Annika Cox-Boateng was born and raised in Boston, MA to Southern parents. Her mother worked in law enforcement while her father was an MBTA bus driver. As a middle child, she began a love affair with reading and obtaining knowledge, which was cultivated at Boston Latin School and remains to this day. After graduating from Bentley College with a degree in Finance with a Spanish minor, Annika moved to the financial capital of the world and joined the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as a Bank Examiner. This position would afford her the ability to travel and maintain a level of autonomy which remain important life goals. While working at the New York Fed, Annika continued following her passions and obtained a Cosmetology license. She later quit the Fed and enrolled full time in Fashion Institute of Technology to begin her shift into the fashion industry. Working in the fashion industry for three years, Annika decided to leave NYC to fulfill her most pressing goal of becoming a real estate investor. Having purchased her first investment property at 27 in Baltimore, MD, she utilized the proceeds from that sale to purchase a condo in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston. While in Boston, Annika partnered with a friend to start a DVD vending business which grew to six machines in six grocery stores in just two years. With the proliferation of video streaming services, it was time to pivot yet again as the DVD vending business was no longer profitable. Turning her attention once again to real estate, Annika purchased two additional rental properties in Boston and plans to purchase her first commercial space within the
next two years. A firm believer of building legacy and wealth, Annika started her own home décor business in 2020 to showcase her handcrafted candles and aromatics. ANNIKADECOR has since expanded into the personal care and cosmetics space and now offers a limited edition of home decor items through a partnership with a Rwandan artisan. ANNIKADECOR is primed to grow into a one-stop shop for thoughtfully curated, handcrafted, home décor items from around the world. Annika currently resides in Dedham, MA with her husband Joseph, and remains occupied by home improvement projects, growing ANNIKADECOR, teaching financial literacy to friends and family, and working at the Boston Fed.Â