Julie Smolyansky
Julie Smolyansky
Julie Smolyansky is a powerhouse entrepreneur, social justice advocate, and documentary film producer. She made history by becoming the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm at the age of 27, taking over leadership of her family's company, Lifeway Foods. Under her innovative leadership, Lifeway Foods' revenues have increased from $12 million to over $100 million today. Julie's passion for social justice issues began during her high school years when she created and taught the first teen dating violence curriculum in the Chicagoland with YWCA. Julie has traveled the world to work with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, produced documentaries, and co-created a non-profit organization dedicated to ending the backlog of 400,000 untested rape kits in the United States. Julie's accomplishments have earned her numerous recognitions, including being named in Fortune Business's '40 under 40,' Fortune's 55 Most Influential Women on Twitter, and Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business 1000. She continues to inspire change through her work and advocacy.