Hamdi Ulukaya

Hamdi Ulukaya
Born	(1972-10-26) October 26, 1972 İliç, Erzincan Province, Turkey
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, activist, philanthropist
Years active	2002–present
Known for	Founder, owner, chairman, and CEO of Chobani

Hamdi Ulukaya (born 26 October 1972) is a Kurdish-American billionaire entrepreneur, activist, and philanthropist originally from Turkey. He is the founder, owner, chairman, and CEO of the strained yogurt company Chobani. As reported by Forbes in October 2022, his estimated net worth stands at US$2.1 billion.

Ulukaya has been a vocal advocate for Kurdish rights, which he cites as a key factor in his decision to leave Turkey due to governmental repression of Kurds. His entrepreneurial career began in 2002 with a small-scale feta cheese production facility, following his father’s guidance. The pivotal moment arrived in 2005 when he acquired a large, previously closed yogurt factory located in upstate New York, a region with a rich dairy heritage. Within five years after its founding, Chobani achieved over $1 billion in annual revenue, becoming one of the top yogurt brands in the United States by 2011.

For his outstanding business achievements, Ulukaya was honored with the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year title in 2013. Additionally, Inc. recognized him in 2019 as "one of the most influential entrepreneurs of the last decade." In July 2022, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed him as an advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals promoted by the United Nations.

Early life and education

Hamdi Ulukaya was born into a Kurdish family engaged in dairy farming in İliç, a village situated within Turkey's Erzincan Province, in 1972. His family managed sheep, goats, and dairy operations near the Euphrates River, producing traditional cheese and yogurt products. Raised in a semi-nomadic environment caring for livestock, Ulukaya’s precise birth date remains uncertain due to his birth occurring during a mountain journey; however, he officially uses 26 October as his birthday.

After completing studies in political science at Ankara University, Ulukaya relocated to the United States in 1994 to learn English at Adelphi University in New York. He later transferred to the University at Albany, SUNY in 1997 to pursue business courses. Subsequently, he gained experience working on a farm in upstate New York. Acting on his father’s suggestion to import their family’s feta cheese after finding local varieties unsatisfactory, Ulukaya established a small wholesale feta cheese company named Euphrates in Johnstown, New York, in 2002. Although this venture was modestly profitable, it only reached break-even after two years and presented significant challenges.

Foundation and growth

In early 2005, Ulukaya came across an advertisement for sale of a fully equipped yogurt manufacturing plant located in South Edmeston, New York, approximately west of his feta facility. This factory had been shuttered by Kraft Foods after operating for 84 years. Despite initial doubts and discouragement from others, Ulukaya inspected the site and chose to proceed with purchasing it. He secured financing within five months through a Small Business Administration loan combined with local economic development grants. The business was initially named Agro Farma and included rehiring some former Kraft employees.

Ulukaya’s vision was to create yogurt inspired by traditional Turkish recipes rather than typical American-style yogurt. To this end, he employed Mustafa Dogan, an expert Turkish yogurt maker, dedicating nearly two years to perfecting their formulation. Producing strained yogurt required specialized equipment; thus Ulukaya invested $50,000 to acquire a used milk separator from Wisconsin—a machine that had not been part of the Kraft facility’s assets. During this period, he developed the brand name "Chobani," which originates from the Turkish word çoban, meaning shepherd.

Chobani’s yogurt was crafted without any preservatives. Due to limited marketing budgets, Ulukaya prioritized innovative packaging design by introducing a distinctive bowl-shaped container that helped set the product apart in retail settings.

Launch

In October 2007, Ulukaya dispatched his initial shipment of Chobani—several hundred cases—to a Long Island grocer, who placed a reorder the following week. Lacking funds for conventional slotting fees, he compensated stores with yogurt and arranged to settle fees gradually as sales occurred. Additionally, he implemented in-store sampling to stimulate immediate purchases. Due to limited marketing budgets, Ulukaya’s team connected directly with customers through bloggers, Facebook, and Twitter. In 2010, the CHOmobile sampling truck was introduced, distributing 150,000 complimentary yogurt cups at festivals and events across the U.S. during its inaugural year.

