Htw With Zoe And Erica

107. The Barrier-Busting Immigrant CEO Who Brought Kefir to the U.S. with Julie Smolyansky

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Synopsis

Because we are Hamil-nerds, sometimes we start with a quote: “Immigrants, we get the job done”  basically tells the story of Julie Smolyansky, CEO of Lifeway Foods, who moved from Russia to Chicago as an infant. Her parents brought with them a centuries-old tradition used in their homeland for generations — kefir, the hard-to-pronounce probiotic that does wonders for the gut — and began to share it in the community. A business was born, and in 2002, Julie became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm when she took over the company at the age of 27.  Since then, Julie has continued the company’s growth trajectory, bringing an Eastern European product into the U.S. mainstream and boosting annual company revenues to over $120 million in 2017 from $12 million when she took over.  She has been named to Fortune Business ‘40 under 40,’ Fortune’s 55 Most Influential Women on Twitter and Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business 1000. Today, Lifeway is working to promote their BioKefir product line, wh