Hamdi Ulukaya

Hamdi Ulukaya was born to a dairy-farming Kurdish{{cite news|title=Greek yogurt billionaire fills his plants with refugees|url=https://money.cnn.com/video/news/2015/09/21/chobani-ceo-hamdi-ulukaya-fills-his-plants-with-refugees.cnnmoney/|access-date=23 March 2016}}{{cite news|title=An immigrant himself, Chobani yogurt founder becomes icon for refugees|url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/10/turkey-usa-kurdish-immigrant-becomes-icon-for-refugees.html|access-date=23 March 2016}}{{cite news|title=Chobani billionaire shares wealth and experience with Kurdistan|url=http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/25072015|access-date=23 March 2016}} family in 1972 in İliç, a small village in Turkey's Erzincan Province. He had six siblings and his family owned and operated a sheep, goat, and dairy farm near the Euphrates River in İliç, Erzincan Province, where they made cheese and yogurt.Gross, Daniel. [http://mag.newsweek.com/2013/06/12/the-turkish-shepherd-behind-chobani.html "It's All Greek to Him: Chobani's Unlikely Success Story"]. Newsweek. 12 June 2013.Weisul, Kimberly. [http://www.inc.com/kimberly-weisul/chobanis-hamdi-ulukaya-dairy-boy-made-good.html "How Turkish 'Dairy Boy' Hamdi Ulukaya Started $600 Million Chobani"]. Inc. 17 October 2012.Mead, Rebecca. [http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/11/04/just-add-sugar "Just Add Sugar: How an immigrant from Turkey turned Greek yogurt into an American snack food"], The New Yorker. 4 November 2013. The family often led a seasonally semi-nomadic existence tending and herding their flocks. Ulukaya is uncertain of his exact birth date because he was born during one of the family's mountain treks, although he uses 26 October as his birthday.

After studying political science at Ankara University, in 1994 Ulukaya moved to the United States to study English at Adelphi University on Long Island, New York.[https://web.archive.org/web/20140124164749/http://www.colgate.edu/offices-and-services/commencement/speakers "Honorary Degree Recipients: Hamdi Ulukaya, Doctor of Humane Letters"]. Colgate University, 2013. Colgate.edu. In 1997 he moved upstate and transferred to the University at Albany, State University of New York where he enrolled in a few business courses.Prasso, Sheridan. [https://money.cnn.com/2011/11/29/smallbusiness/chobani_yogurt_hamdi_ulukaya.fortune/index.htm "Chobani: The unlikely king of yogurt"], Fortune. 12 December 2011.

He ended up taking a job on an upstate farm. During a visit, his father persuaded Ulukaya to import the family's feta cheese from Turkey, after tasting the inferior cheese available locally. When the imported cheese proved popular, Ulukaya opened a small wholesale feta cheese plant of his own, called Euphrates, in Johnstown, New York in 2002.Fifield, Anna. [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fe252dc2-a07b-11e2-a6e1-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2kiqtoyLa "Founder follows his gut instincts"]. Financial Times. 9 April 2013. The venture was modestly successful but by the two-year mark it had just barely broken even. Ulukaya later recalled, "It was two years of the most challenging days of my life."

File:Portrait of Hamdi Ulukaya.jpg

In the spring of 2005, Ulukaya noticed a piece of junk mail advertising a fully equipped yogurt factory for sale in South Edmeston, New York, {{convert|65|mi}} west of his feta cheese factory. The 84-year-old factory had been closed by Kraft Foods.Gruley, Bryan. [https://web.archive.org/web/20130201200602/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-01-31/at-chobani-the-turkish-king-of-greek-yogurt "At Chobani, the Turkish King of Greek Yogurt"]. BusinessWeek. 31 January 2013. Although he initially threw the flier away, Ulukaya toured the plant the following day and decided to buy it, against the advice of his attorney and business advisor. Ulukaya financed the purchase within five months with a loan from the Small Business Administration, plus local business-incentive grants.Needleman, Sarah E. [https://www.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303379204577476974123310582 "Old Factory, Snap Decision Spawn Greek-Yogurt Craze"]. Wall Street Journal. 20 June 2012. He initially named his new company Agro Farma, and hired a handful of the former Kraft employees.

Ulukaya decided to make an alternative to American-style yogurt, preferring the yogurt he grew up with in Turkey.Ulukaya, Hamdi. [http://www.scorela.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Growing-a-Start-Up-without-Outside-Investors-Chobani-Oct-2013.pdf "Chobani's Founder on Growing a Start-Up Without Outside Investors"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304001028/http://www.scorela.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Growing-a-Start-Up-without-Outside-Investors-Chobani-Oct-2013.pdf|date=4 March 2016}}. Harvard Business Review. October 2013. (alternate posting: [http://hbr.org/2013/10/chobanis-founder-on-growing-a-start-up-without-outside-investors/ar/1]). He hired a yogurt master from Turkey, Mustafa Dogan, with whom he spent nearly two years developing his own yogurt recipe. To manufacture strained yogurt, Ulukaya needed a million-dollar commercial machine called a milk separator, which the American-style Kraft factory did not have. He found a used one in Wisconsin and negotiated to buy it for $50,000. On his trip to pick up the separator, the name "Chobani", a variation of çoban, the Turkish word for shepherd occurred to him.

Ulukaya made Chobani yogurt without preservatives.[https://www.bloomberg.com/video/69182574-agro-farma-s-ulukaya-interview-about-chobani-yogurt.html "Agro-Farma's Ulukaya Interview About Chobani Yogurt"]. Bloomberg TV. 29 April 2011. Since he could not afford advertising, he invested time and money on the product's packaging, using a distinctive new bowl-style shape to differentiate the brand.

