known as the founder, chairman, and CEO of Chobani, the leading brand of Greek yogurt in the United States. Born on October 26, 1972, in a Kurdish dairy-farming family in eastern Turkey, Ulukaya moved to the United States in the late 1990s to study at the University of Albany.

In 2005, he purchased an abandoned yogurt factory in upstate New York, which he transformed into Chobani. The company quickly gained popularity and became the top-selling yogurt brand in the U.S. within five years, achieving over $1 billion in annual sales by 2011.134 Ulukaya's business philosophy emphasizes social responsibility, as he has implemented employee-first policies, including profit-sharing and generous parental leave, and has committed to donating a significant portion of his wealth to charitable causes, particularly those supporting refugees.124

In addition to his work with Chobani, Ulukaya founded the Tent Partnership for Refugees in 2016, aimed at integrating refugees into the workforce by mobilizing major corporations to hire them. His efforts have earned him numerous accolades, including being named one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People and receiving the United Nations Foundation Global Leadership Award.145 Ulukaya's commitment to social impact and innovative business practices has positioned him as a leading voice in the food industry and beyond.