AN AWARD-WINNING business owner from Reading has been featured in a unique book celebrating female entrepreneurs.

Akua Wood, founder of Sheabutter Cottage from Reading, has also donated 1,000 masks to Ghana during lockdown.

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She was selected from thousands of applicants to take part in #SheCan365, which told the stories of 365 female entrepreneurs over 365 consecutive days in exactly 365 words.

The #SheCan365 project began when multi-award-winning online marketing specialist Helen Pritchard challenged former journalists Michelle and Christian Ewen to publish a new, inspiring story online every day for an entire year.

Reading Chronicle:

Akua Wood, Founder of Sheabutter Cottage said: "Out of all the female entrepreneurs in the UK, I am honoured to have been chosen to be included in the #SheCan365 project, which is a world first I hope telling my story will inspire all future female entrepreneurs – empowering them for success.

"As well as manufacturing vegan, hand-made, natural, fair-trade beauty products and toiletries in Reading, I also set up a co-operative in Ghana to help produce the sheabutter we use.

"Since lockdown, I have donated more than 1,000 reusable cloth face masks to the Jilima coop as well as two districts in Ghana to help curb the spread of corona virus."

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Michelle Ewen, co-director Write on Time Ltd said: "From the thousands of female business owners who came forward, we chose an inclusive, diverse range of women at every stage of the business journey – from start-ups to seven-figure ventures."

Reading Chronicle:

He;en Pritchard said: "The #SheCan365 book is about the nature of women who commit to showing up every single day, 365 days a year – and what CAN be achieved when success is a decision."

The #SheCan365 book is available here.