Cory Varona- Co-Founder of OCOA, a high-end curly hair care brand on a mission to empower self-loving Latinas and redefine beauty standards. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised with the stigma of “pelo malo,” Cory’s journey is one of transformation, personally and professionally. A former finance professional with an MBA from Penn State and a diploma in natural hair care formulation, she fused her skills and her story to build OCOA from the ground up alongside her sister Nicol.

As a mother of two and the driving force behind OCOA’s operations and product innovation, Cory now leads with both hustle and heart. Her brand is bootstrapped but never basic. She’s harnessing AI across customer support, marketing, and internal systems to run smarter and grow faster, all while staying deeply connected to her community. Her work is a movement for authenticity, representation, and unapologetic curls.