# Israella Kafui Mansu

Israella Kafui Mansu (born 26 October 1985) is a Ghanaian female entrepreneur, actress, Founder and CEO of Mansuki Ghana Limited (MGL).

## Early life

Israella Kafui Mansu was born on 26 October 1985 in Sogakope in Ghana and moved to Liberia with the family whiles young. Unfortunately it was during that period that the war broke in Liberia so the family moved back to Ghana. At age 6 she enrolled in Sogasco Primary in Sogakope, moved to Dabala Primary and JHS and later St. Francis Demonstration JHS in Hohoe, where she took her BECE all due to the transfers her mother had to go through as a school matron. After successfully passing her exams, she gained admission into Anfoega Senior High School in the Kpando District to study Home Economics and completed her tertiary education at the University of Ghana, Legon with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Consumer Science and Psychology.

## Educational Achievements

Whiles in school, Israella continues to distinguish herself among peers. Whiles Dabala JHS, the school selected her to represent them in the annual STME (Science Technology and Mathematics Education) program run by the government to empower young people especially girls and also represented her school in district examinations and competitions. In Anfoega SHS she also partook in an open literature competition meant for the whole school where she wrote a creative story and successfully placed third even when majority that took part were boys and seniors.

## Entrepreneurship

Since 2009 Israella has built a reputed brand with her company on both the local and international market. As an entrepreneur, she researches into natural cosmetic products, design and commercialize them. After completing her National service duties in 2009, Israella thrived to get a job but to no avail. This circumstance motivated her and with as little capital of GHS300 which she gathered from savings during her National Service exercise she started her first company using her kitchen as a laboratory where she formulated and prepared the first few cosmetic products In an exclusive interview she had with Akpah Prince she said “In starting the company, I had two main visions in mind to make money to survive and create jobs to employ people because the rate of unemployment in the country now is just so high and pathetic, so these factors motivated me to start this very company”.

## Recognition

In 2012, Israella participated in Enablis Ghana's Business Launch Pad competition and Ghana Startup Cup where she placed second and first runner-up respectively.
In 2013 she was awarded at a ceremony in South Africa by the deputy minister of Trade and the European Women Inventors and Innovation Association in Sweden.
In 2014 participated in the launch of the YES Archived 2018-01-17 at the Wayback Machine initiative by the Ghana government where she sat on right hand side of the president. She has featured on television shows in Ghana as well as documentaries on Young Entrepreneurs in Ghana and Africa. She has also participated the US Embassy Ghana programs and has shared her story on many speaking platforms.
In 2016, her company, Mansuki Ghana Limited was shortlisted in the 2016 Ghana Startup Awards.
In October 2018, she was nominated by the organizers of the Ghana Outstanding Women Awards.
She is also currently in the final six participants on the Ghana's Next Young Entrepreneurs Reality Show in Ghana.
In 2021, she was nominated in the 2021 Forty under40 Awards.
In 2022, she was awarded the Outstanding Young Female Entrepreneur of the Year at the 12th edition of the annual Ghana Entrepreneur and Corporate Executive Awards.

## Exports

Leading in the production of Made in Ghana goods, Israella occasionally exports her cosmetic products into other African countries, Asia, the US and the European markets. Her products go as far as pushing Ghana out there by raising the flag of Ghana very high.