Lifeway Foods, Inc. 8-K

What Happened Lifeway Foods, Inc. held its 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders on June 17, 2026 (final voting certified June 18, 2026). There were 15,281,888 shares outstanding and 13,982,124 shares represented (quorum). Shareholders elected the company’s director nominees and approved ratification of the independent auditors; the CEO also presented slides at the meeting (furnished as Exhibit 99.1). Key vote results for director elections (FOR / AGAINST / ABSTAIN / BROKER NON-VOTES):

• Kirk Chartier: 9,526,988 / 3,320,276 / 26,844 / 1,108,016
• Juan Carlos Dalto: 9,342,348 / 3,528,493 / 3,267 / 1,108,016
• Rachel Drori: 9,318,215 / 3,529,061 / 26,832 / 1,108,016
• Andee Harris: 9,027,457 / 3,819,819 / 26,832 / 1,108,016
• Susie Hultquist: 9,527,494 / 3,319,572 / 27,042 / 1,108,016
• Dorri McWhorter: 9,025,055 / 3,846,089 / 2,964 / 1,108,016
• Julie Smolyansky: 9,331,497 / 3,536,740 / 5,871 / 1,108,016
• Jason Scher (separately voted): 8,891,948 / 3,837,148 / 145,012 / 1,108,016

Key Details

• Quorum: 13,982,124 shares represented of 15,281,888 outstanding.
• Auditor ratification (Proposal 2): Grant Thornton LLP was ratified — FOR: 10,600,831; AGAINST: 142,402; ABSTAIN: 3,238,891.
• Advisory vote on executive compensation (Proposal 3): Passed (nonbinding) — FOR: 9,480,869; AGAINST: 3,347,326; ABSTAIN: 45,913; broker non-votes: 1,108,016.
• CEO Julie Smolyansky presented slides at the Annual Meeting; the presentation is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to the Form 8-K.

Why It Matters

• Board continuity: Shareholders re-elected the company’s slate of directors (and elected Jason Scher), so existing leadership and governance plans remain in place through the 2027 Annual Meeting.
• Audit oversight: Ratification of Grant Thornton LLP confirms the company’s independent auditor choice for 2026, which is relevant to financial statement review and audit continuity.
• Pay policy signal: The nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation passed, indicating shareholder support for current pay practices though the vote is advisory only.
• Disclosure: The CEO’s presentation slides were filed, giving investors direct access to the company’s messaging and any operational or strategic slides presented at the meeting.