Athena Foods

Finalist
Tema, Ghana

This Ghanaian company sells juices and concentrates, operating a processing plant that makes tropical drinks such as organic pineapple and orange juice. Founded in 1990, Athena Foods has grown to sell its products beyond Ghana to several European markets, including Spain, France, and Germany. Athena employs 53, and annual revenues have been running at about $250,000. A recent deal with Coca-Cola could lift sales to as much as $10 million within three years.

Ghanaian Managing Director Tony Mensah has more than 23 years of experience as a food chemist and industrialist. With a PhD in food science from Rutgers University, Mensah founded Athena after a decade at Kraft Foods in New York, where he specialized in the science of coffee.