In October 2007, he shipped his first order of Chobani, a few hundred cases, to a grocer on Long Island. The store repeated the order the following week.

Ulukaya's early business approach included strategies larger companies did not use. Rather than pay stores a slotting fee, which his start-up company could not afford, he paid stores in yogurt rather than in cash to stock his wares. He also negotiated to pay off the slotting fees over time as the yogurt sold.Walden, Mark. [http://news.colgate.edu/2013/04/chobani-creator-tells-his-story-at-entrepreneur-weekend.html "Hamdi Ulukaya tells his story at Entrepreneur Weekend"], Colgate University – Colgate News. Colgate.edu. 8 April 2013. He also implemented in-store samples so customers could taste the product and purchase it immediately.Pride, William; Hughes, Robert; Kapoor, Jack. [https://books.google.com/books?id=5ZSxykh6Hx0C&pg=PA395 Business]. Cengage Learning, 2013. p. 395. Lacking the budget for traditional marketing, after hearing customers phoning in to say that they loved Chobani, Ulukaya had his small team reach out to bloggers, Facebook, and Twitter to have constant and direct communication with consumers. In 2010 he also created a sampling truck, the CHOmobile, which handed out free cups of Chobani yogurt at festivals, parades, and other family-friendly events all over the U.S.[http://www.psfk.com/2013/04/hamdi-ulukaya-psfk-2013.html "Chobani Founder: Why Quality & Community Are they Keys To Brand Success"]. PSFK.com. April 2013.[http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/features/2013/mar13/03-19chobani.aspx "Chobani Increases Its Appetite for Business Growth With Microsoft Technologies"]. Microsoft News Center. 19 March 2013. In its first year, the sample truck gave away 150,000 full-size containers of Chobani.Walters, Kath. [http://leadingcompany.smartcompany.com.au/execution/cmi-industrial-door-closes-chobani-australia-opens/20120503916 "CMI Industrial door closes, Chobani Australia opens"] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20140310095650/http://leadingcompany.smartcompany.com.au/execution/cmi-industrial-door-closes-chobani-australia-opens/20120503916 |date=10 March 2014}}. Leading Company. 3 May 2012.

After BJ's and Costco began carrying Chobani in 2009, the company doubled its sales every year through 2013.Grenoble, Ryan. [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/14/hamdi-ulukaya-chobani-billionaire_n_1884598.html "Hamdi Ulukaya, Chobani Yogurt Founder, One Of The World's Newest Billionaires"]. Huffington Post. 14 September 2012. In December 2012 the company opened the world's largest yogurt factory in Twin Falls, Idaho, a $450 million investment.Strom, Stephanie. [https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/17/business/chobani-to-open-huge-yogurt-factory-in-idaho.html "U.S. Hunger for Yogurt Leads to Gigantic Factory"]. The New York Times. 16 December 2012. In 2012 Chobani had more than $1 billion in annual sales,Pride, William; Hughes, Robert; Kapoor, Jack. [https://books.google.com/books?id=SubKAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT250 Foundations of Business]. Cengage Learning, 2014. p. 232.[http://www.foodprocessing.com/industrynews/2013/chobani-hires-new-executives/ "Chobani Hires Two Top Executives"]. FoodProcessing.com. 12 July 2013. and in 2012 it became the world's leading yogurt brand. By 2017, Chobani reached a US market share of Greek yogurt of over 50%.{{Cite web |last=Shabandeh |first=M. |date=5 November 2018 |title=Greek yogurt market share of Chobani in the U.S., 2017 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/268342/greek-yogurt-market-share-of-chobani-in-the-us/ |access-date=8 March 2022 |website=Statista}} Chobani expanded internationally to Australia in 2011,{{Cite web |last=Commission |first=Australian Trade and Investment |title=Chobani tastes success in Australia's thriving foo |url=https://www.austrade.gov.au/news/success-stories/chobani-tastes-success-in-australia-s-thriving-food-manufacturing-industry |access-date=8 March 2022 |website=www.austrade.gov.au}} into Mexico in 2016{{cite press release |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/llega-a-mexico-chobani-la-marca-1-de-yogurt-estilo-griego-en-los-estados-unidos-591412031.html |title=Llega a México Chobani, la marca #1 de yogurt estilo griego en los Estados Unidos |date=26 August 2016 |work=PR Newswire |access-date=26 August 2016 |location=Mexico}} and by 2021 it exported also to China, Malaysia and Thailand.

On 26 April 2016, Ulukaya announced to his employees that he would be giving them 10% of the shares in Chobani.{{cite web |last1=KIM |first1=SUSANNA |date=27 April 2016 |title=Chobani CEO Surprises Employees With Ownership Stake in the Company |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Business/chobani-ceo-surprises-employees-ownership-stake-company/story?id=38684240 |website=ABC News}}

File:ChobaniLaColombe 224.tif

In mid-2015 Ulukaya became the majority investor in La Colombe Coffee Roasters.{{cite web|last1=STROM|first1=STEPHANIE|title=Chobani's Founder Sees Opportunity in a Coffee Insurgent|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/10/business/chobanis-founder-sees-opportunity-in-a-coffee-insurgent.html|work=The New York Times|access-date=29 February 2016|date=9 August 2015}}

On May 31, 2024 it was announced that Hamdi Ulukaya was purchasing Anchor Brewing and was planning to re-open its operations.{{Cite news |last=Dineen |first=J.K. |date=May 31, 2024 |title=Anchor Brewing has been bought by billionaire behind Chobani. Here are his plans |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/anchor-brewing-sold-chobani-19486437.php |website=San Francisco Chronicle}} He acquired this brewery in June 2023 separate from Chobani.https://www.inc.com/kim-jao/chobani-founder-hamdi-ulukaya-acquired-americas-oldest-craft-brewery.html

