Julie Smolyansky
Julie Smolyansky | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1975 Kyiv, Ukraine |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, CEO |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Known for | CEO of Lifeway Foods |
Julie Smolyansky (born 1975) is a Ukrainian-American entrepreneur who leads the Illinois-based dairy enterprise Lifeway Foods as its CEO.
Life and career
Smolyansky was born in Kyiv, Ukraine, to Jewish parents Ludmila and Michael Smolyansky. Her family relocated to the United States when she was just one year old. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1996.
Her father established Lifeway Foods, a kefir-producing company, in 1986. Julie entered the family business in 1997 and assumed the role of CEO at 27 following her father's passing in 2002, becoming the youngest CEO of a publicly traded company at that time. Alongside her brother, who serves as CFO, she transformed Lifeway into a global enterprise, increasing annual revenue from $12 million to $130 million by 2015.
In 2014, Smolyansky was recognized on Fortune's prestigious 40 under 40 list.
Philanthropy
Smolyansky has held board positions with the Anti-Defamation League, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, and the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center.
Her philanthropic efforts include advocacy against sexual violence, particularly through supporting films that highlight abuse against girls in Muslim-majority nations. Additionally, she co-founded Test400k, a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the backlog of 400,000 untested rape kits across the United States and working to end violence targeting women.