Mehri Ahmadova and Ilyas Ahmadov

EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2026 finalists, Azerbaijan
Co-founders, Berry Blues by We Grow

Ilyas Ahmadov and Mehri Ahmadova are growing Azerbaijan’s blueberry industry from the ground up.

In 2016, blueberries were virtually unknown in Azerbaijan, but Ilyas Ahmadov and Mehri Ahmadova saw an opportunity to grow the market for the antioxidant-packed superfruits through scientific knowledge, leading global practices and a deep commitment to sustainable agriculture.

Inspired by Ilyas’s early greenhouse experience, a chance encounter with wild blueberries in Siberia and Mehri’s Spanish skills, the couple entered the Latin American blueberry industry. Together, they studied cultivation methods across Chile, Spain and the Netherlands, building their knowledge through international courses and hands-on work with global specialists. In 2018, they launched their first trials at home, overcoming climate constraints, limited resources and skepticism about whether blueberries could succeed.

Today, Berry Blues by We Grow is Azerbaijan’s first commercial blueberry producer and exporter. The company cultivates 23 varieties using a fully organic, high-tech, soil-free system and exports 80% of its harvest to regional markets. It has helped grow domestic consumption from under one ton to ten tons per month, employs hundreds of rural residents each season and supports education through free seminars. It also promotes environmental stewardship with advanced irrigation, ecofriendly packaging and near-zero-waste production.

By developing a new agricultural sector in Azerbaijan, Ilyas and Mehri are creating long-term value and expanding global access to high-quality, sustainably grown blueberries. Under their new program “Blueberries Everywhere” they are offering their expertise to make these fruits affordable in almost every corner of the world.