Ulukaya has stated that higher wages for employees leads to greater corporate success.{{cite web|last1=Ulukaya|first1=Hamdi|title=Chobani founder: Higher wages important to our success|url=https://money.cnn.com/2016/03/31/news/economy/chobani-minimum-wage/index.html|publisher=CNN Money|access-date=13 April 2016|date=31 March 2016}}

In an interview with Ernst and Young Global chairman & CEO Mark Weinberger, Ulukaya said that businessmen should promote a sense of purpose in their corporate culture to create a climate of positive change in business and the world. He stated that companies should focus on humanity and not just on their bottom lines.{{cite web|last1=Weinberger|first1=Mark A.|title=Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder and CEO, Chobani, Inc. and EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2013 Award winner, interviewed by Mark A. Weinberger, EY Global Chairman & CEO|url=http://www.ey.com/US/en/Services/Strategic-Growth-Markets/Strategic-Growth-Forum-Agenda-2013-EVTD-USDD-98SMD9|website=EY: Building a Better Working World|access-date=13 April 2016}}

When Ulukaya opened his second yogurt manufacturing plant in Twin Falls, Idaho, he created a job training program together with the College of Southern Idaho and the Chobani Foundation (formerly known as Shepherd's Gift Foundation.) He has also worked to improve the community in Twin Falls by supporting the Southern Idaho Children's Learning Center, Twin Falls Rapids Soccer Club, and other community programs.{{cite web|title=Chobani Opens World's Largest Yogurt Manufacturing Plant in Idaho|url=http://www.reliableplant.com/Read/29207/chobani-yogurt-manufacturing|publisher=Reliable Plant|access-date=13 April 2016}}

In March 2017 The New York Times reported Ulukaya's efforts to work with Idaho colleges to offer technical training for workers to solve the area's labor shortage. The Chobani yogurt plant in Twin Falls is the largest in the world and pays its workers in the area on average twice minimum wage.{{cite news|last1=Johnson|first1=Kirk|title=An Idaho Town Bucks the Perception of Rural Struggle|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/03/us/a-small-idaho-town-bucks-the-perception-of-rural-struggle.html?_r=0|access-date=26 April 2017|work=The New York Times|date=3 April 2017}} Additionally, he raised the starting wage to $15 per hour as of spring 2021.{{Cite press release|last=LLC|first=Chobani|title=Chobani Increases Starting Wage to At Least $15 Per Hour|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chobani-increases-starting-wage-to-at-least-15-per-hour-301159656.html|access-date=24 November 2021|website=www.prnewswire.com}}

In the fall of 2017, Chobani announced a brand evolution that featured new packaging and positioned the company as a "food-focused wellness company".{{Cite news|title=Chobani gets new look and hints at going beyond yogurt|work=AP News|url=https://apnews.com/071f8e4f0a7d4691a0b70b437139a79f/Chobani-gets-new-look-and-hints-at-going-beyond-yogurt|access-date=7 May 2018}}

In 2017, Chobani started offering six weeks of paid leave to new parents as a result of Ulukaya's own experience when his son was born in 2015. The policy ensures that Chobani employees have the needed time to bond with their newborns, and it covers adoption, foster care and same-sex couples as well.{{Cite web |author=Richardson |first=Denise |date=5 October 2016 |title=Chobani offers crew paid child leave |url=https://www.thedailystar.com/news/local_news/chobani-offers-crew-paid-child-leave/article_afd2acef-f7b1-5465-9dc7-910be50ba589.html |access-date=19 May 2019 |website=The Daily Star}}

In March 2017, Ulukaya was featured on the cover of Fast Company magazine. The cover story was titled "How Chobani's Hamdi Ulukaya Is Winning America's Culture War".{{Cite web|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3068681/how-chobani-founder-hamdi-ulukaya-is-winning-americas-culture-war|title=How Chobani's Hamdi Ulukaya Is Winning America's Culture War|last=Brunner|first=Rob|date=20 March 2017|website=Fast Company|access-date=4 June 2019}} Later that spring, Ulukaya was featured by CBSNews' 60 Minutes on 9 April 2017, in a segment called "Chief of Chobani" that focused on his approach to business and philanthropy.{{cite web|last1=Kroft|first1=Steve|title=Chobani's billionaire founder on creating jobs in America|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/chobani-yogurt-billionaire-founder-on-creating-jobs-in-america/|work=CBS News|date=9 April 2017 |access-date=26 April 2017}}

In the spring of 2018, Ulukaya appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show{{Cite news|date=16 February 2018|title=Ellen and The Chobani Foundation Make a Huge Donation to W M Irvin Elementary School!|work=ellentube.com|url=https://www.ellentube.com/article/ellen-and-the-chobani-foundation-make-a-huge-donation-to-w-m-irvin-elementary-school.html|access-date=7 May 2018}} and Good Morning America{{Cite web|author=|title=Video: Chobani CEO discusses the company's campaign with No Kid Hungry on 'GMA'|url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Living/video/chobani-ceo-discusses-companys-campaign-kid-hungry-gma-53378056|access-date=7 May 2018|website=ABC News}} to announce that the company was celebrating its 10th anniversary as a national brand by giving a Chobani yogurt to every person in America.

