As a newly arrived immigrant from Turkey, Hamdi Ulukaya learned to be resourceful, determined, and even stubborn when he needed to be. All those traits would serve him well as he began to navigate the hairpin turns of building a yogurt business from the ground up. In 2005, Hamdi was running a small feta cheese business in upstate New York when he happened up ... Show More
Aug 3
Serena & Lily: Serena Dugan and Lily Kanter. They Built a $20M Brand—Then One Investor Almost Destroyed It
Many founders think the hardest thing about business is finding customers.It's not.It's surviving success.When Lily Kanter and Serena Dugan launched a luxury baby linen business, they had no manufacturing experience, no inventory, and barely any capital. But after their first cat ... Show More
1h 15m
Jan 2025
165 - The Dairy Empire Built on Junkmail | Chobani
Get JD's best content to your inbox — subscribe at jondavids.com. Today, Jon tells us all about the entrepreneurial journey of Hamdi Ulukaya, who transformed an old factory into Chobani, a $2 billion yogurt brand, starting with a piece of junk mail. And follow Jon across social: ... Show More
14m 19s
Sep 2024
Chobani’s Founder on Mission-Driven Entrepreneurship
Chobani is a leader in the global yogurt market, with more than 20 percent share of the U.S. market alone. It all started with one man, an abandoned yogurt factory in upstate New York, and a mission to make quality yogurt accessible to more people. In this episode, Harvard Busine ... Show More
41m 1s
Aug 2024
Jacob Hadjigeorgis, Owner of Jacob’s Pickles, on Turning a Vision into Reality
Jacob Hadjigeorgis, owner of Jacob's Pickles in the Upper West Side, shares his journey from growing up in a family of restaurateurs to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Guided by his father, his mentor, Jacob honed the qualities that set him apart: a deep passion for hospitali ... Show More
39m 38s
Feb 2024
#28- Tambi Jalouqa (MD at Propeller Inc) on building products with passion
Tambi Jalouqa is truly a serial entrepreneur. After a few failed startups, or “learning experiences” as he calls them, he went on to co-found POSRocket which was eventually sold to Foodics. The path led him to co-found Propeller, a VC based in Jordan that invests in truly disrupt ... Show More
52m 8s
Sep 2023
55. Dual Language, Doubly Appealing
Today, we're delighted to have Hala Gebran, the founder of Halo Halo Printworks, as our guest. Hala's business journey is a testament to persistence, passion, and creativity. She started with a unique concept, crafting Arabic-inspired greeting cards that bridge language barriers. ... Show More
16m 41s
Oct 2022
Ep#14 - Bilal Ballout (Co-founder of Baklawa Made Better) on navigating uncertainty & hustling with limited capital
Bilal Ballout is the Co-founder of BMB Group which has a global portfolio of confectionery and healthy food brands & was acquired by Agthia, a UAE state owned FMCG company. Bilal discusses how he hustled to build the company while using no external capital. Over and over again, h ... Show More
54m 57s