Redefining Curly Haircare with the Sisters who Co-founded OCOA



Dare to Disrupt
Dare to Disrupt
Redefining Curly Haircare with the Sisters who Co-founded OCOA
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Sisters Cory Varona-Corniel and Nicol Varona Cancelmo are the cofounders of OCOA, providing clean, natural, curly haircare products.

In this episode, Nicol and Cory share their inspiring journey from the Dominican Republic to the United States. They detail how they were able to overcome language barriers, build a community at Penn State Berks, and launch into each of their professional careers. They discuss their close bond as sisters, the influence of their mother, and how their family roots in the Dominican Republic inspired not only the name but also the ingredients and mission behind OCOA.

At the end of the episode, current Penn State student Keia Jones joins the conversation. Keia is a PhD Candidate in Rural Sociology and International Agriculture and Development. She is the founder of BluOrb.co, a platform dedicated to simplifying sustainable fashion. Keia, Cory, and Nicol discuss the challenges the sisters faced in starting their business, the importance of community and sustainability, and their future aspirations for growth and accessibility in the beauty industry.

Episode Chapters

00:00 – 06:50 Growing up in the Dominican Republic
6:50 – 14:08 The challenge of moving to the U.S.
14:08 – 19:41 Building a community at Penn State Berks
19:41 – 25:39 Transitioning to the professional world
25:39 – 31:17 The inspiration behind launching OCOA
31:17 – 35:03  Losing their manufacturer and adapting forward
35:03 – 43:03 Rebranding and building a community
43:03 – 45:27 The future of OCOA
45:27 – 49:33 Student Section
45:27 – 46:38 How the story of their business has evolved
46:38 – 48:07 Keeping sustainability at the forefront
48:07 – 49:24 Plans to expand distribution and grow the OCOA team

About Cory Varona-Corniel

Cory graduated from Penn State Berks in 2011 with a B.S. in business with a finance and accounting concentration. She went on to earn an MBA with a concentration in finance at Penn State Great Valley. She is the co-founder and COO of OCOA.

About Nicol Varona Cancelmo

Nicol graduated from Penn State Berks in 2013 with a B.S. in business with a marketing concentration. She went on to earn her social media certification from Georgetown University. She is the co-founder and CMO of OCOA.