Robel IyassuFellow of the Chartered Management Institute (Level 7)
Executive MBA Candidate '24-'26, Imperial College London
Robel is a serial entrepreneur, board leader, and formally trained research practitioner specializing in cross-border venture growth, sustainable biopolymers, and deep-tech commercialization. He is the founder of Boun Beans, a bespoke, direct-trade, heirloom terroir coffee service and R&D firm, engineering zero-plastic, zero-aluminum, home-compostable coffee capsules designed for 19 BAR high-pressure extraction.
Grounded by an MSc in Research from King's College London, his work bridges global academic rigor with scalable, multi-market execution—combining high-integrity material engineering with strict fiscal governance and principal HMRC oversight.
This operational expertise is anchored by several years of board-level governance, having served as Vice Chairman and Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee for an 11,000-member organization overseeing operational budgets exceeding $7M. His execution capabilities are further validated by his status as a CMI Level 7 Chartered Fellow—the highest echelon of strategic leadership qualification in the United Kingdom—as well as his foundational 2018 appearance on BBC Dragons' Den.
From BBC's Dragons' Den to Deep-Tech R&D
Founded in 2016, Boun Beans built its foundation on uncompromising quality and direct-trade sourcing. The brand gained national attention in 2018 following our high-profile pitch on the hit BBC television program Dragons' Den.
Our early journey and commitment to sustainable specialty coffee was extensively documented across local and national media. Between 2016 and 2018, Boun Beans was featured in exclusive coverage by London Live, the Islington Gazette, and the Brent and Kilburn Times.
Today, that entrepreneurial legacy drives our mission forward. We have evolved from our early startup roots into a specialized R&D reserve, engineering zero-plastic, home-compostable coffee capsules alongside our exceptional specialty roasts.
Formal academic training in scientific methodology, quantitative data analysis, and peer-reviewed research protocols, serving as the foundational framework for Boun Beans' material science engineering.
Future Black Leader Award Recipient ($100,000 Executive Scholar).
Trained in venture scaling with immersions at Google & Plug and Play VC.
Venture analysis, startup-to-unicorn dynamics, and investment vetting.
Advanced research in smart energy, AI, and sustainable materials.
Robel is the principal investigator and HMRC contact for this project.