Expansion

Following Chobani’s inclusion in BJ's and Costco stores in 2009, annual sales doubled consistently through 2013. In December 2012, the company inaugurated a $450 million facility in Twin Falls, Idaho—recognized as the largest yogurt factory worldwide. That same year, Chobani exceeded $1 billion in annual revenue and secured its position as the top global yogurt brand. By 2017, it commanded over half of the U.S. Greek yogurt market share. The brand expanded internationally with launches in Australia (2011) and Mexico (2016), and by 2021 had begun exporting to China, Malaysia, and Thailand.

On April 26, 2016, Ulukaya revealed plans to allocate 10% ownership of Chobani to employees, underscoring his dedication to shared company prosperity.

La Colombe Coffee Roasters

In mid-2015, Ulukaya became the principal investor in La Colombe Coffee Roasters.

Anchor Brewing

It was announced on May 31, 2024, that Hamdi Ulukaya had acquired Anchor Brewing with intentions to resume its operations. The purchase took place in June 2023 and was conducted independently from Chobani.

Business philosophy

Ulukaya believes that elevating wages leads to enhanced corporate performance.

In a discussion with Ernst and Young Global chairman & CEO Mark Weinberger, he highlighted that companies should cultivate a sense of purpose while prioritizing humanity alongside profitability.

When launching Chobani’s second yogurt facility in Twin Falls, Idaho, Ulukaya initiated a job training collaboration with the College of Southern Idaho and the Chobani Foundation. He actively supports local community programs such as the Southern Idaho Children's Learning Center and Twin Falls Rapids Soccer Club.

By 2017, Chobani’s Twin Falls plant—the world’s largest yogurt production site—addressed workforce shortages by partnering with Idaho colleges for specialized technical training. The company compensated employees at roughly twice the minimum wage and increased starting pay to $15 per hour by spring 2021.

In late 2017, Chobani repositioned itself as a "food-focused wellness company," accompanied by refreshed packaging designs. That same year, it introduced six weeks of paid parental leave inclusive of adoption, foster care, and same-sex couples—drawing inspiration from Ulukaya’s own experiences.

Ulukaya attracted media spotlight in 2017 through features in Fast Company and CBSNews' 60 Minutes, showcasing his business model and philanthropic efforts. In 2018, he appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Good Morning America to celebrate Chobani’s tenth anniversary as a nationwide brand distributing yogurt across the country.

In April 2019, Ulukaya presented a TED Talk entitled "The anti-CEO playbook." Subsequently, in June 2019, he launched Milk Matters to bolster American dairy farming practices through collaboration with Fair Trade USA on certification standards for the industry.

Amidst rising food costs, Ulukaya publicly criticized companies prioritizing profits over social responsibility. He urged businesses not to transfer inflationary expenses onto consumers without reducing prices when costs decline. He remains devoted to producing affordable, wholesome foods made from natural ingredients.

Philanthropy

Since the inception of Chobani, Ulukaya has allocated 10% of the company's net earnings to philanthropic initiatives. In 2010, he created the Chobani Foundation (initially known as the Chobani Shepherd's Gift Foundation) to oversee these charitable activities. The foundation's donations have aided famine relief efforts in Somalia and supported cultural endeavors such as New York City's Sing for Hope piano installations.

Ulukaya committed to donating the majority of his fortune—valued at a minimum of $700 million at that time—to assist Kurdish refugees and displaced populations worldwide. In 2014, he contributed $2 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and has backed Muslim organizations connected to Iraq and Syria. He also became a signatory of The Giving Pledge, vowing to give away the bulk of his $1.4 billion net worth.

In 2015, Ulukaya traveled to Lesbos, Greece, to directly observe the conditions faced by Syrian refugees and subsequently founded the Tent Foundation to provide global refugee support. Reflecting his commitment to integration, Chobani has employed refugees at its production facilities in New York and Idaho. That same year, he took part in the World Economic Forum in Davos, advocating for expanded refugee assistance and encouraging business leaders to increase their engagement.

Ulukaya joined the Special Olympics International Board of Directors in 2016, contributing to international policy development alongside other prominent figures. In 2017, he initiated the Hamdi Ulukaya Initiative (HUG), a $5 million investment over five years aimed at empowering Turkish entrepreneurs through training programs.

In 2019, following public concern over "lunch shaming" policies in Rhode Island’s Warwick school district, Ulukaya paid $77,000 to eliminate outstanding student lunch debts. More recently, in 2023, he pledged $2 million to support relief efforts after the Turkey–Syria earthquake.

