July 27, 2021, Aliso Viejo, California. Octane, Orange County’s leading accelerator announced the appointment of three new roles at the organization. Michael Hill has joined as Director of LaunchPad SBDC, Scott Lopez has joined as Director of Capital Markets at Octane Enterprise Solutions, and Dave Beck has transitioned to Vice President at Octane Enterprise Solutions.
Michael is an experienced entrepreneur and angel investor with a deep passion for helping startup tech companies advance their business models. He has co-founded, scaled 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. Most recently, he worked with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) hosted at California State University, Fullerton. During the past 24 months alone, his teams helped the owners of small businesses secure more than $100 million in funding solutions.
Michael said, "I am thrilled and humbled to be working alongside the LaunchPad team and supported by the Octane organization as we continue to execute a demonstrated successful roadmap for helping technology startups gain traction and access to venture funding."
Scott Lopez draws on more than 25 years of leadership experience in the financial industry and will lead Octane’s investor relations and capital market program. Previously, he worked at Bank of America Private Bank in Newport Beach and has served as Managing Director at Primary Capital LLC. During his extensive career he has worked closely with high-net worth clients, family offices, venture, strategic and PE firms as well as startup and growth-stage companies. Scott is an active angel investor and holds Series 7, 63, 66, 79, and 82 FINRA licenses.
Scott said “I’ve been involved with Octane for more than 10 years and have the highest regard for its impact and mission. It’s an honor to help grow our investor networks and support innovative and disruptive companies and entrepreneurs.”
Dave Beck, formerly the Director of LaunchPad SBDC, has been appointed as Vice President, Octane Enterprise Solutions (OES). OES is the growth platform providing companies access to both capital and expertise in accelerating the time revenue ramp for early stage companies.
Bill Carpou, Octane CEO, shared “I am excited to announce these appointments of three highly qualified team members that live the Octane culture and will make a difference to all those Octane serves. LaunchPad continues to be a significant success platform, Octane Enterprise Solutions is proving high value by moving companies along the growth path, and our Capital Markets partners believe in our portfolio companies and are prepared to make those investments. Mike, Scott, and Dave will help lead Octane to a new level of impact for our entrepreneurs.”
Additionally, Octane has announced three new board members that include Daveen Chopra, Corporate VP and General Manager Surgical Structural Heart at Edwards Lifesciences, Ed Kim, MD, MBA, Physician in Chief at City of Hope Orange County, and Aziz Mottiwala, CCO at Tarsus Pharmaceuticals.
“Octane continues to diversify our board of directors to include a wide range of experience, expertise, and industry,” said Bill. “Our board is comprised of individuals that share a passion for accelerating the pace of innovation in our region and making an impact across the community. Welcome Daveen, Dr. Kim and Aziz.”
About Octane:
Octane convenes and enables the Southern California tech and medtech business ecosystem by connecting people, resources, and capital. We impact our community through LaunchPad, a top-performing accelerator, Octane Enterprise Solutions, a platform to provide companies capital and growth resources, Ignite Series, providing leading content, and Octane Foundation for Innovation, focused on furthering our mission while advancing diversity and inclusiveness. Learn more at octaneoc.org