Naa-Sakle Akuete created a natural alternative to chemical and petroleum jelly based moisturizers
I stay motivated by… looking at other female entrepreneurs
Three adjectives that describe me are… tired, enthusiastic, and fun-loving.
If I could have dinner with one person it would be… Mary Tyler Moore because I’m going to make it after all.
The most exciting innovation to me is… the concept of double bottom line companies.
We are the natural alternative to chemical and petroleum jelly based moisturizers.
Everyone understands what it's like to want to have beautiful skin. Skin that glistens like the movies and looks younger every day. And there are a million products that claim to help you do just that. Unfortunately, way too often, these products are filled with junk. Wouldn't it be nice if there were an all-natural product that felt like it healed while it moisturized? Something that wasn't bad for the earth, but actively made a positive impact on the world? The answer is Eu'Genia Shea.
For years, we've heard about the benefits of shea butter -- it draws moisture to your skin, helps your skin retain moisture, fills in the gaps between skin cells to smooth your skin AND has vitamins A, E, F, and K. In other words, shea butter is a non-comedogenic moisturizer that people are in love with. Walking down the beauty aisle, written in large font on container fronts, every other product claims to have shea butter. Flip the bottle over, however, and it's often the last ingredient in a seemingly never-ending list.
The number one ingredient in all Eu'Genia products is shea butter (at least 80% in every tin) and the other ingredients are just as natural: shea oil, moringa oil, baobab oil, and grapefruit/lavender essential oils. Additionally, our long-term picker relationships ensure high quality nuts that lead to high quality shea butter. Our exacting standards (at times 25% of inspected nuts don’t make the cut) mean that we only process the best nuts, and we do so in our own facilities according to industry best practice (which my mom developed as President of the Global Shea Alliance). Since we oversee every step from tree to shelf, we can guarantee the integrity of the product and the process. Our mass market sister brand, Mother’s Shea, does everything that has made Eu’Genia a hit, but at a more affordable price point.
What motivated you to become an entrepreneur?
In 2000, my mom returned to our native Ghana to take care of Grandma Sunshine. While home, she rediscovered her love of shea butter. She also realized that there are about 16 million women across sub-saharan Africa who support themselves and their families through the shea industry. A confluence of factors meant that they often didn’t get the value their deserved so Mom committed herself to empowering others by partnering with hundreds of sustainably paid female shea pickers. She found fulfillment in helping other mothers support their young. She founded a bulk shea manufacturing company (Naasakle Ltd) naming it after me, and for the next 15 years, she grew in vision and prominence, becoming President of the Global Shea Alliance (the organization that advises governments and NGOs about best shea practices). She allowed me to see entrepreneurship as a viable option.
How did you come up with your business idea? What inspired you?
When Mom was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer and fell sick with bacterial meningitis as soon as she was in remission, I decided that I’d prefer to work with her than in a cubicle every day. I quit my job in finance, took over her company and launch a line of finished products, Eu’Genia Shea.
What were you doing before this? How did it prepare you for the entrepreneurial life?
Before this, I was in generic finance. First European Equity Sales (pitching European stocks to US investors) and then in US & European Airline Equity Research (writing investment reports on companies like United and Lufthansa). Being in finance taught be how to sit in one place for 12 hours a day (hugely important to me now!) and gave me enough savings to go out on my own.
Do you have a fixed work routine? Is it important to have one? Any tips for our readers?
I’ve found that routine really keeps me sane. My perfect work day would be to wake up, have a mug of tea, meditate, go to the gym, and then work all day (preferably with breaks for food!)