# Hamdi Ulukaya

> Hamdi Ulukaya is the Kurdish-Turkish immigrant founder, chairman and CEO of Chobani. He turned a shuttered Kraft yogurt plant in upstate New York into the leading U.S. yogurt brand, gave employees a stake of up to 10 percent in the company, and translated Chobani's experience hiring refugees into Tent, a network of more than 500 major employers working across a dozen countries.

- **Role:** Founder, Chairman and CEO at Chobani; Founder at Tent Partnership for Refugees
- **Organizations:** Chobani, Tent Partnership for Refugees, Hamdi Ulukaya Initiative, Anchor Brewing Company
- **From:** İliç, Erzincan, Turkey
- **Nationality:** Turkish
- **Education:** Studied political science and public administration, Ankara University, English-language studies, Adelphi University, Business coursework; honorary doctorate awarded in 2014, University at Albany, State University of New York
- **Known for:** Built Chobani from a purchased shuttered plant into the leading U.S. yogurt brand., Created employee awards tied to as much as 10 percent of Chobani's future value for roughly 2,000 full-time employees in 2016., Founded Tent Partnership for Refugees, which grew to more than 500 major member companies operating across a dozen countries.

## Career timeline

- **1994** — Moved from Turkey to the United States to study English.
- **1997** — Moved to upstate New York, worked on a dairy farm and took business courses at the University at Albany.
- **2002** — Started Euphrates, a small feta-cheese operation in Johnstown, New York.
- **2005** — Bought a shuttered Kraft yogurt plant in South Edmeston with a Small Business Administration-backed loan and rehired five former employees.
- **2007** — Sold the first cup of Chobani yogurt.
- **2012** — Chobani opened its Twin Falls, Idaho, plant; Ulukaya received EY's World Entrepreneur Of The Year recognition in 2013 after national honors in 2012.
- **2015** — Signed the Giving Pledge, committing the majority of his personal wealth to helping refugees and addressing the displacement crisis.
- **2016** — Launched the Tent Partnership for Refugees and awarded Chobani employees shares tied to as much as 10 percent of the company's future value.
- **2017** — Was named to the TIME 100 and launched the Hamdi Ulukaya Initiative for entrepreneurs and aspiring founders from Turkey.
- **2023** — Chobani acquired coffee roaster La Colombe for $900 million.
- **2024** — Personally acquired San Francisco's closed Anchor Brewing Company, saying he intended to revive it.
- **2025** — Chobani acquired Daily Harvest; Ulukaya was included in the inaugural National Geographic 33.
- **2026** — Chobani expanded its distribution and manufacturing partnership with Keurig Dr Pepper.

## Achievements

- Built Chobani from a purchased shuttered plant into the leading U.S. yogurt brand.
- Created employee awards tied to as much as 10 percent of Chobani's future value for roughly 2,000 full-time employees in 2016.
- Founded Tent Partnership for Refugees, which grew to more than 500 major member companies operating across a dozen countries.
- Signed the Giving Pledge in 2015, committing the majority of his personal wealth to helping refugees.
- Named to the TIME 100 in 2017.
- Received the Oslo Business for Peace Award and EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year award in 2013.
- Named a UNHCR Eminent Advocate and a United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Advocate.
- Recognized in the inaugural National Geographic 33 in 2025.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Chobani and Keurig Dr Pepper announced an expanded distribution and manufacturing partnership involving La Colombe and a Pennsylvania production facility.
- **2025-10** — Tent expanded its national coalition model to Sweden with 25 inaugural employers.
- **2025-07** — Chobani announced a sponsorship agreement with Fenerbahçe that included stadium naming rights and European-match shirt sponsorship.
- **2025-05** — Chobani acquired plant-based meal company Daily Harvest.
- **2025-02** — National Geographic named Ulukaya to its inaugural National Geographic 33 for his business and refugee-employment work.
- **2024-05** — Ulukaya acquired San Francisco's closed Anchor Brewing Company through a personal investment and announced plans to revive it.

## Links

- Website: https://www.tent.org/hamdi-ulukaya/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamdiulukaya
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/hamdiulukaya
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hamdi.ulukaya/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hamdi.ulukaya/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/hamdi-ulukaya
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-26