NEWPORT BEACH, CA – February 13, 2023 – Octane announced the appointment of two new positions at the organization.  Octane announced that Joseph Wyno has been appointed the new Director of LaunchPad SBDC Accelerator, a top-ranked accelerator nationally. As an experienced business leader and entrepreneur, Joseph succeeds  Michael Hill and assumed responsibilities on February 1, 2023. Michael Hill has been appointed to a new division, Octane Capital Markets, and will serve as the Managing Director.

Joseph has over 25 years of experience in the founder/startup ecosystem, both domestically and internationally, and previously served as an Advisor for Octane’s LaunchPad SBDC Accelerator. As an accomplished multi-award-winning business development consultant, he has been instrumental in helping LaunchPad SBDC clients raise $230M of capital over two years by developing teams that precisely address their business needs and capital objectives. “With a track record of success as both an entrepreneurial startup leader and multi-national corporate executive, his professional background is well-suited to the role at LaunchPad SBDC”, said Bill Carpou, CEO of Octane. “Joseph’s “go-giver” philosophy has been invaluable in elevating team member engagement and fostering collaborative efforts across departments and we’re eager to see his approach in this new role leading to innovations that supersede expectations.” 

As the Director, Joseph will be responsible for leading the program and providing individual consulting, resources, and programming support to LaunchPad SBDC startups. “With a people-over-process approach, I am committed to providing personalized support to help each startup reach its unique goals,” said Joseph. 

If you’re a startup looking to take your business to the next level, reach out to Joseph to learn more about Octane’s LaunchPad SBDC Accelerator and how the team can help guide you on your entrepreneurial journey.

In order to put the needed focus on early-stage companies to be successful and sustainable, Octane has created a platform, Octane Capital & Growth intended to provide entrepreneurs access to both capital and growth resources. The division is designed to unleash the resources, the network, and the partners convening at Octane’s signature events for the benefit of Capital Market clients.

Michael Hill has been appointed the Managing Director of Octane Capital Markets, as a part of the Octane Capital & Growth division. “Mike is the ideal person to serve in this new capacity”, said Bill Carpou, CEO of Octane. “He has walked in the shoes of the entrepreneurs we serve and understands the obstacles companies face to raise capital as they start their journey. Mike is client focused and has delivered results since joining Octane.” Michael is an experienced entrepreneur and angel investor with a deep passion for helping startup technology and medical technology companies advance their business models. He has co-founded, grown, and created liquidity for investors at two startup software companies and a professional services business which he ran for 25 years. Prior to leading his own ventures, he worked for Merrill Lynch, Xerox, and Orco Block Company. He also worked with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) hosted at California State University, Fullerton where his teams helped the owners of small businesses secure more than $100 million in funding solutions.

“Our entire objective on the Capital Markets team is to move the needle on accelerating capital procurement and commercialization opportunities. This new division is laser-focused on active advocacy for standout graduating LaunchPad companies,” said Michael Hill.

To learn more about Octane’s LaunchPad SBDC Accelerator and Octane Capital & Growth, visit www.octaneoc.org.

Octane convenes and enables the Southern California tech and medtech business ecosystem by connecting people, resources, and capital. We impact our community through LaunchPad SBDC, a top-performing accelerator, Octane Capital & Growth, a platform to provide companies with capital and growth resources, Ignite Series, in-person and on-demand leading content, and Octane Foundation for Innovation, focused on furthering our mission while advancing diversity and inclusiveness.  Learn more at octaneoc.org. . For more information, visit www.octaneoc.org.