Hamdi Ulukaya

Hamdi Ulukaya – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Explore the inspiring story of Hamdi Ulukaya, Turkish entrepreneur and founder of Chobani. Discover his early life, business journey, values, philanthropy, and memorable quotes.

Introduction

Hamdi Ulukaya (born 1972) is a Turkish entrepreneur of Kurdish heritage, celebrated globally as the founder, CEO, and majority owner of Chobani, one of the leading yogurt brands in the United States.

Beyond his commercial success, Ulukaya is widely recognized for embedding social purpose into his business — notably his commitment to refugee employment, profit-sharing with employees, and large-scale philanthropic commitments.

His life exemplifies how entrepreneurial ambition, values, and social impact can intersect — the story of an immigrant from a rural background who built a global brand while maintaining a strong moral compass.

Early Life and Family

Hamdi Ulukaya was born in İliç, Turkey, in 1972, into a Kurdish-speaking dairy-farming family in the Erzincan province.

His family practiced pastoral and agricultural life: they tended sheep, goats, and cows, and made cheese and yogurt from their milk.

Because his family led a somewhat seasonal and mobile lifestyle (moving with animals, grazing lands), Ulukaya has said he does not always know his exact birth date, though publicly he uses 26 October 1972.

He was raised among six siblings, in modest conditions, learning the rhythms of rural life, livestock, and dairy production from a young age.

Youth and Education

Ulukaya’s formal education began in Turkey. He studied political science at Ankara University before deciding to move abroad.

In 1994 he relocated to the United States to learn English and continue higher education. Adelphi University on Long Island, then transferred to the University at Albany (SUNY Albany), where he took business courses.

Although he did not complete a formal business degree, these experiences provided foundational exposure to American culture, markets, and entrepreneurial opportunities.

While in upstate New York, he worked on farms and in dairy settings, giving him firsthand experience of American agriculture and food systems.

Career and Achievements

Early Ventures: Feta Cheese & “Euphrates”

Backed by his agricultural upbringing, Ulukaya’s first major business venture in the U.S. was importing and producing feta cheese.

In 2002, he founded a company called Euphrates in Johnstown, New York, to import and produce feta cheese, attempting to fill a gap in quality products.

Founding Chobani & Yogurt Rise

In 2005, Ulukaya saw an advertisement for a defunct yogurt factory in South Edmeston, New York, previously owned by Kraft.

He named his new yogurt venture AgroFarma, later rebranding it as Chobani, derived from çoban, the Turkish word for shepherd.

One of his early challenges was developing a recipe that could produce “strained yogurt” (often called “Greek yogurt”) without preservatives, with the texture and taste he associated with yogurt from his childhood. He hired an experienced yogurt maker from Turkey and sourced needed equipment, including a milk separator, to replicate traditional techniques.

He launched the first Chobani shipments in October 2007, selling only a few hundred cases initially. $1 billion in annual sales, becoming a dominant player in the U.S. yogurt market.

Chobani expanded its production infrastructure — including opening a large yogurt plant in Twin Falls, Idaho — and broadened its market reach domestically and internationally (Australia, Mexico, Asia) over time.

In 2016, Ulukaya made headlines when he announced he would give 10% of Chobani’s shares to employees, reinforcing his belief in shared prosperity and ownership.

Beyond yogurt, he also invested in other food-related ventures. For example, he became a major investor in La Colombe Coffee Roasters. Anchor Brewing (in 2023/2024) with plans to revive the historic brewery.

Philanthropy, Social Impact & Leadership

Ulukaya has integrated philanthropy and social mission deeply into his business model.

• He founded the Chobani Foundation (originally Shepherd’s Gift), pledging portions of profits to humanitarian causes.

• He signed The Giving Pledge, committing to donate a large share of his wealth to philanthropic causes.

• He has focused heavily on refugee employment. He views job opportunities as a key to restoring dignity and integration for people forced to flee their countries.

• In 2016, he launched the Tent Partnership for Refugees, mobilizing businesses globally to hire and support refugees.

• He has made significant personal contributions in humanitarian crises, such as donating $2 million to aid Syria/Turkey after the 2014 conflict, and similarly after the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquakes.

His leadership style, described in interviews and public talks, emphasizes openness, humility, admitting mistakes, giving employees room to contribute, and treating business as a force for social good.

Historical Milestones & Context

• 1972: Born in rural Turkey.

• 1994: Moves to the U.S. for study and new opportunity.

• 2002: Founding of Euphrates feta cheese business.

• 2005: Decision to purchase defunct yogurt plant and pivot to yogurt production.

• 2007: Launch of Chobani yogurt.

