Ghanaian entrepreneur Manny Addo, founder and CEO of True Shea, a skincare company based in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the United States, has been honoured by the city with a day named after him in recognition of his contributions to business and economic development.

The city has proclaimed October 30 as Manny Addo Day, celebrating his journey from Ghana to building a skincare brand whose products are sold in thousands of stores across the United States and Canada.

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Addo moved to the US to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Xavier University in Cincinnati. He said he arrived with only $600, despite needing about $50,000 to finance his education.

Speaking about his journey in a video sighted by GhanaWeb, on October 23, 2026, Addo said he faced financial difficulties but remained determined to build his business.

“I arrived in Cincinnati from Ghana many years ago with the plan of getting an MBA. I was financially challenged at the time because, out of the $50,000 that I needed, all I had to my name was $600,” he said.

Addo said that he started his whipped shea butter business in 2016 as a side project, initially selling his products at flea markets and churches.

His business began to grow after securing a local account with Jungle Jim’s International Market. He later partnered with Kroger, leading to an initial rollout across 335 stores.

The company, formerly known as Natural Shea Care, has since expanded its reach, with its products sold through major retailers, including Walmart, Target and Kroger.

Reflecting on the growth of his business, Addo said his products had reached more than 5,000 stores in the US and Canada.

“However, I was able to overcome all these, build a product and place those products in over 5,000 stores in the United States and Canada,” he said.

Beyond building a business in the US, Addo has maintained ties with Ghana through the sourcing of raw shea butter ingredients from Nani, a village in northern Ghana.

He said he hoped his experience would encourage other entrepreneurs to overcome challenges and find opportunities to get their products into large retail outlets.

“I would love to share my experience with you on how I overcame some of these challenges and was able to place my products in these stores, hopefully help some of you to be able to put your products in the stores in the United States as well,” he indicated.

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Announcing the honour, Addo expressed gratitude for the recognition, describing October 30 as a day that would bear his name in Cincinnati.

“And guys, you know what? Out of all these problems, I overcame them. And today in Cincinnati, two days in my name, named as the Manny Addo Day,” he added.

Watch the video below:



MAG/VPO

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