Helping hermanas find confidence in curls

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Bad hair days happen. But thinking that every day is a bad hair day just because your hair is curly? That can hurt your self-confidence, your health — and even your sense of identity.

“Growing up we were told our hair was pelo malo, which means ‘bad hair’ in Spanish,” says Nicol Varona Cancelmo, half of the founding duo of Ocoa Beauty. “We grew up in the Dominican Republic, and we used to straighten our hair at the hair salon with our mom. That’s all we knew.”

Daring to embrace natural curls

Nicol and her hermana, or sister, Cory Varona-Corniel, founded Ocoa because of their own struggles with curly hair. First, there was the stigma. Feeling like their natural curls weren’t “professional” enough for work or school. Missing out on pool parties and beach days because they were afraid to ruin their straightened locks. “We never saw our curly hair as beautiful,” Nicol remembers.

By the time she reached her 20s, Nicol was tired of denying her hair its natural form. She broke free of the stigma and began to embrace her curls. Cory wasn’t far behind. “It was like opening a door,” Cory says.

But that decision led to their next set of challenges: properly caring for natural curls. The sisters were faced with complicated routines, ineffective products and hair care full of unrecognizable ingredients and harsh chemicals.

For Cory, the latter became a non-negotiable after being diagnosed with preeclampsia during her pregnancy. “I was being challenged from within,” she says. “I decided to look for better personal care products and better ingredients.”

When she wasn’t finding what she wanted on the shelves, Cory decided it was time for a new approach — starting in her kitchen.

Crafting formulas inspired by their heritage

“I have a business background,” Cory says. “I never thought that I would be formulating curl cream in my kitchen.”

Cory and Nicol’s search for high-quality hair care led to the disappointing discovery that most natural products rely on heavy oils and butters that weigh down curls. So they took matters into their own hands. Cory enrolled in a formulations class online, and after lots of experimenting alongside her sister, she had created what would soon become one of Ocoa’s core products.

True to their mission, all of the sisters’ formulations use clean, luxe ingredients that nourish curls. Ingredients like tea tree oil and ginger root soothe and protect the scalp, while mango butter and hibiscus flower not only nurture the hair but take the sisters back to their childhood in the Dominican Republic.

“For us it was really important to bring our heritage to this beauty line,” Nicol says. “We want to help women embrace their confidence and their beauty and their natural hair, which has really helped us to become our authentic selves.” On their “nada list” (the list of ingredients they never use in their products) are common additives like sulfates, parabens, synthetic fragrance and animal-derived substances.

The sisters knew their products held the potential to help people all over the world lean into their natural beauty. After years of testing and research, they were left asking themselves one big question: How could they share their products with their global sisterhood of curly-haired hermanas?

Entering the beauty business

Cory and Nicol first decided to bring their product to market in 2020, but the pandemic threw a wrench in their plans. The following year, they went to market with their signature curl cream — the same formula they use today. The sisters were officially in business.

At first, they partnered with a small local bank. “But we felt that we were not supported,” Cory remembers. “We really didn’t think that we were going to get personal attention from a bigger bank,” Nicol adds, “but we actually ended up getting even more attention and resources that have helped us grow our business.”

Their partnership with Chase began with the Coaching for Impact program, which provides one-on-one executive coaching, on-demand and classroom education, and banking solutions for entrepreneurs. The sisters were paired with a mentor who helped them adjust their business plan, perform a competitive analysis and connect to resources.

“We were able to really connect with our mentor,” Cory says. “It’s so great to have someone you can text or email, and they’re right there to help you.”

Searching for eCommerce solutions

Ocoa hopes to hit retail shelves soon, but most sales are currently online. When Nicol and Cory came to Chase, they needed digital solutions to help their business grow.

“We mostly sell online, but we needed solutions to help us at pop-ups and events,” Cory says. “So we needed the flexibility to have different options for our customers to make purchases.”

For example, Chase QuickAccept^SM is a staple for Ocoa. It offers fast credit card acceptance for Chase Business Complete Banking customers. “It’s so easy to use,” Cory says. “Customers can literally just tap their credit cards and receive their products right away.”

They also rely on Chase’s mobile banking to streamline finances while on the road. “We travel a lot,” Nicol says, “and we can bank with Chase wherever we are.” They use the Chase Mobile app and Chase website constantly. “We use it for everything,” says Cory. “Not just to monitor our transactions, but also to schedule payments to our vendors.”

Staying connected to their roots

Although Ocoa continues to expand, the business remains deeply personal to the founders. For both sisters, Ocoa is about more than having a good hair day. It’s about teaching people to love themselves exactly as they are.

“We really want to see the next generation embrace who they’re born to be and love their curly hair just the way that it is,” Cory says.

Ocoa is named after their mother’s hometown in the Dominican Republic. And one day, the sisters hope to sell their products on the island that inspired their line. “We see ourselves going international,” Nicol says. “Going back to the Dominican Republic and seeing our products on shelves there. Being able to serve a broader market, and helping more women embrace who they’re born to be — all over the world.”