In April 2019, Ulukaya gave a TED Talk on the TED conference main stage in Vancouver, entitled "The anti-CEO playbook".{{Citation|last=Ulukaya|first=Hamdi|title=The anti-CEO playbook|date=22 May 2019 |url=https://www.ted.com/talks/hamdi_ulukaya_the_anti_ceo_playbook|access-date=4 June 2019}}

In June 2019, Ulukaya launched Milk Matters, a program to support the future of dairy farming in America. Part of the program includes a new collaboration with Fair Trade USA to explore developing the first standard and certification program of the dairy industry.{{Cite news|last=Corkery|first=Michael|date=2 July 2019|title=Chobani Turns to Fair-Trade Program to Help Struggling Dairy Industry|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/02/business/chobani-fair-trade-yogurt-dairy.html|access-date=9 February 2020|issn=0362-4331}}

In the wake of growing food prices, Ulukaya criticized food makers for passing on rising costs to their consumers. Ulukaya criticized companies for chasing profits and stated that they need to focus on social responsibility. Ulukaya stated that businesses were more than happy to raise prices during inflation but slow to bring them back down when costs drop.{{cite news |last1=Koehn |first1=Emma |date=14 May 2023 |title=Look beyond profits: Chobani founder's message to food makers |work=The Age |url=https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/look-beyond-profits-chobani-founder-s-message-to-food-makers-20230510-p5d79d.html |access-date=14 May 2023}} Ulukaya has been committed to making affordable and nutritious foods using only natural ingredients.Dieken, Connie. [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/connie-dieken/the-top-influencers-alive_b_1161344.html "The Top Influencers Alive: 10 Breakout Influencers of 2011"]. Huffington Post. 26 December 2011.

From establishing Chobani, Ulukaya has given 10% of his company's net profits to charitable causes.Craig, Victoria. [http://www.foxbusiness.com/business-leaders/2014/02/18/chobani-founder-american-dream-happened-to-me/ "Chobani Founder: The American Dream Happened to Me"], FOX Business. 18 February 2014.[http://www.sba.gov/offices/district/ny/syracuse/success-stories/chobani-selected-sbas-2012-national-entrepreneurial-success-year "Chobani Selected as SBA's 2012 National Entrepreneurial Success of the Year"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911001653/http://www.sba.gov/offices/district/ny/syracuse/success-stories/chobani-selected-sbas-2012-national-entrepreneurial-success-year|date=11 September 2014}}. Small Business Administration. May 2012. In 2010 he established the company's charitable arm, the Chobani Shepherd's Gift Foundation, now called the Chobani Foundation, to manage this philanthropy.Malone, Chris and Susan T. Fiske. [https://books.google.com/books?id=wfbUAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA83 The Human Brand: How We Relate to People, Products, and Companies]. John Wiley & Sons, 2013. p. 83.[http://www.dandb.com/businessdirectory/chobanishepherdsgiftfoundationinc-norwich-ny-28808979.html Chobani Shepherd's Gift Foundation, Inc.]. Dun & Bradstreet.[http://www.chobani.com/foundation Chobani Foundation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160103142649/http://www.chobani.com/foundation|date=3 January 2016}}. Chobani.com. Donations have included major grants to support famine relief efforts in Somalia, and to underwrite the New York City Pianos project launched by Sing for Hope.Cordon-Bouzan, Carolina. [http://www.dclifemagazine.com/health--body/philanthropic-foodies/ "Philanthropic Foodies"]. DC Life Magazine. 5 August 2013.[https://www.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20130530-911926.html "Third Annual Sing for Hope Pianos Begins This Weekend in New York City"]. Wall Street Journal. 30 May 2013.

Ulukaya pledged to donate most of his wealth, at the time of the pledge at least 700 million dollars, to help the Kurdish refugees, as well as refugees from all around the world.{{cite news |last1=Toprak |first1=Ergulen |date=29 May 2015 |title=Chobani's founder Ulukaya donates $700 million to refugees |url=https://ergulentoprak.wordpress.com/2015/05/29/chobanis-founder-ulukaya-donates-700-million-to-refugees/ |agency=MyReports}}

In 2014 Ulukaya pledged to donate $2 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He has also donated to many Muslim charities associated with Iraq and Syria and has explored philanthropic avenues for helping refugees around the world. He signed up for The Giving Pledge, a philanthropic initiative by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates.{{Cite web|last=Barbieri|first=Rich|date=31 May 2015|title=Chobani founder latest to make the Buffett-Gates billionaire pledge|url=https://money.cnn.com/2015/05/31/news/warren-buffett-bill-melinda-gates-giving-pledge/index.html|access-date=7 April 2021|website=CNNMoney}}

File:20160123 ulukaya-hamburg 01 LoRes.jpg

Ulukaya visited the Greek island of Lesbos in September 2015 to see first-hand the situation of the mostly Syrian refugees there.{{cite web|last1=Young|first1=Robin|last2=Hobson|first2=Jeremy|title=Chobani CEO Pledges Help To Refugees In Europe|url=http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2015/09/23/chobani-refugees|website=here & Now|publisher=WBUR|access-date=29 February 2016|date=23 September 2015}} In 2015 he launched the Tent Foundation to help refugees.{{cite web|last1=Horowitz|first1=Jake|title=Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya Has a Message on Refugees Every Business Needs to Hear|url=http://mic.com/articles/134406/chobani-ceo-hamdi-ulukaya-has-a-message-on-refugees-every-business-needs-to-hear#.cKdkcT8Qr|website=World.Mic|access-date=29 February 2016|date=5 February 2016}} At Chobani's plants in Upstate New York and Idaho, Ulukaya has long hired refugees from around the world from regions across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

In 2015, Ulukaya attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and launched several new initiatives to help refugees while also encouraging world and business leaders to do more.{{cite web|title=Famous Faces at Davos 2016|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/famous-faces-at-davos-2016/10/|website=CBS Money Watch|publisher=CBS News|access-date=29 February 2016|date=20 January 2016}}{{cite web|last1=BENMAYOR|first1=GİLA|title=The Chobani effect in the refugee crisis|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/the-chobani-effect-in-the-refugee-crisis.aspx?pageID=449&nID=94626&NewsCatID=402|website=hurriyetdailynews.com|publisher=Daily News|access-date=29 February 2016|date=2 February 2016}}