Recognition

In April 2014, President Barack Obama appointed Ulukaya as one of the first members of the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE), a select group of 11 business executives dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship both nationally and internationally. He has served on the Upstate Regional Advisory Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and held the position of vice chair on the corporate fund board for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Additionally, Ulukaya is a board member of the Pathfinder Village Foundation located in Edmeston, New York.

Honors

• Outstanding Business Award from Fulton County Economic Development Corp. (2008)
• The Business Review 40 Under Forty Award (2009)
• Inductee into the American Advertising Federation Advertising Hall of Achievement (2011)
• Entrepreneurial Success of the Year Award from Small Business Administration (2012)
• Ernst & Young U.S. Entrepreneur of the Year (2012)
• Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award recipient (2013)
• Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year (2013)
• Brand Genius Award in Consumer Packaged Goods from Adweek (2013)
• Honorary Doctorates in Humane Letters from Colgate University, Sage Colleges, and University at Albany (2013–2014)
• Culinary Institute of America Leadership Award for Health and Wellness (2014)
• Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship designation (2014)
• UN Global Leadership Award recipient (2015)
• Corporate Leadership Award from Children's Aid Society (2015)
• Humanitarian honor from American Turkish Society recognizing Syrian refugee relief efforts (2015)
• Eminent Advocate recognition from UNHCR (2016)
• Voices of Courage Corporate Leadership Award from Women's Refugee Committee (2016)
• Christensen Prize from Disruptor Awards (2016; also received in 2013)
• Included in Time magazine's list of 100 Most Influential People worldwide (2017)
• Featured on Fast Company cover as an exemplar of modern leadership (2017)
• Recognized by Fortune magazine among 50 companies transforming the world (2017)
• Selected by Forbes as one of its top 100 business minds during its centennial celebration
• Listed among Fast Company's 50 Most Innovative Companies (2017)
• Recipient of Save the Children Humanitarian Award (2017)
• Named one of Foreign Policy magazine's Global Thinkers (2017)
• Awarded the Ripple of Hope Award by Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights (2017)
• Identified by National Retail Federation as a key figure shaping retail’s future (2018)
• Accepted Chobani’s Salute to Greatness Award from The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (2018)
• Honored with Refugees International McCall-Pierpaoli Humanitarian Award (2018)
• Conferred an Honorary Ph.D. in Humane Letters from University of Pennsylvania (2018)
• Recipient of the Charles de Ferry de Fontnouvelle Award presented by Lycée Français de New York (2019)
• Granted Honorary Doctorates from Boise State University and Southern Methodist University (2019)
• Oslo Business for Peace Award winner from Business for Peace Foundation (2019)
• Received Courage Against Hate Award from Anti-Defamation League (2019)
• First recipient of the Global Citizen Prize for Business Leader category (2019)
• Earned an Honorary Ph.D. in Global Entrepreneurship from Northeastern University (2022)

Personal life

Ulukaya makes his home in New Berlin, New York, close to Chobani's headquarters and its South Edmeston production facility. During the late 1990s, he was briefly married to Ayşe Giray, a physician based in New York City. In 2012, Giray filed a lawsuit against Ulukaya, seeking a 53 percent ownership stake in Chobani on the grounds that her family had provided him with $500,000 to support the business; the dispute was ultimately resolved through a confidential settlement. Allegations that Ulukaya had appropriated yogurt recipes were investigated and subsequently dismissed as baseless. He attained billionaire status in the early part of the 2010s.

In 2015, Ulukaya and Alida Boer welcomed their son, Aga. He later wed Louise Vongerichten in January 2018; she is the co-founder and president of the Food Dreams Foundation, founder of the eco-friendly children's apparel brand Mon Coeur, and daughter of renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

In addition to his residence in New Berlin, Ulukaya operates offices in Manhattan and Twin Falls, Idaho, where Chobani's largest yogurt manufacturing plant is located.

A passionate supporter of Fenerbahçe and a close associate of club president Ali Koç, Ulukaya sponsors both the team’s jerseys and stadium naming rights, contributing approximately 20 million Euros each year.

External links

• 2014 Keynote speech (interview) at Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year ceremony (53 minutes)