The idea for Wa di di took root years before it had a name, in Ghana’s Upper West Region.

Jenny lived and worked alongside smallholder farmers, who were doing everything right and still struggling to make a living. Chemical inputs, volatile commodity markets, and non-native crops like corn and soy offered little stability, while traditional foods were overlooked as viable economic pathways. For families, especially young people, the only options became urban migration, leaving agriculture altogether.

At the same time, she fell in love with Hausa Koko, which fuels daily life across northern Ghana and West Africa.

Nourishing, spicy, and deeply satisfying, it became a favorite staple. But back in the U.S., she found no equivalent alternatives, only highly processed “health” foods disconnected from land, culture, and farmers.

That question resurfaced years later at UC Berkeley Haas.

There, Jenny met Jeffrey, who grew up with Hausa Koko not as a product, but as part of everyday life. He understood its flavor, texture, and cultural rhythm intimately. With a background in finance, data, and scaling mission-driven businesses, Jeffrey also brought the discipline needed to build something durable and real.

Wa Di Di was born at the intersection of lived experience and systems thinking.