Hamdi Ulukaya, founder and CEO of Chobani, transformed the U.S. yogurt market by popularizing Greek yogurt and building a multibillion-dollar food company from humble beginnings. An immigrant from Turkey, he bought a shuttered Kraft plant in upstate New York in 2005 and grew Chobani into America’s top-selling yogurt brand through bold marketing, product innovation, and a commitment to quality. Known for his “anti-CEO” ethos, Ulukaya has championed employee ownership, progressive workplace policies, and refugee support initiatives, redefining what it means to build a purpose-driven business.

GT Dave, founder and CEO of GT’s Living Foods, is widely credited with bringing kombucha into the mainstream U.S. market. Starting in the mid-1990s from his family’s kitchen in Los Angeles, he transformed a homemade health drink into a billion-dollar brand, now the leading kombucha company in the world. Known as the “King of Kombucha,” Dave built his business without outside investors, maintaining full ownership while expanding into wellness beverages that emphasize authenticity, probiotics, and natural ingredients. His story reflects both entrepreneurial persistence and a passion for health-driven innovation.

Angus “Duke” Reyes is an American billionaire businessman and CEO of Reyes Holdings, a family-run food and beverage distribution giant with over $40 billion in annual sales and nearly 30,000 employees. The youngest brother of co-chairmen Chris and Jude Reyes, Duke leads Reyes Beverage Group and serves on the executive board guiding the firm’s global expansion and operational scale. 

Charles Dean Metropoulos is a Greek‑American billionaire investor and turnaround specialist. Founder and CEO of C. Dean Metropoulos & Co., he has revived iconic consumer brands like Hostess, Pabst Brewing, Bumble Bee Foods, and Pinnacle—all through disciplined buy-and-build value creation across 80+ companies and ~$12 billion of invested capital.  

David Tran is the Vietnamese‑born entrepreneur and founder of Huy Fong Foods, creator of the iconic Sriracha “Rooster Sauce.” After fleeing Vietnam in 1979 aboard the Huey Fong ship, he started the company in Los Angeles in 1980. With no advertising and relentless quality control, his Sriracha brand grew into a billion‑dollar business, stocked in U.S. supermarkets and cult‑favorite restaurants worldwide.

Danny Wegman is the third‑generation leader and longtime chairman of Wegmans Food Markets, the privately held grocery chain founded in Rochester, New York, in 1916. He succeeded his father Robert as CEO in 2005, building the retail brand into a beloved regional empire of over 110 stores across 10 states.

Daniel Lubetzky is a Mexican‑American billionaire entrepreneur, author, and social innovator. He founded KIND Snacks in 2003 and grew it into a multibillion-dollar global brand known for purpose-driven business. Before KIND, he launched PeaceWorks and the OneVoice Movement to foster economic cooperation in the Middle East. A Stanford JD and Trinity University economics alum, he is also a major philanthropic leader and former “Shark Tank” investor turned full-time Shark

J. Christopher “Chris” Reyes is the American billionaire co‑chair and elder founding brother of Reyes Holdings, a $40 billion family-run food and beverage distribution giant. He teamed with his brother Jude to grow a single Schlitz beer distributor in 1976 into the country’s largest McDonald’s and beverage logistics provider.

Christian W. E. Haub is the German‑American CEO and majority stakeholder of Tengelmann Group, the global retail conglomerate founded by his family in 1867. Since 2018, he has consolidated leadership—acquiring a controlling share after his brother Karl‑Erivan’s disappearance—and now oversees operations in discount grocery, e-commerce, and retail across Europe and North America. He also leads Emil Capital Partners, holds board roles in Metro Inc. and Boston College, and is known for his strategic vision and reputable family legacy.  

Charles Butt is the chairman and CEO of H‑E‑B, the San Antonio‑based supermarket chain founded by his grandmother in 1905. Taking over leadership in 1971, he transformed H‑E‑B into a $39–42 billion private company with over 400 stores across Texas and Mexico. A Wharton and Harvard MBA alum, Butt is also a generous philanthropist—pledging more than $150 million to education initiatives and public school teachers, and earning Mexico’s Aztec Eagle Medal for cross-border giving.

Bert “Tito” Beveridge is the self-made entrepreneur behind Tito’s Handmade Vodka. A former geophysicist, he launched the distillery in 1997 with financing from 19 credit cards, sleeping on floors as he built his business. Overcoming regulatory hurdles in Texas, he created a smooth, gluten-free corn-based vodka that achieved breakout success after a 2001 double‑gold medal win—and is now one of America’s fastest-growing spirits.  

Andrew Cherng is the Chinese–Taiwanese–American restaurateur and analytics-driven CEO behind Panda Restaurant Group—the force behind Panda Inn and the fast‑food giant Panda Express. With degrees in mathematics, he launched Panda Inn with his father in 1973, scaled Panda Express from a mall food-court concept in 1983 to over 2,000 locations, and maintains private, family-led leadership focused on innovation, philanthropy, and operational excellence.

Andrés Santo Domingo is a Colombian-American investor, music executive, and heir to the Santo Domingo family fortune—one of Latin America’s most influential business dynasties. As co-founder of the independent record label Mexican Summer, he has carved out a niche in the creative world while maintaining strategic roles across the family’s investments in beverages, media, and finance.

Alex Meruelo is a Cuban-American entrepreneur and investor, known for building a diversified business empire spanning media, hospitality, gaming, real estate, and finance. As the first Latino owner of an NHL team—the Arizona Coyotes—Meruelo is a trailblazer in sports ownership and a prominent figure in the Latino business community. His portfolio includes Meruelo Media, Sahara Las Vegas, and Grand Sierra Resort, reflecting a bold, multi-sector investment strategy.

Alejandro Santo Domingo is a Colombian-American financier and heir to the Santo Domingo Group, one of Latin America’s most prominent business dynasties. As managing director of Quadrant Capital Advisors and a board member of Anheuser-Busch InBev, he oversees investments spanning beverages, finance, and media.

Beate Heister is a prominent German businesswoman and billionaire, known for her significant stake in Aldi Süd, one of the world's largest discount supermarket chains. She is the daughter of Karl Albrecht, co-founder of Aldi.

Karl Albrecht Jr. is a prominent German businessman and billionaire known for co-owning Aldi Süd, one of the largest discount supermarket chains globally. He is the son of Karl Albrecht Sr., who co-founded Aldi with his brother Theo Albrecht.

Qin Yinglin is a Chinese billionaire businessman and the chairman of Muyuan Foodstuff Co., Ltd., one of the largest pork producers in China. Known for his innovative approach in pig farming, he has played a significant role in transforming China's agricultural sector, particularly in meat production.

Ravi Jaipuria is an Indian billionaire and a prominent figure in the beverage and fast-food industry, particularly known for his association with PepsiCo and RJ Corp. He has significantly expanded his business empire, making substantial contributions to the food and beverage sector in India and other emerging markets.

Iris Fontbona is a Chilean billionaire businesswoman and widow of Andrónico Luksic, the founder of Antofagasta PLC, one of the world's largest copper mining companies. She oversees the Luksic Group's interests, making her one of the wealthiest individuals in Latin America.