Learn about Manny Addo. He is the originator of True Shea, a popular skincare line in the United States. Originally from Ghana, Addo began his firm as a side project while working in corporate America in 2016.
Addo started modestly, working on his items at night and on weekends and selling them in churches and flea markets before landing a tiny deal at Jungle Jim’s International Market.
True Shea is now available in over 1,200 Kroger shops; Kroger is America’s largest traditional grocery operator. Target, Walmart, and Amazon are among Addo’s clients. According to the Cincinnati Business Courier, his initial rollout at Kroger covered 335 sites.
Addo stated that he delved into shea due to the high demand for it in the United States. He mentioned that raw shea nuts are abundant in his origin country, and that he has been importing raw shea from there since the beginning of his firm.
Addo worked as a senior financial analyst for General Electric, Fifth Third Bank, Duke Energy, PwC, and JP Morgan Chase before starting his shea business. Addo, who is now a relationship manager at the Economic Community and Development Institute, recently resigned to focus on his skincare business.
The decision is largely motivated by the company’s increased sales. According to the Cincinnati Business Courier, sales have increased from $10,000 in the first year to $100,000 in the second year to $500,000 in 2022.
Some of the profit was reinvested by Addo in the Ghanaian town of Gnani. In 2022, he collaborated with Kroger to invest in a community water project. He observed that clean water is often taken for granted in the United States while providing drinking water wells in the hamlet. While living in the community, he watched children of school age travelling miles to get to water, illustrating the difficulties that the inhabitants of Gnani in Ghana’s northern region have in acquiring clean water.
Addo is scheduled to commission another water project by the end of 2023. “I’m not just donating to any cause. I’ve spent time with these people. They were my neighbors,” he told Cincinnati Business Courier. “I want to do something to change the course. It’s a big part of our mission and our story.”
Addo arrived in the United States from Ghana 20 years ago with only $600 in his pocket. His objective was to finish his master’s degree at Xavier University. He quickly found himself sleeping on the floor and was on the verge of being expelled from university owing to a lack of cash.
Perseverance and grace, on the other hand, saw him through his difficulties. True Shea was founded as a result of his business spirit. Stretch marks, diaper rash, eczema, dry skin, and dermatitis are all treated with his solution.