The daughters of Dominican immigrants achieved the American dream. They’re bringing sweet...

B1320 words2:04News Report American AccentPublished Apr 10, 2026 · Updated Apr 10, 2026

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#1

Two sisters from New York have built a chocolate factory in the Dominican Republic.

#2

Janett and Erika Liriano are the daughters of Dominican immigrants who came to the United States.

#3

The sisters grew up in Queens and were encouraged by their parents to dream big.

#4

Their story of entrepreneurship has inspired many people in both countries.

#5

Before starting their business, both sisters had successful careers in New York.

#6

Janett was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list when she was in her late twenties.

#7

She worked as a chief of staff at a pharmaceutical company.

#8

Erika was building her career in venture capital, which involves investing money in new companies.

#9

However, both sisters felt that something important was missing from their lives.

#10

The idea for the chocolate business started during a family gathering in early 2019.

#11

Their father made a traditional Dominican drink using cacao and coffee at home.

#12

The sisters began talking about starting a chocolate company in the Dominican Republic.

#13

At first, Janett said she was too busy at work to start a new project.

#14

But their parents told them to follow their own dreams instead of working for others.

#15

The Liriano family has a personal connection to farming in the Dominican Republic.

#16

Their maternal grandparents worked as farmhands on other people's land.

#17

Their father's family still owns a small cocoa farm in the country.

#18

Janett explained that the Dominican Republic is not a poor country.

#19

She said the problem was that farmers did not receive fair value for their work.

#20

The sisters decided to give local farmers a stake in their chocolate company.

#21

This means that farmers own part of the business and share in its profits.

#22

Janett said that working hard for others taught them valuable skills.

#23

Because of their experience, they now want to create real opportunities for farming communities.

#24

The Liriano sisters have shown that immigrants can bring success back to their homeland.