Julie Smolyansky

Julie Smolyansky became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm at 27 when she took over Lifeway Foods in 2002. Founded by her refugee father, the company grew from $12 million in revenue to over $185 million in 2024 under her leadership.

For over 35 years, Julie, a certified rape crisis counselor, has worked to end domestic violence and sexual assault. She produced the Emmy-winning, Oscar-nominated documentary The Hunting Ground and joined 49 survivors at the 2016 Oscars during Lady Gaga’s performance of Til It Happens to You, a song written for the film.