Efrem Fesaha

Efrem Fesaha, is a first generation Eritrean American whose family moved to the US (West Seattle) in 1988 for an opportunity his Father received to work for Boeing as a Mechanical Engineer. Efrem attended grade school in West Seattle, attended Washington State University for his B.A., and is currently a candidate for a Masers in Business Administration at Seattle University. Prior to establishing Boon Boona Coffee, Efrem worked 13 years in corporate finance for local companies such as Holland America, Nordstrom and Amazon. In 2011, Efrem returned from a three-month stay in his family’s native country of Eritrea where he became inspired by the Cafe culture that existed in the capital Asmara and returned to Seattle with the desire to venture into coffee. Boon Boona Coffee was launched with the aim of sourcing the highest quality coffee from Africa. In collaboration with coffee farmers across many African nations they look to develop long lasting relationships and support the sustainability of their crops. Boon Boona Roastery & Café operations are located in Downtown Renton, a second in the Central District of Seattle, and a third University Ave (new UW). Efrem won the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Washington Small Business Person of the Year award for 2022 and most recently was named 2022 Pacific Northwest Small Business Person of the Year, selected among state winners from Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.