Brian Rudolph, a driven entrepreneur, embarked on a quest to revolutionize the world of pasta. His mission began when he struggled to find a nutritious pasta option that met his standards. This challenge sparked an obsession with chickpea flour, which ultimately led to the creation of the first-ever chickpea pasta.
In 2014, at the tender age of 23, Brian co-founded Banza with his brother Scott. The company's early success was marked by a notable appearance on CNBC's reality series Restaurant Startup. However, a significant setback occurred when they invested $100,000 in a large production run to meet the sudden demands from supermarkets, only to find that the pasta turned to mush.
Undeterred, Brian dedicated himself to perfecting his pasta-making process. He spent months working tirelessly in a factory in Northern Michigan to develop a method for producing large batches of his signature chickpea pasta. The hard work paid off, and in 2015, TIME Magazine recognized Banza as one of the Top 25 Inventions of the year.
Banza's achievements continued to accumulate, as they took home the $500,000 first prize in Accelerate Michigan's pitch competition. Brian's dedication and innovative spirit earned him recognition on various prestigious lists, including Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Food, Crain's Detroit 20 in their 20's, and Entrepreneur of the Year by Michigan State University.
Today, Banza is available in over 2500 stores across the nation, and the company has created 32 new jobs. To support its rapid growth, Banza has opened a factory in California. Brian's remarkable journey began when he moved to Detroit as a 2012 Venture for America Fellow, where he worked as the first employee at the startup Quikly for two years. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Emory University.
