Entrepreneurs and immigrants alike—with hard work, you can orchestrate your success.
Manny Addo came to the United States from Ghana with a lot of skill, drive, and intellect. He also had a dream to start a business that he could make thrive. Upon meeting an African American Colleague, Manny realized his opportunity: shea butter sourced from Ghana and sold in the US. True Shea was born. Today, True Shea is sold in Kroger stores across the US.
Manny wouldn’t be where he is today without the guidance and support of family, friends, and mentors. A strong believer in giving back, Manny wrote From Africa to 1,500 Kroger Stores to help other entrepreneurs, especially immigrant entrepreneurs, learn from his experience. As you follow Manny’s entrepreneurial journey, you can learn the importance of networking, the art of hard work, how to navigate business challenges, and how to embrace cultural differences.
Manny Addo is the CEO of Cincinnati-based Natural Shea Care, a Black-owned, natural beauty care company with a mission of supporting and empowering the women of Ghana. He is also the CEO of Africa America Business Promotion, a company that promotes business between Africa and the United States. Manny holds an MBA in finance and marketing from Xavier University and a bachelor’s degree in social science and a diploma in education from the University of Cape Coast.
Manny Addo is the CEO of Cincinnati based
Natural Shea Care (NSC). NSC is a Black-owned natural beauty care company with a mission of supporting and empowering the women of Ghana, where the shea butter for its products is sourced. Currently, NSC has distributed products in more than five thousand stores in the United States and Canada in the last five years, and products are available across the
United States, including Kroger, Jungle Jim’s International Market, Target.com, Amazon, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls. Manny’s educational,
cultural, and professional exposure in Africa and the United States enables him to successfully promote business between these regions.
Manny is also the CEO of Africa America Business Promotion, a company that promotes business between Africa and the United States. In this capacity, he organized the first Africa America Trade and Investment Summit at the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce in July 2018. This event was attended by Ghana’s minister of trade, Ghana’s ambassador to the United States, the president of Cintas Corporation, and representatives from Kroger, Procter & Gamble, and businesses from Canada, China, and New York.
Manny has an MBA in finance and marketing from Xavier University and a bachelor’s degree in social science and a diploma in education
from the University of Cape Coast. He worked as a senior financial analyst for General Electric, Fifth Third Bank, Duke Energy, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and JPMorgan Chase. He also worked with Maersk Sealand as an export officer, giving him experience in customs clearance and supply chain management. Manny is a member of the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, the Ohio Minority Supply Development Council, and the Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce.
Manny was nominated by Kroger and went on to win the Ohio Minority Supply Development Council (OMSDC) Class 1 award in 2020, and he won the OMSDC award for Emerging Business of the Year in 2022.
In 2023, Manny met with Congressman Greg Landsman, U.S. representative for Ohio’s first congressional district, and asked him to
recommend him for President Joe Biden’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement, which he did. Although he was not selected, he received a letter from President Biden to thank him and encourage
him to apply for other jobs in his administration.
Manny resides in Cincinnati, Ohio. This is his first book. To learn more about Manny and True Shea, visit www.naturalsheacare.com.
