Cascador has appointed Oyin Solebo as Chief Operating Officer, signalling a strategic push to strengthen the systems, discipline, and infrastructure needed to scale high-growth companies across Africa.
The move brings in a proven operator with deep experience in scaling startups and deploying capital, marking a shift in Cascador’s focus from leadership development to building a platform capable of driving sustainable growth for ventures.
Solebo is a seasoned investor and ecosystem builder with a track record spanning venture capital, startup acceleration and corporate innovation across the continent. 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. Over the course of her career, she has built a reputation for translating bold vision into disciplined execution, helping companies move from early traction to full-scale operations.
Her appointment represents a key milestone in Cascador’s evolution into a structured platform designed to scale high-impact businesses.
“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 built on backing founders who can multiply value—turning education into execution and capital into long-term economic and social impact.
Through its ScaleUp Programme, the organisation equips growth-stage entrepreneurs with leadership capability, strategic clarity and access to catalytic capital required for sustainable expansion. The initiative targets founders with proven traction who can effectively absorb investment to drive growth, job creation and long-term resilience.
Solebo’s experience sits at the heart of this intersection between 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.”
In her new role, Solebo will focus on strengthening Cascador’s operational infrastructure and scaling its platform capabilities. Her remit includes improving programme delivery, expanding alumni support and building systems that help founders transition from learning to execution—and ultimately to scale.
She will also play a central role in advancing Cascador’s ScaleUp Programme and its Catalytic Fund, which deploys between $2 million and $5 million annually in tailored financing to high-performing alumni. The fund is designed to back ventures capable of transforming capital into sustained financial performance and measurable impact.
Dave DeLucia, Founder of Cascador, underscored the 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 pointed to Cascador’s distinctive positioning within Africa’s entrepreneurial landscape. “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, she aims to position Cascador as a long-term scaling partner for entrepreneurs across the continent.
“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, bringing together leadership, capital and execution to unlock lasting impact.
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