In 2016, Ulukaya was invited to join the Special Olympics International Board of Directors.{{cite web|title=Special Olympics Announces New Members to International Board of Directors|url=http://www.specialolympics.org/RegionsPages/content.aspx?id=38665|publisher=Special Olympics|access-date=20 March 2016}} He is part of the volunteer Board of Directors which determines international policy along with other business leaders, sport leaders, professional athletes, educators and others.{{cite web|title=Our Board of Directors|url=http://www.specialolympics.org/Sections/Who_We_Are/Board_of_Directors_Bio.aspx|publisher=Special Olympics International|access-date=20 March 2016}}

In July 2017, Ulukaya launched the Hamdi Ulukaya Initiative (HUG) to train Turkish entrepreneurs who are running existing startups or planning on starting a new venture. HUG has a $5 million budget over five years.{{Cite web|last=Bosilkovski|first=Igor|date=7 July 2017|title=Billionaire Hamdi Ulukaya's Chobani To Spend $5 Million To Train, Assist Young Turkish Entrepreneurs|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/igorbosilkovski/2017/07/07/billionaire-hamdi-ulukayas-chobani-to-spend-5-million-to-train-assist-young-turkish-entrepreneurs/|access-date=15 May 2019|website=Forbes}}

In May 2019, it was reported that the Warwick school district in Rhode Island would be instituting a policy whereby students who had outstanding school lunch debt would only be served sunflower seed butter and jelly sandwiches, causing an uproar that they were essentially "school lunch shaming" students who had delinquent accounts, aside from denying them nutritionally balanced lunches. Many of these families were struggling and this was harmful to the students on many levels. Ulukaya stepped in and paid the US$77,000 to cover all the students' outstanding school lunch debt.{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailykos.com/story/2019/5/9/1856583/-Chobani-Yogurt-announces-it-will-pay-off-all-of-Rhode-Island-district-s-school-lunch-debt|title=Chobani Yogurt announces it will pay off all of Rhode Island Warwick School District's lunch debt|website=Daily Kos|access-date=29 May 2019}}

In 2023, Ulukaya pledged to donate $2 million to relief efforts for the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake.{{cite news |url=https://apnews.com/article/politics-syria-government-turkey-business-435d133d501e350a2e518623824afbf6 |title=Fundraisers for Syria, Turkey earthquake try to deliver aid |last=Beaty |first=Thalia |website=Associated Press |date=11 February 2023 |access-date=12 February 2023}}

In April 2014 he was named by President Barack Obama as an inaugural member of the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE) initiative – 11 selected business leaders who will encourage entrepreneurship in the U.S. and abroad.Harrison, J.D. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/on-small-business/meet-obamas-new-ambassadors-for-entrepreneurship/2014/04/07/8cd6457c-be91-11e3-b574-f8748871856a_story.html "Meet Obama's new ambassadors for entrepreneurship"]. Washington Post. 8 April 2014.

Ulukaya was a member of the Upstate Regional Advisory Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York,[http://www.newyorkfed.org/aboutthefed/ag_upstateny_regional.html Upstate New York Regional Advisory Board]. Federal Reserve Bank of New York.[http://www.newyorkfed.org/aboutthefed/annual/annual13/annual.pdf 2013 Annual Report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140626020227/http://newyorkfed.org/aboutthefed/annual/annual13/annual.pdf |date=26 June 2014}}. Federal Reserve Bank of New York. and previously was vice chair of the corporate fund board of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.[http://www.kennedy-center.org/support/corporate/corpboard.html Corporate Support: The 2014 Corporate Fund Board]. The Kennedy Center. He is on the board of the Pathfinder Village (Community for Down Syndrome) Foundation in Edmeston, New York.[http://pathfindervillage.org/about-us/our-board/ Pathfinder Village Foundation Board]. PathfinderVillage.org.

