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Podcast: Wonder Podcast: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs to Change the World
Episode: From US$12 million to US$210 million: How Lifeway Foods CEO Julie Smolyansky Turned Pain Into Purpose
Description: Julie Smolyansky is the CEO of Lifeway Foods, an Illinois-based dairy company that is the leading U.S. supplier of kefir. After her father, Michael Smolyansky, passed away in 2002, Julie took over the company at 27 years old and became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm. Julie and her parents immigrated to the U.S. from the Soviet Union in her infancy and credits her upbringing with her success. Under her leadership, Julie transformed the company into a multinational firm, growing their revenue from US$12 million to US$210 million in 2025. She is also an activist...