A formula for growth: a Dominican haircare brand builds its digital presence

After losing her job, Iliana Olivero turned a difficult situation into an opportunity to build her own business in the haircare sector. Today, with support from the Women Exporters in the Digital Economy (WEIDE) Fund, she is strengthening her business, reaching new customers online and laying the foundations for international expansion.

In 1999, Iliana Olivero began producing and selling haircare products in the Dominican Republic. What started as a small business selling cosmetics under other brands gradually evolved into CosmeLab Belleza Ideal SRL, a cosmetics company formally established in 2021, and Morganna, its own haircare brand.

Today, the company employs eight people and is investing in digital tools, more efficient production processes and new sales channels. These changes are helping the company reach a wider audience, improve its operations and prepare for opportunities beyond the domestic market.

Behind this progress is a personal story of resilience, curiosity and a growing interest in haircare innovation.

The story behind CosmeLab and Morganna

While working with private-label cosmetics, Iliana began developing her own formulations to address customers' haircare needs. One unexpected result while preparing a hair mask led to a treatment she believed could help restore hair health. This became her first innovation and reinforced her interest in product development.

This experience helped shape her approach to Morganna, the brand she later created with a focus on hair health, practical solutions for haircare and a personalized service for her customers. Rather than simply selling products, the aim of the company is to guide customers towards effective treatments and haircare practices, to address persistent hair issues.

Building a stronger business with WEIDE

In 2025, Iliana was selected to participate in the WEIDE Fund programme. Through the programme, she received a grant and technical assistance to strengthen CosmeLab's digital capabilities and financial management, improve its operations and marketing strategy, and prepare Morganna for international markets.

Previously, the company did not have a professional website with access to an online catalogue and integrated purchasing facilities, and its accounting processes were largely manual. It also lacked some of the equipment needed to improve production and operations used to fill cosmetics containers, while its shipping boxes were not specifically designed for its products.

The grant enabled CosmeLab to introduce a professional e-commerce website where customers can browse the product catalogue and purchase items online. The site also features a hair diagnosis tool that helps customers identify suitable products and find a personalized haircare routine.

The company has also introduced an artificial intelligence agent that responds to customer enquiries 24/7 through its website, WhatsApp and Instagram accounts. By providing product information and answering common questions, these digital tools help reduce the time spent responding to individual enquiries and allow the business to serve more customers.

CosmeLab has also updated its accounting software and connected it to the website through an application programming interface, integrating inventory and sales information. A customized costing module has further helped bring different aspects of its operations together.

Alongside these investments, training in digital marketing and financial management has helped Iliana make more informed decisions about the use of the grant and the allocation of resources.

"We have learned about digital marketing and financial management. These skills have enabled us to make better decisions about the grant we received and how to optimize our resources. It has been a kind of awakening," she said.

The investments have also improved production efficiency. Filling containers with thick, viscous cosmetic creams and liquids manually used to take up to four hours. With the acquisition of a filling machine, the same operation now takes 40 minutes, significantly increasing the company's production capacity.

Growing an audience and opening new sales channels

A more consistent digital marketing strategy has helped Morganna strengthen its online presence and reach new audiences. By publishing sequences of related content and maintaining a consistent brand identity, Iliana has developed a more focused approach to communicating with her customers.

In seven months, Morganna's TikTok following grew from 570 to 18,000 subscribers of the online app, while its Instagram account reached 10,000 followers. This growth was organic. The company has since started investing in paid advertising, using the results to assess performance and test different approaches.

The expansion of its digital presence has been accompanied by a new sales channel. Before participating in the WEIDE Fund programme, CosmeLab sold through its own shops and the online WhatsApp messaging app. Its e-commerce website now allows customers to browse the catalogue and complete purchases online, creating an additional way for the company to reach and serve customers.

"Thanks to the WEIDE Fund, we have now enabled online sales, allowing customers to select their products and purchase them entirely online. This is a sales channel we did not have before, and it now opens the door to expanding our business," Iliana said.

CosmeLab reported a 38 per cent increase in average monthly sales compared with the months before the changes introduced through the programme.

Preparing Morganna for international markets

Expanding operations beyond the Dominican Republic has been a goal for CosmeLab, which has explored opportunities in other Caribbean markets. After attending three trade fairs in Curaçao and meeting potential buyers, Iliana encountered difficulties with some early sales agreements. In 2026, however, CosmeLab completed a small export deal in Saint Martin, where the buyer honoured the agreement and now sells Morganna products locally.

The company sees further opportunities in the Caribbean and the United States, particularly in Miami and New York, while Spain is a longer-term market of interest.

Looking ahead, Iliana Olivero aims to establish Morganna stores in key locations across the Dominican Republic and build a network of distributors in selected international cities over the next two to three years.

To prepare for further expansion, CosmeLab has begun the process of obtaining sanitary authorization for its cosmetics laboratory and is working towards meeting the requirements of foreign markets, to open these markets up for its cosmetics products.

About the WEIDE Fund

The WEIDE Fund is an initiative launched in 2024 by the WTO Secretariat and the International Trade Centre (ITC), funded by the United Arab Emirates, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Legacy Fund and the Kingdom of Bahrain. It is currently being implemented in four countries in partnership with four business support organizations: ProDominicana, the Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO), the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).

About the WEIDE Fund

Launched in 2024 by the WTO Secretariat and the International Trade Centre (ITC), the WEIDE Fund addresses persistent barriers faced by women entrepreneurs in accessing finance, digital tools and global trade opportunities. The Fund is supported by the United Arab Emirates, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ Legacy Fund and the Kingdom of Bahrain. It is currently being implemented in four countries in partnership with four business support organizations: ProDominicana, the Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation (JEDCO), the Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MNCCI) and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).