• 2012–2013: Chobani breaks $1B revenue, earns recognition, “Yogurt King” moniker.

• 2013: Earns honors such as Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur of the Year.

• 2016: Launch of Tent Partnership for Refugees; employees receive share grants.

• 2023: Acquisition of Anchor Brewing.

• 2023 Earthquake Relief: Donated to Turkey–Syria earthquake relief efforts, mobilized business networks to provide aid.

His timing aligned with growing consumer interest in “better-for-you” foods and increasing expectations for businesses to be socially responsible. Ulukaya leveraged those trends while holding to his values rather than merely chasing market fashions.

Legacy and Influence

Hamdi Ulukaya’s legacy is multifaceted:

1. Redefining what a CEO can be
   He challenges conventional notions of corporate leadership by embedding social purpose, shared ownership, and humanitarian aims at the heart of his business.

2. Demonstrating that scale and compassion can coexist
   His ability to build a billion-dollar brand while hiring refugees, sharing ownership, and making large charitable commitments makes him a model in social entrepreneurship.

3. Inspiring immigrant entrepreneurship
   His journey from a rural immigrant to a globally influential business leader gives hope to entrepreneurs from modest beginnings.

4. Institutionalizing compassionate business
   Through initiatives like the Tent Partnership for Refugees, he encourages other companies to adopt mission-driven practices beyond philanthropy as an afterthought.

Over time, Ulukaya is likely to be remembered not just for yogurt, but for pioneering a new ethic of doing business that balances profit, purpose, and people.

Personality and Traits

Ulukaya is widely described as humble, curious, values-driven, and generous. He often emphasizes admitting what you don’t know, inviting input, and trusting employees to contribute meaningfully.

He holds a strong belief in the dignity of work — that giving someone a job, especially someone displaced or marginalized, is a foundational act of restoring agency and purpose.

In interviews, he candidly discusses his own failures, corporate challenges, and the balancing acts between growth and preserving integrity.

He often frames business profits not as ends but as tools to support community, equity, and human flourishing.

Famous Quotes of Hamdi Ulukaya

Here are several insightful quotes attributed to him:

“I believe that as an entrepreneur, when you share success, it grows.”

“Every small business will give you an entrepreneurial way of looking at things. I guarantee you that for every plant that closes, if you gave it to one small-business person in that community, he or she would find a way to make it work. The small-business attitude is you always find a way to make it work.”

“Most Americans descend from the very people who built this country with their bare hands.”

“Unlike the objective of far too many companies, manufacturing is not about a quick ‘exit.’ It is centered on long-term value creation.”

“Entrepreneurship is seen as if you're in Silicon Valley or New York City and starting an app business or a social-media business, which is cool. But what we really have to focus on is people who make things, and how can we fund them, and how can we encourage people to stay in their community and make a difference in their community.”

“I didn’t have a business degree. I didn’t have experience to work in somebody else’s office. I never built or ran a department. So I was on this journey, and when the time came to make a decision, I was just going with my gut.”

“A closed plant is like a cemetery; it really is. The walls will talk to you; the machines will talk to you if you really talk to them.”

These quotes reveal his beliefs about shared success, community, humility, manufacturing, and how businesses relate to people.

Lessons from Hamdi Ulukaya

1. Purpose must drive profit
   Ulukaya shows that a business grounded in mission can grow sustainably and ethically, rather than treating social good as an afterthought.

2. Take bold risks despite uncertainty
   He bought a failing yogurt plant in 2005, against conventional advice — his willingness to act and learn was pivotal.

3. Share success to build ownership and loyalty
   His decision to give employees equity aligns incentives and fosters a deeper sense of belonging.

4. Elevate often-marginalized people
   His commitment to hiring refugees and marginalized communities underscores that social inclusion can be a core business strategy, not merely charity.

5. Stay humble, stay learning
   He repeatedly emphasizes admitting what you don’t know, asking questions, and valuing diverse viewpoints.

6. Scale with integrity
   As a company grows, it can be hard to maintain values; Ulukaya’s challenge has been to scale Chobani while not losing its mission identity.

Conclusion

Hamdi Ulukaya is more than a yogurt magnate — he is a modern exemplar of business leadership infused with conscience. His journey from a Kurdish dairy-farm childhood in eastern Turkey to a U.S.-based global brand founder reflects perseverance, humility, and conviction.

In a world often skeptical of big business’s moral role, he challenges the narrative: how corporations can be engines for opportunity, dignity, and social good — not just profit. His legacy is still unfolding, but long-term, he may be remembered not only for Chobani’s ubiquity, but for helping redefine what it means to lead with both success and soul.