Lifeway Foods, Inc.

The story of Lifeway dates back to 1986, ten years after Michael and Ludmila Smolyansky migrated from Ukraine to the United States. After settling into their new home, they realized that something was missing —kefir. This probiotic drink from their homeland, with its cool, tangy flavor and billions of probiotic cultures had not yet made its way to America.

Lifeway Foods was born after the Smolyanskys started making kefir in their Skokie, IL home and decided to share their tasty secret with their new community. The company began to grow and Lifeway Foods went public, debuting on the NASDAQ exchange in 1988. They opened their first plant in Skokie, Illinois, a year later.

After Michael's passing in 2002, his daughter, Julie Smolyansky took over and became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm at the age of 27. Under Julie's leadership, Lifeway grew exponentially. Continually innovative, the company has added several new products to the probiotics industry with the introduction of Lifeway Farmer Cheese, ProBugs kefir for kids, and a non-dairy alternative probiotic drink called Lifeway Oat. Through the years, Lifeway has helped turn their products from niche health-food items to formidable players in the surging global market for yogurt and other probiotic products.