• Fulton County Economic Development Corp.'s Outstanding Business Award 2008McAvoy, Kerry and Michael Anich. [http://www.leaderherald.com/page/content.detail/id/501468.html "Outstanding Business Award: Euphrates receives EDC's award at Saturday event"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910195747/http://www.leaderherald.com/page/content.detail/id/501468.html |date=10 September 2014}}. The Leader-Herald. 6 April 2008.
• The Business Review{{'}}s 40 Under Forty Award of 2009[http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2009/12/14/daily41.html?page=all "40 Under Forty: Hamdi Ulukaya"]. Albany Business Review. 17 December 2009.
• American Advertising Federation's Advertising Hall of Achievement (inducted 2011)[http://www.aaf.org/default.asp?id=82 Advertising Hall of Achievement Members] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111012112407/http://aaf.org/default.asp?id=82 |date=12 October 2011}}. American Advertising Federation.
• Small Business Administration's 2012 Entrepreneurial Success of the Year AwardByrne, Dennis. [http://www.sba.gov/content/sba-honors-small-business-champions "SBA Honors Small Business Champions"]. Small Business Administration. 22 May 2012.
• Ernst & Young U.S. Entrepreneur of the Year 2012[http://www.ey.com/US/en/Newsroom/News-releases/News_National-EOY-2012-Retail-and-Consumer-Products-Award-Winner-and-Overall-Award-Winner "Nothing But Good: Chobani Founder Hamdi Ulukaya Named EY National Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2012 Retail and Consumer Products Award Winner and Overall Award Winner"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221943/http://www.ey.com/US/en/Newsroom/News-releases/News_National-EOY-2012-Retail-and-Consumer-Products-Award-Winner-and-Overall-Award-Winner |date=3 March 2016}}. Ernst & Young. 17 November 2012.
• Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards (2013)[http://www.tribecadisruptiveinnovationawards.com/hamdi-ulukaya/ Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards 2013: Hamdi Ulukaya] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150115163110/http://www.tribecadisruptiveinnovationawards.com/hamdi-ulukaya/ |date=15 January 2015}}. Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards. April 2013.
• Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year 2013[http://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/chobani-founder-named-world-entrepreneur-2013 "Chobani Founder Named World Entrepreneur 2013"]. QSR Magazine. 17 June 2013.
• Brand Genius Award from Adweek in 2013, in the Consumer Packaged Goods category{{Cite news|url=http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/adweek-s-2013-brand-genius-awards-152581/|title=Adweek's 2013 Brand Genius Awards|access-date=21 December 2017}}
• Sing for Hope honoree at 2013 Art for All Gala{{Cite news|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Flash-Melissa-Errico-Matt-Polenzani-and-More-at-Sing-for-Hopes-2013-ART-FOR-ALL-Gala-20131031|title=Photo Flash: Melissa Errico, Matt Polenzani, and More at Sing for Hope's 2013 ART FOR ALL Gala|author=|work=BroadwayWorld.com|access-date=21 December 2017}}
• Honorary Ph.D. in Humane Letters from Colgate University (2013)
• Honorary Ph.D. in Humane Letters from the Sage Colleges (2013)Sweeney, Charles. [http://www.troyrecord.com/general-news/20130518/sage-colleges-commencement-celebrates-graduates-hard-work "Sage Colleges' commencement celebrates graduates hard work"]. The Troy Record. 18 May 2013.
• Honorary Ph.D. in Humane Letters from the University at Albany (2014)Viccaro, Haley. [http://dailygazette.com/news/2014/may/19/0519ualbany/?free "2,116 receive degrees at the University at Albany"]. Daily Gazette. 19 May 2014.[http://www.albany.edu/commencement/honorary_degree_recipient.php "Noted Upstate New York Entrepreneurs to Deliver UAlbany Commencement Addresses, May 17 and 18"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520000446/http://www.albany.edu/commencement/honorary_degree_recipient.php|date=20 May 2016}}. University at Albany. 17 April 2014.
• Culinary Institute of America Leadership Award for Health and Wellness (2014)[http://www.ciachef.edu/2014-leadership-awards/ "2014 CIA Leadership Award Honorees Represent 'The Power of Food'"]. Culinary Institute of America. 24 January 2014.
• Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship (2014)Pritzker, Penny: United States Secretary of Commerce. [https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2014/04/10/announcing-president-obama-s-new-ambassadors-global-entrepreneurship "Announcing President Obama's New Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship"]. The White House. 10 April 2014.Abdullahoğlu, Eren. [http://www.dailysabah.com/money/2014/04/09/obama-honors-turkish-entrepreneur-hamdi-ulukaya "Obama Honors Turkish Entrepreneur Hamdi Ulukaya"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304055058/http://www.dailysabah.com/money/2014/04/09/obama-honors-turkish-entrepreneur-hamdi-ulukaya |date=4 March 2016}}. Daily Sabah. 9 April 2014.
• 2015 UN Global Leadership Award{{cite web|title=The Global Leadership Awards Dinner|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhKhAYcjbGI|publisher=YouTube|access-date=20 March 2016}}
• In November 2015, Ulukaya was honored by the Children's Aid Society with their Corporate Leadership Award.{{cite web|title=Children's Aid Announces Honorees for 5th Annual Keeping the Promise Gala|url=http://www.childrensaidsociety.org/news/2015/children%E2%80%99s-aid-announces-honorees-5th-annual-keeping-promise-gala|access-date=20 March 2016|publisher=The Children's Aid Society}}
• In October 2015, Ulukaya was honored with a humanitarian award by the American Turkish Society (ATS) for his personal work in helping to relieve the suffering of Syrian refugees.{{cite web|last1=Canikligil|first1=Razi|title=American Turkish Society honors Chobani CEO with humanitarian award|date=8 October 2015 |url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/american-turkish-society-honors-chobani-ceo-with-humanitarian-award-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=89579&NewsCatID=345|access-date=20 March 2016|publisher=Hurriyet Daily News}}{{cite web|title=American Turkish Society 2015 Gala|url=http://www.americanturkishsociety.org/annual-gala|access-date=20 March 2016|publisher=American Turkish Society}}
• 2016 Eminent Advocate honor from the UNHCR{{Cite news|url=http://www.unhcr.org/en-us/news/press/2016/11/582ec96c4/unhcr-names-wealthy-indonesian-philanthropist-eminent-advocate.html|title=UNHCR names wealthy Indonesian philanthropist as Eminent Advocate|last=Refugees|first=United Nations High Commissioner for|work=UNHCR|access-date=21 December 2017}}
• 2016 Women's Refugee Committee Voices of Courage Corporate Leadership Award{{cite web|title=2016 Voices of Courage Awards Luncheon|url=https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/about/voices-of-courage-awards-luncheon|publisher=Women's Refugee Commission|access-date=25 April 2016|date=21 April 2016|archive-date=6 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406110828/https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/about/voices-of-courage-awards-luncheon|url-status=dead}}
• 2016, Disruptor Awards' Christensen Prize.{{Cite web|title=Hamdi Ulukaya - Chobani|url=https://www.disruptorawards.com/new-blog/2017/1/20/hamdi-ulukaya-chobani|access-date=15 May 2019|website=Disruptor Awards|date=20 January 2017}} He was a 2013 honoree for the same award.
• Named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2017{{cite magazine|last1=Roth|first1=Kenneth|title=The 100 Most Influential People|url=https://time.com/collection/2017-time-100/4742698/hamdi-ulukaya/|magazine=Time |access-date=26 April 2017}}
• Featured on the cover of Fast Company in 2017 as a model for 21st century leadership{{cite web|last1=Brunner|first1=Rob|title=How Chobani's Hamdi Ulukaya is Winning America's Culture War|date=20 March 2017|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3068681/how-chobani-founder-hamdi-ulukaya-is-winning-americas-culture-war|publisher=Fast Company|access-date=26 April 2017}}
• Featured in Fortune magazine's third annual list of 50 companies that are changing the world in 2017{{Cite web|url=http://fortune.com/change-the-world/chobani/|title=Chobani|website=Fortune|access-date=2 October 2017|archive-date=28 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180228041814/http://fortune.com/change-the-world/chobani|url-status=dead}}
• Selected by Forbes as one of the 100 greatest business minds as part of the Forbes' centennial celebration{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/100-greatest-business-minds/person/hamdi-ulukaya|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171002121048/https://www.forbes.com/100-greatest-business-minds/person/hamdi-ulukaya|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 October 2017|title=Hamdi Ulukaya {{!}} Action|work=Forbes|access-date=2 October 2017}}
• Included in Fast Company's list of the 50 Most Innovative Companies in 2017{{Cite news|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/company/chobani|title=Chobani: Articles, Info, Video |work=Fast Company|access-date=2 October 2017}}
• Save the Children's Humanitarian Award (2017){{Cite news|url=http://www.savethechildren.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=8rKLIXMGIpI4E&b=9506655&ct=15004281¬oc=1|title=Ryan Tedder, Hamdi Ulukaya and Bulgari North America to be Honored at the 5th Annual Save the Children Illumination Gala - Presented by Johnson & Johnson; Hosted by Craig Melvin; Leona Lewis to Perform|work=Save the Children|access-date=7 May 2018}}
• Named one of Foreign Policy magazine's Global Thinkers (2017){{Cite web|url=https://gt.foreignpolicy.com/2017|title=FP's 2017 Global Thinkers|website=FP's 2017 Global Thinkers|access-date=7 May 2018|archive-date=23 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723231201/https://2017globalthinkers.foreignpolicy.com/2017?3fa4cfa909=|url-status=dead}}
• Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights' Ripple of Hope Award (2017){{Cite web|url=https://rfkhumanrights.org/news|title=News|last=Rights|first=Robert F. Kennedy Human|website=Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights|access-date=7 May 2018}}
• Named one of the National Retail Federations' People Shaping Retail's Future (2018){{Cite news|url=https://cstoredecisions.com/2017/12/08/nrf-foundation-names-people-shaping-retails-future/|title=NRF Foundation Names People Shaping Retail's Future - Convenience Store Decisions|date=8 December 2017|work=Convenience Store Decisions|access-date=7 May 2018}}
• Accepted Chobani's Salute to Greatness Award by The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (2018){{Cite web|title=Home {{!}} The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change|url=http://www.thekingcenter.org/news/2018-01-2018-salute-greatness-awards-gala|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180506051250/http://www.thekingcenter.org/news/2018-01-2018-salute-greatness-awards-gala|archive-date=6 May 2018|access-date=7 May 2018|website=www.thekingcenter.org}}
• Refugees International's McCall-Pierpaoli Humanitarian Award (2018){{Cite news|url=https://www.refugeesinternational.org/blog/39thanniversarydinner|title=RI Honors Hamdi Ulukaya, Senator Amy Klobuchar, and Hala Al-Sarraf|work=Refugees International|access-date=7 May 2018}}
• Honorary Ph.D. in Humane Letters from the University of Pennsylvania (2018){{Cite web|url=https://almanac.upenn.edu/articles/penns-2018-commencement-speaker-and-honorary-degree-recipients|title=Penn's 2018 Commencement Speaker and Honorary Degree Recipients|website=almanac.upenn.edu|access-date=4 June 2019}}
• Honored by Lycée Français de New York with the Charles de Ferry de Fontnouvelle Award (2019){{Cite web|url=http://life.lfny.org/2019/02/27/lycee-honors-hamdi-ulukaya-at-2019-gala/|title=Lycée Honors Hamdi Ulukaya at 2019 Gala|website=LFNY LIFE|access-date=4 June 2019}}
• Honorary Ph.D. in Humane Letters from Boise State University (2019){{Cite web |last= |first= |date=24 April 2019 |title=Chobani Founder Hamdi Ulukaya to Receive Honorary Doctorate During Morning Commencement Ceremony |url=https://www.boisestate.edu/news/2019/04/24/chobani-founder-hamdi-ulukaya-to-receive-honorary-doctorate-during-morning-commencement-ceremony/ |access-date=4 June 2019 |website=Boise State News}}
• Honorary Ph.D. in Humane Letters from Southern Methodist University (2019){{Cite web|url=https://www.smu.edu/EnrollmentServices/Registrar/AcademicCeremonies/MayCommencement/Featuring/HonoraryDegrees|title=Honorary Degrees - SMU|website=www.smu.edu|access-date=4 June 2019}}
• Recipient of the Oslo Business for Peace Award from the Business for Peace Foundation (2019){{Cite web|url=https://businessforpeace.no/announcing-the-2019-oslo-business-for-peace-award-recipients/|title=Announcing the 2019 Oslo Business for Peace Award Recipients|date=20 March 2019|website=Business for Peace Foundation|access-date=4 June 2019}}
• Anti-Defamation League's Courage Against Hate Award (2019){{Cite web|url=https://www.adl.org/news/article/chobani-founder-ceo-hamdi-ulukayas-keynote-address-at-adls-2019-never-is-now-summit-on|title=Chobani Founder & CEO Hamdi Ulukaya's Keynote Address at ADL's 2019 Never Is Now Summit on Anti-Semitism and Hate|website=Anti-Defamation League|access-date=26 January 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.wisconsingazette.com/multimedia/never-is-now-adl-courage-against-hate-award-presented-to/video_4951e1cc-4af4-5b2e-ab23-de3e5a99f37e.html|title=Never Is Now 2019 {{!}} ADL Courage Against Hate Award Presented to Hamdi Ulukaya, CEO of Chobani|website=Wisconsin Gazette|access-date=26 January 2020}}
• Global Citizen Prize for Business Leader (2019){{Cite web|url=https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/hamdi-ulukaya-business-global-citizen-prize-2019/|title=Meet Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya, Winner of the First-Ever Global Citizen Prize for Business Leader|website=Global Citizen|date=13 December 2019 |access-date=26 January 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/richard-curtis-sting-un-deputy-secretary-general-amina-j-mohammed-and-hamdi-ulukaya-founder-and-ceo-of-chobani-to-be-honoured-at-the-2019-global-citizen-prize-on-december-13-at-royal-albert-hall-1028751301|title=Richard Curtis, Sting, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, and Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder and CEO of Chobani to be Honoured at the 2019 Global Citizen Prize on December 13 at Royal Albert Hall|date=10 December 2019|website=MarketsInsider|access-date=26 January 2020}}
• Honorary Ph.D. in Global Entrepreneurship from Northeastern University (2022){{Cite web |last=Comer |first=Grace |date=16 May 2022 |title=Class of 2022 celebrates commencement at Fenway Park |url=https://huntnewsnu.com/68759/campus/class-of-2022-celebrates-commencement-at-fenway-park/ |access-date=12 August 2022 |website=The Huntington News}}

