{
  "id": 9293784,
  "title": "From selling food to solving problems: How Esther Owusu Nkwantabisah rethought entrepreneurship",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/from-selling-food-to-solving-problems-how-esther-owusu-nkwantabisah-9293784",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-23T06:12:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Joy Business",
    "slug": "joy-business",
    "url": "https://www.myjoyonline.com/from-selling-food-to-solving-problems-how-esther-owusu-nkwantabisah-rethought-entrepreneurship/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Esther Owusu Nkwantabisah’s entrepreneurial journey began with a makeshift display fridge crafted from a styrofoam box and wooden pallets. This simple solution reflected her philosophy that lack of resources should not hinder action. Her food business, Abukay Cuisine, evolved from a university side hustle to a formal registered company in 2019. Esther’s background in nutrition, food science and product development led her to explore the intersection of these fields with community impact. After losing her job during the COVID-19 pandemic, Esther turned to ALX for guidance on building a sustainable business. ALX taught her strategy, positioning, customer relationships, communication and networking. She applied these lessons to ask different questions about Abukay, such as who she served and what problem she was solving. Esther’s Abukay Plastic Currency Payment Option (APCPO) initiative allowed participants to exchange recyclable plastic waste for Abukay products, addressing both nutrition and plastic pollution challenges. This initiative expanded her understanding of entrepreneurship as a vehicle for solving problems beyond making money. As Abukay grew, Esther expanded her definition of success to include initiatives like Health Cave, a naturopathic snack bar, and the Abuburo Nkosuah (A.N) Foundation, which supported over 2,000 students and 50 start-ups. She also serves on the board of the Horticulture Business Platform through Abukay. For Esther, ALX provided a framework to connect her skills and ideas to strategy, but her ambition and desire to create value extended beyond the business itself.",
  "summary": "When Esther Owusu Nkwantabisah needed a display fridge for her fledgling food business, buying one was not an option. So she improvised.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "From selling food to solving problems: How Esther Owusu Nkwantabisah rethought entrepreneurship",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/from-selling-food-to-solving-problems-how-esther-owusu-nkwantabisah",
        "published": "2026-09-23T06:12:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}