Hamdi Ulukaya was raised on a dairy-farm in a small village in eastern Turkey. After moving to the United States, he founded Chobani in 2005 with the mission and vision of making high-quality food more accessible. Five years after selling the first cup of yogurt, Chobani was a billion-dollar brand, and today is the #1 selling yogurt brand in the U.S. The company has since expanded to an innovative modern food portfolio, adding creamers and oat milk. In 2023 Chobani acquired La Colombe, a leading coffee roaster with a shared commitment to quality, craftsmanship and impact. As a result, the Company began selling cold-pressed espresso and lattes on tap at cafés nationwide, as well as Ready to Drink (RTD) coffee beverages at retail.   

As a leader in the food and beverage industry, Ulukaya built Chobani on the foundation that it would do well by doing good. He is well-known for his employee-first policies, including instituting innovative profit-sharing and paid parental leave programs for Chobani’s almost 4,000 employees, and implementing competitive hourly wage increases well above the federal rate. He has also become a leading voice in the movement to hire refugees, having discovered through his own experience hiring them that “the minute a refugee gets a job is the minute they stop being a refugee.”    

Ulukaya also founded Tent Partnership for Refugees in 2016, a foundation that mobilizes the business community to connect refugees to work.  

The Welcoming Center is honored to present Hamdi Ulukaya with the Solas Award, recognizing his unwavering commitment to refugees and immigrants. His leadership exemplifies the spirit of Solas—meaning “light” in Gaelic—by illuminating pathways to opportunity, dignity, and belonging for those seeking a new home. Through his business practices and advocacy, Hamdi has not only transformed industries but has also championed the vital role that refugees and immigrants play in strengthening our communities. We are thrilled to welcome him to the Philadelphia community and celebrate his extraordinary contributions at Solas 2025.