“PEOPLE HAVE GREAT TASTE. THEY JUST NEED GREAT OPTIONS.” - HAMDI ULUKAYA,
Chobani founder and Chief Executive Hamdi Ulukaya announced that he would be giving all of his 2,000 full-time workers awards that could be worth up to 10% of the privately held company's future value if it goes public or is sold
Ulukaya, a Turkish immigrant who has pledged to give away half his wealth and advocated for business leaders to do more to hire refugees, announced the news to workers Tuesday. The award was not a gift but "a mutual promise to work together with a shared purpose and responsibility," he wrote in a memo to employees. "How we built this company matters to me, but how we grow it matters even more. I want you to be a part of this growth — I want you to be the driving force of it." Jena McGregor.
Hamdi Ulukaya (born October 26, 1972) is a Kurdish entrepreneur and businessman living in the United States.Ulukaya came to the U.S. in 1994 to study English and took a few business courses as well.His family owned and operated a sheep, goat, and dairy farm near the Euphrates River in Ilic.After studying political science at Ancara University, in 2004 he moved to the United States to study English at Adelphi University on Long Island,New york .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.when his father visited him, he managed to convince his son Hamdi to import the family's feta cheese from Turkey after tasting the inferior cheese available locally.Hamdi opened a small wholesale feta cheese plant of his own, called Euphrates, in Johnsontown,New Yorkin 2002. 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."Ulukaya noticed a piece of junk mail advertising a fully equipped yogurt factory for sale in South Edmenston,New York , 65 miles west of his feta cheese factory.Ulukaya financed the purchase within five months with a loan from the Small Business Administration plus local business-incentive grants.He initially named his new company Agro Farma, and hired a handful of the former Kraft employees.He brought over a yogurt master from Turkey, Mustafa Dogan, with whom he spent nearly two years developing and perfecting 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 on ?oban, the Turkish word for shepherd – popped into his head.Ulukaya made Chobani yogurt without preservatives, artificial flavors, artificial colors, or gelatin, and used only milk from cows not treated with grouth hormones .Ulukaya has been noted both for his extraordinary entrepreneurial success and also his commitment to making affordable, delicious, and nutritious foods using only natural ingredients.From its inception Ulukaya has given 10% of his company's net profits to charitable causes, and to individuals and organizations working towards positive long-lasting change.He was named by President Barack obama as an inaugural member of the Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship (PAGE).The Culinary Institute of America honored him with its Leadership Award (Augie Award) in the Health and Wellness category.Ulukaya is a member of the Upstate Regional Advisory Board of the Federal Reserve bank of New York.He is a Vice Chair of the corporate fund board of the Kennedy Center For the Performing Arts .Hamdi 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.
ONLY NATURAL NON-GMO INGREDIENTS
Absolutely love this recipe,STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE BARS.PREPARATION
INGREDIENTS
1 c Chobani Strawberry Greek Yogurt /1 c graham cracker crumbs/? c plus 2 T sugar, divided/4 T unsalted butter, melted/8 oz cream cheese/3 large eggs/3 T all-purpose flour/9 strawberries, thinly sliced
STEP 1/Preheat oven to 325°F. In a small bowl stir together graham cracker crumbs and 2 T sugar. Pour in butter and use a fork to combine.
STEP 2/Transfer to an 8-in square baking dish, pressing firmly into dish. Bake crust until golden, 10-12 minutes. Remove and set aside.
STEP 3/To make filling, place remaining sugar, cream cheese, Chobani, eggs and flour in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into crust and bake until firm around edges while center still jiggles, 30-35 minutes.
STEP 4/Cool on wire rack for 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight before slicing. Top each square with a few slices of strawberries and serve.