From Montreal to Côte d’Ivoire: Ôtentik et Fière celebrates natural beauty across the world

Founded in Montreal in 2022 by Nadège A. Mehe, Ôtentik et Fière develops haircare solutions made with natural ingredients, specifically designed for people of African descent, as well for coily, textured, or curly hair.

The inspiration behind the company is deeply personal.

Growing up, Nadège remembers holding her mother’s hand during painful haircare routines. Years later, as a mother of four daughters, she found herself reliving those same moments.

“It felt like the same story repeating itself from generation to generation,” she says.

Determined to find a better solution, Nadège began researching natural ingredients and traditional remedies. After wearing wigs for nearly twenty years, she developed alopecia, which strengthened her resolve to focus on restoring hair health rather than masking the issue.

Drawing on knowledge passed down from her grandmothers, both herbalists, she began exploring plant-based ingredients known to support scalp and hair health. This journey led her to Côte d’Ivoire, where she identified key natural ingredients that would later shape her formulations.

These included neem oil and palm kernel oil, both known for their restorative properties.

“I chose ingredients because they solved a problem related to afro hair, not because they were cheaper or easier to source,” Nadège explains.

Today, Ôtentik offers several haircare systems tailored to different needs, including a four-step treatment system, solutions designed to address alopecia, products for children, and beard care treatments.

From the beginning, Nadège set out to build more than a haircare brand. Her vision was to create a company that combined social impact with economic opportunity by encouraging afro-descendant women to embrace their natural hair while providing pathways for entrepreneurship.

Ôtentik sells its products online and through a network of independent ambassadors and resellers who promote the products within their communities. These ambassadors go beyond sales by sharing knowledge and helping customers adopt healthier haircare routines.

Through this model, women can generate income while helping others rediscover confidence in their natural hair.

Nadège always envisioned Ôtentik as a global brand.

After launching in Canada, Côte d’Ivoire quickly emerged as the logical next step. The country offered a large consumer base with afro-textured hair, a strong appreciation for natural ingredients, and a strategic location within West Africa.

“Côte d’Ivoire is a gateway to neighbouring markets,” Nadège says. “When a product succeeds there, it can spread across the region.”

The country also held personal significance. When Nadège previously travelled there to research ingredients and explore natural formulations, she became familiar with the local landscape.

A trade mission organized by Groupe 3737 helped validate the opportunity and ultimately opened the door to establishing operations in the country. It included a visit to the Quebec Government Office in Abidjan.

Expanding into Côte d’Ivoire presented new challenges. Understanding local regulations, identifying reliable partners, and navigating logistics in an unfamiliar market required trusted, on-the-ground support.

“The information isn’t always easy to find,” Nadège says. “And sometimes what you hear before arriving is different from what you see on the ground.”

Through export preparation training in Montreal, the company learned about the support they could receive from Trade Commissioners and connected with our team at the Canadian Embassy in Abidjan ahead of their market visit.

Trade Commissioners in Abidjan, Michel Lacourcière and Thierry De Messe Zinsou, provided guidance during the company’s early steps in the market. Early conversations focused on market potential, insights and experience from other Canadian companies operating locally, and the regulatory environment for foreign businesses.

We also connected Nadège with trusted partners and industry experts, including Magali Iovino, a former L’Oréal professional with expertise in the Ivorian cosmetics sector. Her mentorship helped the company refine its market entry strategy and move forward with confidence.

Beyond advisory support, Trade Commissioners helped Ôtentik identify reliable in-market partners on the ground to support its expansion. When the company needed a partner to manage incoming shipments at the port, we provided vetted options and supported comparisons to identify the right logistics solution.

Our Trade Commissioners introduced Nadège to local organizations and networks that aligned with the company’s mission.  Through introductions to women’s associations and community leaders, Ôtentik was able to tap into trusted networks that play a key role in entrepreneurship and economic empowerment. These connections helped accelerate brand awareness and expand its distribution network.

 Entering a new market also required adapting how the company communicated with customers. Nadège explains that marketing approaches that worked in Canada did not always resonate the same way in Côte d’Ivoire.

“At first we communicated the same way we did in Canada, but it didn’t work,” she says. “People there like humour and a sense of fun. If you want to connect with them, your message has to reflect that.”

Insights from Trade Commissioners on local consumer preferences helped the company refine its messaging and build stronger connections with its audience.

“We made four trips to Côte d’Ivoire without the Trade Commissioner Service, and then one trip with them,” she says. “The difference was immediate.”

Ôtentik officially launched in Côte d’Ivoire in March 2025 with a high-profile event in Abidjan. The occasion brought together representatives from the Canadian Embassy, including Senior Trade Commissioner Michel Lacourcière, as well as partners and members of Canada’s entrepreneurship ecosystem to celebrate the milestone and show their support.

For Nadège, that presence carried real weight. “When the embassy is present, it shows this is a serious Canadian company,” she says.

The event attracted strong interest from local media and stakeholders, helping position Ôtentik as an emerging Canadian brand in the West African market.

 This milestone established Abidjan as a strategic hub for the company’s regional growth and marked a significant step forward in its international expansion.

“It feels like coming full circle,” Nadège says. “I discovered many of the ingredients there. Now we are bringing the finished products back.”

Following its launch in Côte d’Ivoire, Ôtentik is focused on strengthening its presence in West Africa while continuing to grow its global network of ambassadors and resellers.

Beyond product sales, the company also aims to build local expertise around afro haircare. Nadège identified a gap in the market, as specialized salons focused on natural afro hair treatments remain limited in Côte d’Ivoire, creating an opportunity to combine products with education and skills development.

“We want to help train professionals and create spaces where women can learn how to care for their natural hair,” she explains.

 To support this vision, Ôtentik plans to open its first salon in Côte d’Ivoire. The space will offer treatments using the company’s products while also serving as a training hub for hairstylists.

The company is also exploring opportunities to expand its network of distributors in Europe, where demand for haircare products designed for afro-descendant communities continues to grow.

 Looking ahead, Nadège remains focused on innovation, developing new treatments that build on the brand’s science-based and natural approach to haircare.

Reflecting on her experience, Nadège encourages other Canadian entrepreneurs, particularly women-led businesses, to take full advantage of the support available through government resources, like the Trade Commissioner Service.

“If I had known earlier about all the programs and support available, it would have saved me several trips,” she says.

She also emphasizes the importance of understanding target markets carefully, building trusted relationships on the ground, and approaching international expansion with patience and long-term vision.

“International expansion takes perseverance,” she says. “But when your vision is clear, you keep moving forward.”

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