Alexander Muller

Lead, Innovation & Training

Alexander is driven by the conviction that design is most powerful when it empowers the maker as much as the end-user. As the Lead for Innovation & Training at MASS, his work emphasizes scaling Rwanda’s furniture and creative sectors. By mentoring youth-led SMEs and artisans, Alexander bridges the gap between traditional craftsmanship and international manufacturing standards, fostering a sustainable, climate-positive creative economy built on technical excellence.

Since joining MASS, Alexander has primarily focused on translating and teaching high-level design strategies to local youth, preparing a new generation of entrepreneurs to lead the Rwandan furniture sector with locally made, high-performance, and climate-positive products. Beyond training, his role includes advancing technical innovation and applied R&D, where he contributes to material science research into bio-based, regenerative materials and supports the establishment of structured testing methodologies for new material solutions. By integrating digital fabrication techniques into the prototyping phase, he ensures that every product—from initial concept to quality-controlled production—maintains a foundation of structural and ethical integrity.

Before his current role, Alexander served as Head of Design for the sustainable brand Vênoor Living, where he managed global supply chains across India and Vietnam, and led product development for Banta in Kuwait. Having operated his own independent design studio since 2013, he brings deep entrepreneurial experience to every project, ensuring a seamless transition from design to market.

His career is marked by a deep commitment to design as humanitarian aid; he has taught woodwork to refugees in Greece and is the co-founder of Isla de Crear in Andalusia, Spain—a creative centre, hosting international residencies and workshops, which also provided housing for displaced and at-risk individuals, including those fleeing the war in Ukraine. Alexander holds a BA in Furniture and Product Design and a Foundation Degree in Furniture Making from the Cass School of Design in London, where he also served as a Designer in Residence. His accolades include the Frederick Parker Award for best contemporary chair design from The Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers, winning the Heal’s Discovers Design Competition, and being a finalist for the Arte Laguna Prize.