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Building Brazi Bites: How Junea Rocha Built a Multi-Million Dollar Brand

Wednesday, March 13th, 2024

Junea Rocha, originally from Brazil, had a solid career as an engineer in Portland Oregon. She worked as an engineer for nearly a decade before transitioning to a career as an entrepreneur. Though entrepreneurship wasn’t on her radar, she kept thinking about how her tasty Brazilian food could be shared with a broader audience. She built up Brazi Bites, a Latin-inspired better-for-you company. She pitched on Shark Tank, and the exposure from the show helped her to grow revenue to $30M. A few years later she sold her majority stake to private equity and now serves as the CMO. Check out our case study to learn How Junea Started.

Case Study


How She Started: Transitioning from civil engineering to a founder of a company is definitely risky. What made you decide to take the risk?

JR: What made me take the leap was exposing this food to the US market like in a grocery format. I wasn't initially looking to become a founder, but I was compelled by the idea. I wanted to see one of my favorite Brazilian foods represented in a more accessible and convenient way.



HSS: Why did you decide to raise money?

JR: Since the business has been around for 13 years, we've gone through multiple funding rounds to scale the business.



HSS: Once you got some traction with Brazi Bites, how did you get those first initial customers and how do you keep them?

We were able to get into grocery stores, but because there was so little awareness in the US, we needed to meet the consumer where they were. When we were just starting out, I spent a lot of time in grocery stores with a small table and an oven, offering samples of our product and sharing our story. Over time, consumers learned about our product and fell in love with it, which enticed them to come back for more. The biggest source of retention in the food industry is really focusing on delivering products that people want to enjoy week after week.



HSS: How did you handle the competition?

It is a highly competitive industry. When you walk into the grocery store there are thousands of products, and the consumer has a lot of choices right where to shop We prefer to stay laser-focused on what we do best and not get distracted by what others are doing.

We continually conduct customer research by asking questions like why people buy our products, how they enjoy them, what makes us unique, and what drives people to purchase our product. These questions guide our decisions.



HSS: What would you say was the most pivotal moment in the company's history?

JR: The most pivotal moment was appearing on Shark Tank in 2015. It led to exponential growth for us.



HSS: And then what's your growth strategy now?

When we started, our mission was to bring Brazilian cheese bread to the US market. Now, we've evolved into a Latin-inspired better-for-you company. We continue to introduce new products to the market and strengthen our relationships with retailers and consumers.



HSS: And what were the lessons learned you look back on the business?

JR: So many lessons.



HSS: Do you have the top three?

  • Be laser-focused on what your business is doing.
  • Continue to show up.
  • Always listen closely to consumers. They will tell you the truth and guide your decisions.


    • HSS: Do you have any additional advice for female-founded businesses?

    JR: Seek out peers in your community. Having peer-to-peer mentors can provide you with the tools and strength to navigate your path forward.



    HSS: Well, thank you so much for your time. I very much appreciate it.