Ulukaya lives in New Berlin, New York, near Chobani's South Edmeston factory and headquarters.[http://www.ey.com/US/en/Services/Strategic-Growth-Markets/Strategic-Growth-Forum-Agenda-EVTD-USDD-98SMD9 "Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder and CEO, Chobani, Inc. and EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2013 Award winner, interviewed by Mark A. Weinberger, EY Global Chairman & CEO"]. Ernst & Young. 2013. He was briefly married in the late 1990s to New York City doctor Ayşe Giray.Hornbeck, Eric. [http://www.law360.com/articles/389243/judge-pauses-chobani-founder-s-ex-wife-s-530m-suit "Judge Pauses Chobani Founder's Ex-Wife's $530M Suit"], Law360, 24 October 2012. In 2012, Hamdi Ulukaya's Turkish ex-wife Dr. Ayşe Giray sued him for a 53 percent stake in the company claiming her family lent him $500,000 for the business. The suit was settled for an undisclosed amount.{{cite web|last1=Novellino|first1=Teresa|title=Chobani founder settles billion-dollar lawsuit with ex-wife, but details scant|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/news/2015/04/15/chobani-founder-settles-billion-dollar-lawsuit.html|access-date=12 July 2017|publisher=The Business Journals}} Other claims that emerged from the divorce proceedings included her accusations that Hamdi stole the recipe for his yogurts. These accusations were proven unfounded and dropped.{{cite web|last1=Orzeck|first1=Kurt|title=Chobani CEO's Deal With Ex-Wife In Ownership Spat OK'd|url=https://www.law360.com/articles/643365/chobani-ceo-s-deal-with-ex-wife-in-ownership-spat-ok-d|access-date=12 July 2017|publisher=Law 360}} Ulukaya joined the world's billionaires in the early 2010s.

