It’s safe to say our next speaker knows a thing or two about leading a company through tough times.

At 27, Julie Smolyansky unexpectedly became the CEO of her family business after the sudden death of her father. But it wasn’t just any family business. Overnight, she took the helm of Lifeway Foods, and in doing so, became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held, multi-million-dollar company. 

And—despite the personal and professional challenges she faced from the beginning—the business immediately thrived under her leadership. Lifeway’s annual gross sales grew from $12M to $14.8M in her first year as CEO and have since exceeded $120M in annual revenue (which is so impressive).

She’s been named to Fortune’s 40 Under 40 List, Fortune’s 55 Most Influential Women on Twitter, included on Fast Company’s list of the Most 1000 Creative People in Business, and she was recently named a 2020 Champion of Wellness by VeryWell.

Speaker:

Julie Smolyansky | CEO, Lifeway

Moderator: 

Jaclyn Johnson | CEO & Founder, Create & Cultivate