Julie Smolyansky is an American businesswoman best known as the CEO of Lifeway Foods. Born in Ukraine, she immigrated to the United States as a child. After her father's sudden death in 2002, she took over the company at age 27, becoming the youngest female CEO of a publicly traded food company in the U.S. She has championed probiotic and fermented foods, particularly kefir, and led Lifeway to become the market leader in the American kefir industry. Her leadership has driven significant growth and innovation in health-focused dairy products.