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An immigrant himself, Chobani yogurt founder becomes icon for refugees

A Kurdish immigrant from Turkey, Hamdi Ulukaya became the founder and CEO of the top-selling Greek yogurt in the United States and has now pledged to donate much of his wealth to refugees.
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Hamdi Ulukaya, a Turkish-American businessman of Kurdish ethnicity, was photographed in September on the Greek island of Lesbos wearing a blue UNHCR vest. He was sent there by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as the UNHCR's newest eminent advocate. The appointment is a serious acknowledgment of his years of work with refugees and other philanthropic efforts.

Ulukaya is no ordinary businessman. At 43, he challenges popular conceptions of billionaire CEOs. First, almost everyone calls him by his first name. His signature simply reads "Hamdi." He is unpretentious and down-to-earth, and wears a kind smile that makes people feel like they have known him for decades.

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