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Hamdi Ulukaya

Founder & CEO | Chobani. La Colombe. Tent Partnership for Refugees. | Let’s #shepherdarevolution

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.

Highlights

Jun 18 · twitter

Today I spoke at @WSJ Global Food Forum about something that goes far beyond yogurt. Not about chasing the latest trend, but about putting humanity at the center to create real change.

At Chobani, we've never followed trends. We listen. We learn. And we build with heart. From our farmers to our factories, to our communities, this journey is about making good food for all.

Today I spoke at @WSJ Global Food Forum about something that goes far beyond yogurt. Not about chasi
Feb 6 · twitter

Rebuilding is an act of community... it is honoring a place and the people who call it home. We remember those we lost two years ago in the earthquake that rocked Türkiye, and we keep their families close in our hearts. Thank you to the people rebuilding, @tphilanthrophy, my friends in the U.S., business, the State Department, and the philanthropic community for their immense support of these efforts. 🇹🇷❤️

Yeniden inşa etmek, sadece binaları değil, umut ve hayatları da ayağa kaldırmaktır; orayı yuva bilen insanlara ve onların hatıralarına sahip çıkmaktır. İki yıl önce Türkiye'yi sarsan depremde kaybettiklerimizi saygıyla anıyor, ailelerinin acısını yüreğimizde hissediyoruz. Yeniden inşa çalışmalarına katkıda bulunan herkese, Turkish Philanthropy Funds'a, Amerika Dışişleri Bakanlığı’na, ABD'deki dostlarıma, iş dünyasına ve tüm destek verenlere teşekkür ederim. 🇹🇷❤️

Related Questions

What inspired Hamdi Ulukaya to start Chobani?
How did Hamdi Ulukaya's background influence his entrepreneurial journey?
What are some of Hamdi Ulukaya's most notable achievements?
How has Chobani's profit-sharing program impacted its employees?
What is the Tent Foundation and how does it address the refugee crisis?
Hamdi Ulukaya
Hamdi Ulukaya, photo 1
Hamdi Ulukaya, photo 2
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Location

New Berlin, New York, United States