Melesse Abebe

Ethiopian entrepreneur and social activist who pioneered sustainable fashion and women's empowerment in East Africa

Melesse Abebe (b. 1975) is the founder of Ethio-Swiss Textile Company, a pioneering enterprise that revolutionized Ethiopia's textile industry while promoting gender equality and environmental sustainability. After graduating from Zurich University with a textile engineering degree, she returned to Ethiopia in 2003 to address unemployment and gender disparities through her innovative business model. The company employs over 2,500 workers, 80% of whom are women from marginalized communities. By integrating organic cotton farming and zero-waste production processes, Ethio-Swiss has become a leading supplier to global brands like H&M and Patagonia.

Ambassador for UN Women's HeForShe initiative, Melesse established the Women's Empowerment Fund in 2010 to provide vocational training for 5,000+ rural women annually. Her TED Talk "The Fabric of Female Leadership" has been viewed over 2 million times. In 2018, she launched the Green Threads Initiative, a solar-powered dyeing facility that reduced water consumption by 70% while creating jobs for 300+ youth.