ETHAN COUTINHO
Based in the UAE · Building across MENA

Ethan
Coutinho.

CEO. Founder. Operator. Building technology, media, commerce and marketing businesses across the UAE and MENA.

I build products, brands, media platforms and business systems that help organisations grow, operate more efficiently and create meaningful impact.

Explore my work Read my writing Get in touch
CRAVIN — Founder & CEOUAE · MENA · GCC

01 — About

Black and white portrait of Ethan Coutinho

Ethan Coutinho · Dubai, UAE

A founder & operator building quietly across the region.

I am Ethan Coutinho, a CEO, founder and operator based in the United Arab Emirates. Over the years I have built and operated businesses across technology, media, commerce, marketing and customer engagement.

My work focuses on building scalable systems, launching products, growing audiences, solving operational challenges and helping businesses leverage technology more effectively.

I spend most of my time building companies, developing growth strategies, creating content, and exploring ways to simplify how businesses operate and engage with customers.

02 — What I do

Three roles. One discipline.

01ROLE

Founder

Building companies, products, and platforms designed to solve real-world business problems.

02ROLE

Operator

Designing systems, workflows, and growth frameworks that help businesses scale sustainably.

03ROLE

Advisor

Helping founders and businesses navigate growth, operations, marketing, execution, and scaling challenges.

03 — What I'm building

A portfolio of companies built around a single thesis to do, then inspire.

CEO & CO-FOUNDER

2023 — Present

Cravin

Cravin is a Meta Business Partner helping businesses across the UAE and MENA leverage WhatsApp for commerce, customer engagement, bookings, and automation. Through products spanning Food, Commerce, Broadcast, and Sports, we help businesses streamline operations, strengthen customer relationships, and drive growth. Alongside our product ecosystem, we're building JustCravin.com, a discovery platform designed to help businesses improve their digital presence and be discovered more effectively online.

Cravin FoodCravin SportsCravin CommerceCravin BroadcastCravin Bookings (soon)
Visit Cravin JustCravin

CEO & FOUNDER

2026 — Present

I Know Media

I Know Media is a regional media and content distribution company connecting audiences with business, technology, culture, and local stories across the GCC. Through a growing portfolio of digital brands, we help people stay informed while providing businesses with access to highly engaged communities throughout the region.

I Know UAE

@IKNOWUAE

I Know Bizniz

@IKNOWBIZNIZ

I Know GCC

@IKNOWGCC

I Know Saudia

@IKNOWSAUDIA

Visit I Know UAE

CEO & FOUNDER

2019 —  2023

Roughpaper

A marketing and technology agency helping businesses grow through strategy, content, design, digital experiences and technology solutions.

04 — Journey

A decade of building.

  1. 2017

    First ventures

    Started building businesses during university — testing ideas, shipping projects, finding a taste for execution.

  2. 2019

    Roughpaper

    Co-founded a marketing and technology agency helping businesses grow through strategy, content, design and digital experience.

  3. 2021

    Fintech Exploration

    Tried to launch a Crypto Payments platform named Altin to help businesses accept payments legitimately with instant settlements. The brand did not launch but I gained valuable insights into the fintech space in the MENA.

  4. 2022

    I Know UAE

    Launched I know UAE, a UAE centric lifestyle social media page aimed to create relatable content and fact checked news in the uA

  5. 2023

    Cravin

    Launched Cravin: a WhatsApp-native ecosystem platform for orders, bookings, and customer engagement across food, sports and commerce.

  6. 2025

    Meta Business Partner

    Scaled Cravin to Meta Business Partner status with over 100+ merchants, 200,000 active users and over $250,000 in processed transactions.

  7. 2026

    I Know Media

    Launched I Know Media as the parent brand of I Know UAE, I Know Bizniz, I Know Saudia and I Know GCC, creating a media distribution network in the MENA.

05 — Philosophy

Do & Inspire.

I believe the best way to inspire others is to build.

Ideas matter. Execution matters more.

The goal is not simply to create companies, but to create things that improve how people work, buy, discover and connect.

I believe in taking action, learning publicly, sharing experiences honestly, and helping others build alongside me.

06 — Advisory

Things I can help with.

A short list of conversations I usually find useful — whether you're starting, scaling or rebuilding.

/ 01

Startup Strategy

Sharpening the wedge, the offer and the first 100 customers.

/ 02

Fundraising Preparation

Story, deck, metrics and the conversations behind the round.

/ 03

Founder Operations

The cadence, dashboards and rituals that keep a company moving.

/ 04

Business Development

Partnerships, pipelines and the deals that actually convert.

/ 05

Growth Systems

Repeatable acquisition, activation and retention machines.

/ 06

Marketing Strategy

Positioning, narrative and the channels that compound.

/ 07

Content Strategy

Editorial calendars, formats and the long tail of attention.

/ 08

Media Growth

Building audiences and turning them into durable assets.

/ 09

FMCG Operations

Cohorts, retention and unit economics applied to physical goods.

/ 10

Go-To-Market Planning

Sequencing launches across product, content and sales.

/ 11

Scaling Teams

Hiring, structure and the operating system that holds it together.

/ 12

Customer Acquisition

Channels, creative and the math behind paid & organic.

07 — Featured writing

From the journal.

All writing →
Cravin7 min read

Why WhatsApp is the storefront of MENA

Customer behaviour in the region is conversational. The businesses that win the next decade will be the ones that meet customers where they already are.

22 May 2026Read →
Founder Lessons5 min read

Operators vs Founders

The romantic image of the founder hides the unglamorous work that actually compounds. Operating is the craft no one writes about.

11 April 2026Read →

09 — Contact

Let's connect.

Whether you're building a startup, scaling a business, exploring partnerships, discussing media opportunities, or simply exchanging ideas, I'd love to hear from you.

Email EthanInstagramLinkedIn