Earlier this summer, Branchfood had the pleasure of welcoming  Lucas Gehlen, Managing Director of Massas Famigliare, as part of the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Fellowship Program. Made possible by the U.S. Department of State, the program is designed to empower entrepreneurs, increase trade, and encourage job promotion throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada. YLAI 2023 fellows are playing a crucial role in the region, building tools, networks, and resources to strengthen economic and social development.

Based in Brazil, Massas Famigliare is a fresh pasta CPG brand combining traditional pasta-making techniques with sustainable production practices to offer consumers a product that is both delicious and minimizes environmental impact. We sat down with Lucas to learn more about his experience as a YLAI 2023 fellow, explore Massas Famigliare’s commitment to sustainability and authenticity, and discover the latest pasta trends.

Tell us a little about yourself, Massas Famigliare, and your mission.

I am passionate about entrepreneurship. I come from a family of entrepreneurs, and since I was young, I've been involved in my parents' business, which was a motorcycle dealership selling motorcycles, parts, and accessories. However, I always wanted to forge my own path and have my own business. In my career, I had the opportunity to work for PwC, where I spent several years serving large companies and gained valuable insights into various business sectors and perspectives.

I’ve always been passionate about Italian food and pasta, and the opportunity to venture into entrepreneurship came just when I decided to leave PwC to start my consulting business. I received an offer to join an existing pasta company. Famigliare had an excellent product and a founder I trusted who had complementary skills to my own.

After becoming a partner and taking over the management of the company, we repositioned the brand, relocated the factory to another city, revamped the management system, and implemented sustainable practices. As a result, we achieved a 600% growth in revenue, expanded from 17 to 72 employees, and reached over 3,500 points of sale in 5 years.

Famigliare is a brand of fresh pasta made with carefully selected ingredients to create an authentic Italian recipe with a truly artisanal taste. Our products are made from only 5% of the innermost part of the wheat grain, which creates a soft texture, allows them to absorb more sauce, and reduces cooking time.  Another very popular product in Brazil is the pastel, similar to Argentinean empanadas. Our pastel dough is now the flagship product of our brand and can be enjoyed fried or baked.

We are committed to sustainable practices: 100% of our factory waste is recycled, we solely use renewable energy for our production, and we have a partnership with Eureciclo, which organizes waste collectors for plastic collection and recycling to offset the plastic used in our packaging. Our mission is to offer delicious, convenient food and bring people together through memorable meals, all in a sustainable manner.

What challenges did you face temporarily stepping back from your young company to participate in the YLAI program?

To be honest, the period of being away from the company during the YLAI program was not a significant challenge during the trip, but rather before it. Since I had been informed of my selection a year before the trip, we developed a plan to restructure the team and processes so that my role became purely strategic and no longer operational. We hired more people for the team, developed department leaders, and operated in this manner for 6 months before the start of the program. Additionally, my business partner became more involved and took on some of the responsibilities I had.

During the trip, our sales team managed to convert many new, significant clients, and we achieved record revenue during that period. I even joked with them that perhaps it would be better for me not to come back since the company was doing so well. Despite managing to hold online meetings and partially working remotely, it was clear that the team became more overwhelmed. As soon as I returned, I managed to get everything back in order again.

What goals and objectives did you seek to accomplish while conducting your fellowship?

One of the main objectives was to identify innovations in the pasta sector in the American market and bring that knowledge back home to apply to my business. At some points, my experience felt like a roller coaster. One day I would build an understanding and vision about an issue, and shortly after, I would see another aspect of the situation, leading me to a different perspective. For example, the opportunity to export my products to the United States. At first, this wasn't my goal, considering that we are experiencing significant growth in the local market, which still has ample room for expansion. Moreover, our products are refrigerated and have a short shelf life, making the international operation challenging.

After numerous meetings and visits to supermarkets, I began to believe that it could be an opportunity until I realized that it would require a lot of energy for this project, potentially diverting our focus from the local market where we are experiencing excellent growth. Finally, I discovered importers who already import products from Brazil in the same category as ours and showed great interest in our brand due to its quality. We are still learning in this regard.

What were your biggest takeaways from the fellowship? What aspects of the program will you leverage moving forward with your business?

Some of the greatest lessons learned came from exchanging experiences with various entrepreneurs — from the United States and abroad — who are doing incredible things and taking their products to markets that were never imaginable for people living in their regions. Learning about how these entrepreneurs set ambitious goals for their companies and were not limited by the first obstacles they faced inspired me to think even bigger about my own business. Upon returning to Brazil, I organized an event involving all of our leaders to take a day away from the company, just to think about our strategy and define our objectives for the next 5 years.

Furthermore, I was struck by the growth of pasta brands with a focus on health benefits. I am now motivated to invest even more in the development of new products and seek techniques to deliver even more health benefits while maintaining a delicious taste for our consumers.

What did you learn about the US market that is different from that in Brazil?

One of the main differences I noticed was the culture of outsourcing. During the program, I met over 10 entrepreneurs in the food industry who do not have their own factories or delivery trucks to distribute their products to clients. I realize that the market structure is quite mature, and there are several large factories where entrepreneurs can outsource production and focus on sales, marketing, and product development. In my case, I need to divide my attention between production, fleet management and delivery logistics, administrative tasks, as well as the marketing area of the brand.

What’s next for Massas Famigliare? How can the food community support your goals?

We are in the process of expanding in the Brazilian market, with the aim of distributing our products to 30,000 stores across the country within the next 5 years. We have begun negotiations with American distributors to facilitate the sale and distribution of our products in the United States. We are actively developing new products to sustain growth among our current customer base. Lastly, we are seeking compatible partner brands to establish marketing and sales collaboration.

Throughout his YLAI fellowship, Lucas conducted a market research analysis of the US pasta market, including consumer insights and trends. In his report, he highlights innovation drivers of novel pasta products, opportunities for the category’s growth, and challenges that affect the market landscape. Read the report for more of Lucas’ findings!

If you wish to connect with Lucas, you can reach out to him via LinkedIn or Massas Famigliare.