UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The latest episode of Invent Penn State’s "Dare to Disrupt" podcast features sisters and Penn State Berks alumni Cory Varona-Corniel and Nicol Varona Cancelmo, co-founders of OCOA, a company that specializes in clean, natural haircare products designed for curly hair.
Varona-Corniel and Cancelmo share their inspiring journey from the Dominican Republic to the United States. They discuss overcoming language barriers, building a supportive community at Penn State Berks, and launching their professional careers.
The sisters also reflect on their close bond, the influence of their mother, and how their Dominican heritage shaped both the name and mission of OCOA.
“Part of the inspiration for OCOA was going back to our roots and our culture and bringing innovation to hair care, which is what we didn't find in the products available to us,” said Varona-Corniel during the podcast.
When launching their brand, they leveraged resources from the Berks LaunchBox powered by Penn State.
“Because of the Berks LaunchBox, we got connected to a mentor who was in the beauty industry,” Cancelmo said during the podcast interview. “Up until that point, it was just us googling and learning on our own. We know the community that wants the product, but we have no knowledge of this industry that we're jumping into. But because of this connection and having those resources, we were able to get connected to a mentor who was in beauty, and he suggested that we offer samples so that people can try the products first.”
Listen to Varona-Corniel and Cancelmo's story on "Dare to Disrupt."
The episode also features Keia Jones, a current Penn State doctoral candidate in rural sociology and international agriculture and development in the College of Agricultural Sciences. Jones, the founder of BluOrb.co, a platform focused on sustainable fashion, joins the twol to discuss the challenges of starting a business, the role of community support, and their shared commitment to sustainability and accessibility in the beauty industry.
Students interested in being featured on the show can apply or be nominated.
About "Dare to Disrupt"
"Dare to Disrupt" is a podcast from Invent Penn State about Penn State alumni who are innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders, and the stories behind their success. The podcast is hosted by alumnus Ryan Newman, a graduate of the Smeal College of Business and a Schreyer Scholar alumnus who is now a managing director at Goldman Sachs.
Past episodes include interviews with Garry Gilliam, David Rusenko and Jess Weiner. New episodes are released monthly. Subscribe to "Dare to Disrupt" on YouTube Music, Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
Invent Penn State is a commonwealth-wide initiative to spur economic development, job creation and student career success.