March, 2026, Lagos, Nigeria – Cascador [1] today announced the
appointment of Oyin Solebo as Chief Operating Officer, bringing on a
proven builder with deep experience scaling startups and deploying
capital across Africa. Her appointment signals a strategic shift toward
strengthening the systems, discipline, and infrastructure required to
help growth-stage companies scale sustainably.
Solebo is a seasoned investor and ecosystem builder with deep experience
across venture capital, startup acceleration, and corporate innovation
in Africa. She previously served as Managing Director of the ARM Labs
Lagos Techstars Accelerator, where she led investments in and supported
high-growth startups across multiple sectors. Across her career, she has
built a reputation for translating bold vision into disciplined
execution, helping companies move from traction to true scale.
Her appointment marks a critical step in Cascador’s evolution—from a
leadership-focused program into a platform designed to systematically
scale high-impact companies.
“Oyin is a force multiplier,” said Trish Thomas, CEO of Cascador.
“She understands what it takes to build and run organizations that
endure. As we expand our focus from developing founders to scaling
companies, her operational expertise will be instrumental in helping us
deliver on that vision.”
Cascador’s model is grounded in a clear thesis: backing founders who
can multiply the value they receive, turning education into execution,
and capital into lasting economic and social impact.
Through its ScaleUp Program, Cascador equips growth-stage entrepreneurs
with the leadership skills, strategic clarity, and access to catalytic
capital required to scale sustainably. The program is designed for
founders with proven traction—those capable of absorbing significant
investment and deploying it effectively to drive growth, job creation,
and long-term resilience.
Solebo’s experience sits squarely at this intersection of leadership,
capital, and execution.
“In Africa, we don’t have a shortage of founders, we have a shortage
of companies that successfully scale,” said Solebo. “The difference
lies in systems, discipline, and the ability to deploy capital
effectively. Cascador has built a powerful foundation by investing in
people. The opportunity now is to extend that into building stronger
companies that can absorb capital, institutionalize operations, and grow
sustainably.”
As Chief Operating Officer, Solebo will focus on strengthening
Cascador’s operational infrastructure and scaling its platform
capabilities. This includes optimizing program delivery, deepening
alumni support, and building systems that enable founders to transition
from learning to execution and from execution to scale.
Her role will be particularly critical in advancing Cascador’s ScaleUp
Program and Catalytic Fund, which deploys $2–5 million annually in
tailored financing to high-performing alumni. The fund is designed not
simply to extend their runway, but to back “resource multipliers”:
ventures that can transform capital into durable financial performance
and measurable impact.
Dave DeLucia, Founder of Cascador, emphasized the strategic importance
of the appointment: “Cascador has always been about multiplying impact
through entrepreneurship. With Oyin, we are strengthening our ability to
ensure that the hard work of our team and the deployment of capital
ultimately translates into scaled, enduring businesses. She brings the
operational discipline and ecosystem insight needed to take us to the
next level.”
Solebo also highlighted Cascador’s unique positioning within the
African ecosystem. “What makes Cascador different is its focus on
multipliers—founders who can take what they learn and amplify it
across their companies, teams, and markets,” she said. “If we can
consistently support those founders with the right combination of
education, networks, and capital, the ripple effects are enormous—more
jobs, stronger industries, and a more resilient economy.”
Looking ahead, Solebo aims to position Cascador as a long-term scaling
partner for its entrepreneurs. “We are building more than a program.
We are building a platform,” she said. “A platform that identifies
high-potential founders, equips them to lead, and then supports them
with the financial and non-financial resources required to scale. If we
do this well, we won’t just transform individual companies—we’ll
shape the future of the African economy.”
Her appointment underscores Cascador’s ambition to become a central
engine for entrepreneurial scale in Africa where leadership, capital,
and execution come together to unlock lasting impact.