In 2015, he had a son, Aga, with Alida Boer.{{Cite web|url=http://www.turkavenue.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5114:chobaninin-sahibi-ulukaya-ikinci-kez-baba-oldu&catid=102:basari-hikayeleri&Itemid=643|title=Chobani'nin Sahibi Ulukaya İkinci Kez Baba Oldu|website=www.turkavenue.com|date=10 April 2018 |access-date=19 May 2019}} In January 2018, Ulukaya married Louise Vongerichten, co-founder and president of Food Dreams Foundation, founder of sustainable's kids clothing line Mon Coeur and daughter of famous French-American chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.{{Cite web|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/us-based-turkish-yogurt-tycoon-married-in-new-york-126433|title=US-based Turkish yogurt tycoon married in New York|website=Hürriyet Daily News|date=29 January 2018 |access-date=30 January 2018}}

Ulukaya has additional offices in Manhattan and Twin Falls, Idaho.Geller, Martinne. [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/18/chobani-hamdi-ulukaya_n_2319095.html "Chobani Chief Executive Hamdi Ulukaya Mulls The Future Of Yogurt"]. Huffington Post. 17 December 2012.[http://www.turkofamerica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1223&Itemid=57 "Chobani Opens World's Largest Yogurt Manufacturing Plant in Twin Falls, Idaho"]. Turk of America. 19 December 2012.

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{{portal|Turkey|Kurdistan|Business}}

• [http://www.ey.com/GL/en/About-us/Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneur-Of-The-Year/World-Entrepreneur-Of-The-Year---Overview-EVTD-USDD-9GYRH6 2014 Keynote speech (interview)] at Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year ceremony (53 minutes)

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ulukaya, Hamdi}}

Category:1972 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century Turkish businesspeople

Category:American drink industry businesspeople

Category:American food company founders

Category:American food industry business executives

Category:American investors

Category:American people of Kurdish descent

Category:Ankara University alumni

Category:Businesspeople from New York (state)

Category:People from İliç

Category:Turkish billionaires

Category:Turkish emigrants to the United States

Category:Turkish Kurdish people

Category:Turkish people of Kurdish descent

Category:Turkish philanthropists

Category:University at Albany, SUNY alumni

Category:Muslims from New York (state)

Category:Turkish businesspeople