Manuela Testolini: Inside the Life of the Philanthropist and Businesswoman

Manuela Testolini is often introduced through her connection to music legend Prince, but that description covers only one chapter of a much larger story. The Canadian philanthropist, nonprofit leader, and businesswoman has spent roughly two decades developing programs focused on children, education, creativity, and community leadership. She is the Founder and CEO of In a Perfect World, an organization that has expanded from small community projects into international education and youth-development work. She is also married to R&B singer Eric Benét and is raising a family that has become involved in her charitable mission. By 2026, Testolini’s public identity is increasingly defined not by celebrity relationships, but by sustained work aimed at giving young people the tools and confidence to improve their communities.

Quick Bio Information

Current foundation figures and Testolini’s leadership position come from In a Perfect World’s official 2026 information. Her reported height comes from her IMDb biography.

Early Life And Multicultural Roots

Manuela Testolini was raised in Canada in a multicultural family. Her mother is Egyptian and her father is Italian, and Testolini has said that she spent summers in both Egypt and Italy while growing up in Toronto. Those experiences gave her an unusually international perspective from a young age. She has described herself as a “global citizen” and has explained that seeing how differently children could experience life helped develop her compassion for people facing difficult circumstances. Rather than treating her heritage as a simple biographical detail, it is useful to see it as part of the background that later influenced her international approach to philanthropy.

Education At York University

Before philanthropy became her main career, Manuela Testolini studied Law and Sociology at York University in Toronto. Her educational path initially pointed toward a legal career, but she eventually realized that traditional legal work was not where she wanted to make her contribution. Testolini later explained that she took time away from that direction and volunteered at a homeless shelter. Working directly with people in high-need communities changed how she thought about service. Instead of addressing social problems only through institutions, she became interested in hands-on work that could produce visible results for individuals and families.

Her First Steps Into Philanthropy

Testolini’s early charitable experience was broader than a single organization. Her official biography notes involvement with nonprofit projects including Love 4 One Another, Free Arts Minnesota, and the Young Women’s Empowerment Network. She also worked on projects involving food and clothing assistance, art, music, and other forms of community support. Over time, she moved from volunteering into consulting and organizational work, helping connect foundations with communities that needed resources. That experience taught her an important lesson: charitable giving can be more useful when communities are treated as partners rather than passive recipients. It also gave her the practical experience needed to create an organization of her own.

The Beginning Of In A Perfect World

Manuela Testolini founded In a Perfect World in 2005. The idea behind the organization grew from a memorable experience at a shelter in Minneapolis. Testolini asked a young boy what he would want “in a perfect world.” His answer was surprisingly simple: a blue crayon. She later learned that the child and his mother had quickly left a domestic violence situation and that his favorite blue crayon had been left behind. The experience helped Testolini recognize that listening to children could reveal needs adults might overlook. That simple encounter became part of the philosophy behind a nonprofit designed to help young people find their voices and imagine better futures.

Building Confidence Through Creativity

Art has played an important role in the foundation’s approach. In its early work, children were encouraged to express their ideas through drawing, poetry, music, banners, and other creative activities. The goal was not simply to keep children entertained. Testolini viewed creativity as a way for young people to communicate feelings, build confidence, and discover that their ideas mattered. That philosophy continues in programs such as Dreamcatchers and Love 4 One Another, which use stories, art, music, technology, and self-expression as tools for learning and empowerment. This approach helps explain why Testolini’s philanthropy often blends education with creativity rather than treating them as separate areas.

Global Education And School Projects

One of In a Perfect World’s most visible areas of work is international education. Testolini’s official biography says the organization has supported young people in countries including Mali, Malawi, Senegal, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Nepal, alongside programs in the United States. Its REACH initiative focuses on bringing schools and educational resources to communities where access is limited. By 2026, the foundation reports 35 school projects across eight countries. The 35th project involved Youth Ambassadors traveling to Guatemala in 2025 and working with community members to help build a classroom. This international work gives Testolini’s philanthropic career a scope that extends far beyond celebrity charity events.

Youth Leadership And Community Service

Testolini’s work is not based only on adults helping children. A major part of her model involves teaching young people to become leaders themselves. The Youth Ambassadors program develops skills such as empathy, communication, leadership, and community service. Young participants then design or support projects addressing problems they see around them. The foundation reports more than 20,000 hours of youth-led service and more than 50,000 lives changed worldwide. Its wider programs also include support for more than 500 high-poverty classrooms. These numbers matter because they show how the organization has developed from Testolini’s original idea into a structured youth-development network.

Manuela Testolini As A Businesswoman

Alongside nonprofit work, Manuela Testolini has pursued business ventures. Historical reporting identifies her as the founder and leader of Gamillah Inc., a socially focused company that was involved in production, design, and a line of designer candles. Education Week reported on Gamillah as early as 2005, when the company was involved in fundraising for an education documentary project. Testolini has described the broader idea behind Gamillah as connecting lifestyle products with social causes. Her business history reflects a recurring theme in her career: she has often tried to connect commercial activity, artistic design, and social responsibility rather than treating business and philanthropy as completely separate worlds.

Manuela Testolini And Prince

Public interest in Manuela Testolini and Prince remains strong. According to People, the two met when Testolini was working as a consultant for a charitable organization connected with Prince. They married in 2001 and maintained a notably private relationship. Prince also encouraged Testolini’s philanthropic ambitions, and In a Perfect World was created during their marriage. Their relationship therefore had an important charitable dimension as well as a personal one. Rather than presenting Testolini only as “Prince’s wife,” it is more accurate to understand that their shared interest in giving back formed part of their connection and influenced work that Testolini continued long after the marriage ended.

