Business accelerator Octane is getting a new CEO and adding an executive chairman as it steps up efforts to create 55,000 high-paying jobs by 2030.

Janelle Brunette, a longtime Octane executive, will become the new chief executive on Jan. 1, 2027. At that time, Bill Carpou, after 12 years in the top job, will assume the newly created position of executive chairman to assist in its continued growth.

Octane is moving companies from concept to commercialization. It focuses on technology and medical technology, including ophthalmology, aesthetics, neurotech and cardiovascular, as well as AI.

“We want to shine a spotlight on Southern California innovation through our coast-to-coast innovation pipeline and build bridges to the other innovation hubs across the country such as New York, Boston, Minneapolis and Denver,” Brunette told the Business Journal ahead of the July 13 announcement.

That includes attracting capital and talent.

“We’re always looking to work with great companies, great founders which are so rich here in in Orange County,” according to the incoming CEO. “We focus on Southern California. Orange County is the core of that.”

She said the non-profit organization, ranked in this year’s Best Places to Work list, now has nearly 50 employees and close contractors (see page 38).

Brunette is First Woman at Octane Helm

“I’m honored to be the first woman to lead this organization as CEO,” Brunette said. “I’m a reflection of where technology and companies are going – women are playing an increasingly important leadership role.”

She holds an MBA from the UC Irvine Paul Merage School of Business and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University.

Brunette assumes the CEO role after nearly 18 years of leadership at Octane, most recently serving as chief operating officer.

Since becoming CEO in 2015, Carpou has led one of the most transformative periods in Octane’s 24-year history.

Under his leadership, Octane evolved from a regional networking organization into one of the nation’s leading innovation platforms, helping companies raise more than $12.1 billion in venture capital, supporting the creation of 45,237 high-paying technology and medical technology jobs.

In 2025 alone, companies supported by Octane created more than 8,300 new high-paying jobs, further advancing the organization’s mission to drive sustainable economic growth throughout the region.

To calculate its claims, Octane annually asks each company that’s been through its Launchpad accelerator for its headcount and capital raised.

For example, companies that Octane initially helped have gone on to raise these amounts: Mavenlink ($475 million), RxSight ($457 million), and Sonendo ($447 million).

“We definitely under-report as we do not have 100% compliance,” Carpou said in an email.

“These jobs are direct jobs. We know that each direct technology or medical technology job creates 4 to 6 indirect jobs, which are not reported. This is a solid process, on the conservative side and audited by a top-tier firm.”

Carpou says he’s looking forward to working more closely with Brunette.

“Janelle’s going to hit the ground running. She knows all the people and the players,” Carpou told the Business Journal on July 8. “She’s going to do a great job in the CEO role.”

Long-Range Strategic

As executive chairman, Carpou will focus on long-range strategic initiatives, capital formation, and forging national and global partnerships that expand Octane’s reach and impact.

“I expect that I would be here and do this for the next three years,” Carpou said. “I’m not retiring. I’m not going away. I’m just moving into a different role.”

“To me our best days are ahead of us,” Carpou says.

Nearly a Quarter Century for Octane

Octane was founded in 2002 by five well-known local executives—Jim Mazzo, Dwight Decker, Mike Mussallem and Matthew Massengill, as well as Tom Moebus, then the vice chancellor at UCI.

“Octane is a convening organization of the Southern California technology and medical technology business ecosystem. We connect people, resources and capital,” Octane says on its website.

Its board of directors and advisers total more than 50 people, including many well-known in business circles, such as Alteryx co-founder Dean Stoecker, Menlo Micro CEO Russ Garcia and Linnea Burman, senior vice president and president of Medtronic’s neurovascular division.