Abrhame Endrias Butta is the Founder and CEO of Lersha, a pioneering agri-tech platform transforming access to finance, inputs, markets, and advisory for smallholder farmers in Ethiopia and beyond. With over a decade of experience in agribusiness and value chain finance, he works to address systemic barriers by collaborating with a range of stakeholders, including financial institutions, anchor firms, and service providers, positioning farmers at the center of Africa’s digital and green transformation.

He holds an MBA from Addis Ababa University and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Adama Science and Technology University. He has further strengthened his leadership and sector expertise through international programs, including leadership studies at Purdue University and the Centre for African Leaders in Agriculture (CALA) under AGRA, alongside specialized certifications in agribusiness finance, commodity collateral financing, and mechanization through trainings and certifications conducted across multiple countries.

Under his leadership, Lersha has built a robust phygital model that integrates digital tools with a network of over 4,000 agents, reaching more than 400,000 farmers across nine regions of Ethiopia. He is now driving Lersha’s vision to reach one million farmers by 2030, in partnership with IFC and a broad ecosystem of strategic partners, while expanding across East and Southern Africa to strengthen inclusive, market-driven, and climate-resilient agricultural systems.