Who We Are
Stefano GRANDI
Founder
Born in Emilia Romagna, but living the world
At the end of the 1980s he founded a manufacturing company in the industrial automation sector. That company was characterized by his ability to look beyond the making process of a product, by offering advantageous and original solutions for their customers.
In a few years, Motor Power Company, has become one of the most significant companies in the production of electric motors and mechatronic solutions. This result was achieved thanks to a strong technological know-how, obtained from several experiences and a constant work on research and development, that led the company to seat at the same table of some of the main international companies.
While the Stefano Grandi entrepreneur achieves success and satisfaction for his company, the Stefano Grandi man does not neglect his passions; art, music and gastronomy.
Thus he enters the world of gelato and the approach is revolutionary; the unconventional experience gained in industry is applied to tradition, he seeks efficiency and sustainability, respect for the territory, without neglecting the effectiveness of the business.
The ability to dismantle rooted and sometimes distorted logics in the world of gelato is also told in the book U Theory by Rino Panetti, which collects case studies of very innovative companies.
He is the creator of the Principessa ice cream whipping machine, whose variable and controllable movement with direct drive technology, reproduces the work of the skilled hands of the craftsman, allowing him to reduce processing time and to customize the machine in order to make exactly his own recipes. The water cooling system was removed and there is no need to wash the machine between one cycle and another. That allows 100% water savings, while energy consumption is reduced compared to traditional systems
Rita CHIERICATI
Product Manager & Business Development
“I love natural gelato when it magically balances the demands of both taste buds and olfactory senses. When this happens, we find excellence that must be jealousy preserved.”
Intrinsic gastronomic passion, creative flair at the stove and focus for tradition and great respect for. These have been Rita’s culinary traits since girlhood. An epic journey took her to Sayan, a small village in Bali – the island of Gods , where she ran for many years Gaya restaurant that is adjacent to Gaya Relax Resort. Throughout the last few years she perfected this culinary experiment and managed to turn it into this successful business called Gaya Gelato.
Umberto BASTIANELLO
CEO
“My goal is to bring Gaya Gelato all around the world”
He is always in search of a place where to feel free and to listen to his heartbeat while looking for the next research or challenge. He believes in cultivating and growing dreams.
Compulsive globetrotter in the early part of his life, he has always found inputs to get a complete experience and ways to analyse in depth each aspect of business.
Carlo CATANI
Communication Manager and Sustainability Expert
“I strongly believe that the land is a unique heritage of tradition, values and quality produce.”
Driven by a passion for the gastronomic produce of the land since he was a youngster, Carlo is now a sustainability expert at Gaya Gelato, helping the team in finding new solutions to agricultural, planning and distribution challenges. He is the creator of many projects related to food and wine, such as Albana Déi, ANsomigaFORA, Cinemadivino; he contribute to the programs of the association Chef to Chef Emilia Romagna Cuochi, and he is the founder of the association Tempi di Recupero.For more than five years he was the director of the University Department of Gastronomic Sciences, the first such university in the world, designed and established by the international organization Slow Food to create a new sustainable agriculture.
Felipe ZUNIGA
Logistic and Production Process Manager
He casually approached the world of gelato and he quickly got fascinated by it. So much fascinated that it became his reason for living. He brings a successful mix of influence, culture and philosophy rooted in the traditional Italian gelato making. Since he believes that there is always something new to learn, in the last few years he has been improving his skills by studying ingredients in depth in order to understand their full potential.