Biruh Demilew

Biruh Demilew is an MBA candidate at Harvard Business School (‘26) and the co-founder of Revolv, a venture dedicated to building closed loop systems within Africa’s food and materials economy. 

His work focuses on the bioconversion of organic waste in Ethiopia, beginning with transforming it into high-protein animal feed and organic fertilizer. Ethiopian farmers face prohibitively high costs for agricultural inputs such as animal feed and fertilizer. This makes protein sources like poultry meat unaffordable and contributes to below-average protein intake across the population. At the same time, Ethiopia generates vast amounts of organic waste, nearly 90% of which ends up in landfills. This releases methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than CO₂, and poses serious public health risks. 

Revolv seeks to turn this challenge into an opportunity by using Hermetia illucens (black soldier flies) to convert organic waste into affordable, sustainable animal protein feed and organic fertilizer (frass). The process is designed to be fully closed loop, producing zero waste. Revolv is exploring capital-light, franchisable models to expand access, create jobs, and make affordable inputs widely available. The long-term impact includes boosting farm productivity, reducing landfill emissions, and improving nutrition nationwide.

Before Harvard Business School, Biruh spent eight years in advisory roles. Most recently he worked as a management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) where he focused on food systems and climate projects. He also worked with PwC and EY, specializing in investment advisory across the Horn of Africa.re