Brian Rudolph created Banza, the first chickpea pasta brand, after wheat triggered sinus infections. A decade later, it's sold in 25,000+ stores—but a 2024 food-safety scare dropped sales 30% overnight, forcing radical transparency to rebuild trust. Banza's initial pasta turned to mush at scale until Brian discovered that steeping it like tea instead of boiling solved the texture problem, allowing the brand to fulfill its first major retail orders.