From selling food to solving problems: How Esther Owusu Nkwantabisah rethought entrepreneurship
When Esther Owusu Nkwantabisah needed a display fridge for her fledgling food business, buying one was not an option. So she improvised.
Esther Owusu Nkwantabisah, a Ghanaian entrepreneur, started her food business Abukay Cuisine after losing her job during the COVID-19 pandemic. She improvised a display fridge using a styrofoam box and wooden pallets, demonstrating her resourceful approach to entrepreneurship. After completing her National Service and gaining practical experience in food safety, Esther began developing food products that connected to her interests in nutrition and sustainability.
She enrolled in the ALX program to learn business strategy, positioning, and customer relationships, which helped her shift her focus from product development to building a sustainable enterprise. Esther's entrepreneurship journey expanded beyond food as she explored the intersections of nutrition, sustainability, and community impact.
She developed the Abukay Plastic Currency Payment Option (APCPO) to address plastic pollution by allowing participants to exchange recyclable plastic waste for Abukay products. Through Abukay, Esther founded a naturopathic snack bar called Health Cave and established the Abuburo Nkosuah (A.N) Foundation, which supports over 2,000 students and 50 start-ups.
Esther also serves as a founding member and board member of the Horticulture Business Platform through Abukay. She believes that entrepreneurship can be a vehicle for solving problems, not just for making money, and that her definition of success has expanded to include creating value beyond financial independence.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