Divorce And Prince’s Philanthropic Legacy

Testolini filed for divorce in 2006, and People reports that the divorce was finalized in 2007. The reason for their separation was not publicly disclosed. After Prince died in 2016, Testolini spoke warmly about their shared interest in philanthropy and revealed that she had been planning a school in his honor. That project was developed in Malawi, and a second school followed with support from Prince’s fans. The story is significant because it shows how Testolini chose to recognize her former husband’s memory through education rather than simply through public remembrance. Their marriage ended, but the charitable values associated with that period continued to influence her work.

Marriage To Eric Benét

Manuela Testolini later found a new partner in singer-songwriter Eric Benét. Benét has said that they initially crossed paths at a charity event in Los Angeles and developed a connection after meeting again. The couple married on July 31, 2011, a date Benét confirmed in an interview with Essence. Their wedding marked the beginning of a family life that has generally remained more private than the celebrity relationships associated with either of their pasts. Benét has also participated in charitable activities connected with his wife’s organization, including traveling with her for international service projects.

Manuela Testolini’s Children And Family Life

Testolini and Benét have two daughters. Their first daughter, Lucia, was born in December 2011, while public profiles identify their younger daughter as Luna. What makes their family particularly relevant to Testolini’s story is that her daughters have become involved in service themselves. In a Perfect World currently identifies Lucia and Luna as Youth Ambassadors, and Lucia began a backpack drive while still very young to help children who lacked school supplies. The foundation has described Testolini’s charitable mission as a family affair, showing how ideas about service and community involvement have become part of everyday family life.

Recognition For Her Philanthropic Work

Over the years, Testolini and her foundation have received several forms of recognition. Her official biography lists honors connected with United Communities Against Poverty, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and the Muhammad Ali Voice of Humanity Award. In 2024, In a Perfect World also reported that she received a SUCCESS Changemaker Award and was selected to help judge the Disney Dreamers Academy Class of 2025. These honors are useful context, but they are not the most important measure of her career. The stronger story is the continuity of her work: she has remained involved in youth empowerment for around two decades instead of treating philanthropy as a temporary public project.

A Different Kind Of Public Identity

Testolini’s biography offers an interesting example of how a person can become famous for one reason while building a career around something very different. Searches for Manuela Testolini often begin with Prince, Eric Benét, or her personal life. Yet her longest-running public project is youth philanthropy. Her work combines school construction, classroom support, mentorship, art, technology, and youth-led service. This wider picture matters because it prevents her biography from becoming simply another celebrity relationship story. Her marriages are part of her life, but they do not explain the scale or longevity of the organization she has led since 2005.

Manuela Testolini In 2026

In 2026, Manuela Testolini remains listed as Founder and CEO of In a Perfect World, and the organization has entered its third decade. Its 2025 impact review, published in March 2026, highlighted projects ranging from Los Angeles wildfire relief to international school construction. Young participants helped an initiative that supported 405 students returning to learning following wildfire disruption, while Youth Ambassadors also joined the foundation’s 35th school project in Guatemala. This recent activity shows how Testolini’s original philosophy has evolved: the organization is not simply giving resources to young people but increasingly asking them to identify problems, develop leadership skills, and become part of the solution.

Final Thoughts

Manuela Testolini’s life is more complete and interesting when viewed beyond her famous relationships. Her story includes multicultural roots in Canada, studies in Law and Sociology, hands-on volunteer work, entrepreneurship, marriage and motherhood, and two decades of nonprofit leadership. Prince played an important role in one period of her life, while Eric Benét and their children are part of the family she has built since. Yet the most consistent thread is her belief that young people should be heard, supported, and trusted to lead. In 2026, that idea remains at the heart of In a Perfect World and is perhaps the clearest way to understand Manuela Testolini’s lasting public work.

FAQs About Manuela Testolini

Who Is Manuela Testolini?

Manuela Testolini is a Canadian philanthropist, nonprofit leader, social entrepreneur, and businesswoman. She is the Founder and CEO of In a Perfect World, an organization focused on youth empowerment, education, creativity, leadership, and community service. She is also widely known as Prince’s former wife and Eric Benét’s wife.

What Does Manuela Testolini Do Now?

As of 2026, In a Perfect World’s official leadership page lists Manuela Testolini as its Founder and CEO. She continues to work on youth leadership, education, school-building, classroom support, creative programs, and community-service initiatives in the United States and internationally.

Was Manuela Testolini Married To Prince?

Yes. Manuela Testolini and Prince married in 2001. Testolini filed for divorce in 2006, and People reports that their divorce was finalized in 2007. They did not publicly reveal a detailed reason for ending the marriage.

Who Is Manuela Testolini Married To Now?

Manuela Testolini is married to R&B singer and songwriter Eric Benét. They married on July 31, 2011. Benét has said that they originally met through the Los Angeles charity-event world before developing a relationship.

Does Manuela Testolini Have Children?

Yes. Manuela Testolini and Eric Benét have two daughters. Their daughters, Lucia and Luna, have also participated in charitable activities and are identified by In a Perfect World as Youth Ambassadors.

What Is In A Perfect World?

In a Perfect World is the nonprofit organization Testolini founded in 2005. It works to empower young people through education, mentoring, creativity, leadership development, service, classroom support, and international school projects. The organization reports 35 school projects in eight countries and more than 50,000 lives changed worldwide.

Where Did Manuela Testolini Go To College?

Manuela Testolini attended York University in Toronto, where she earned a degree involving Law and Sociology. She initially considered a legal path but became increasingly interested in direct community and nonprofit work.

What Is Manuela Testolini’s Net Worth?

There is no authoritative, publicly verified figure for Manuela Testolini’s personal net worth. Online estimates vary widely and generally do not provide reliable financial documentation. For that reason, it is better to avoid presenting an estimated number as fact and focus on her documented business and nonprofit work instead.

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