Board Advisors
RJ Valentine
RJ Valentine is a seasoned entrepreneur, operator, and investor with more than three decades of experience building, scaling, and advising businesses including but not limited to insurance, industrial services, environmental solutions, healthcare-adjacent ventures, and real estate. As Founder and President of The MBA Group of Companies, a private holding and operating platform, he has successfully launched, acquired, and grown multiple enterprises by providing strategic leadership, capital oversight, and operational execution.
Early in his career, Mr. Valentine owned and operated multiple Jiffy Lube franchise locations, where he drove operational performance and profitability and ultimately sold those businesses at an extraordinary 18× earnings multiple, an unprecedented valuation benchmark that underscores his ability to identify and execute high-value exits.
After his successes with Jiffy Lube, Mr. Valentine was a principal in Victory Innovations, a high-tech electrostatic spraying company that developed innovative disinfection solutions for commercial, industrial, healthcare, and institutional environments. In 2020, the company attracted significant private capital when The Carlyle Group acquired a majority stake to support Victory’s global expansion, demonstrating the strength and strategic value of the technology platform.
Mr. Valentine also owns Earthsafe Chemical Alternatives, a provider of environmentally responsible industrial cleaning and maintenance solutions, and New Jersey Motorsports Park, a nationally recognized motorsports and lifestyle destination where he oversees long-term strategic development and operational performance across track operations, hospitality, and experiential real estate. He is also a partner in Trillium TH2, a high-visibility digital billboard and alternative real estate asset.
As a board member of Octet Medical, Mr. Valentine contributes strategic guidance drawn from his extensive experience scaling operating companies, managing capital allocation, and providing corporate governance. Across his portfolio, he has led initiatives in product commercialization, strategic partnerships, and disciplined growth execution with a focus on long-term value.
Beyond his business career, Mr. Valentine is an accomplished competitive race car driver with over 40 years of experience at regional and national levels. His deep involvement in motorsports underscores his commitment to precision, risk management, and performance under pressure — hallmarks of his leadership philosophy.
Eddie Rodriguez
Eddie Rodriguez is a partner at Teal Ventures, an early stage venture capital fund focused on disruptive innovation in digital/ mobile health and medical devices. Prior to joining Teal Ventures, Eddie was a partner at several national law firms and a recognized corporate attorney in the venture capital and M&A fields. Eddie has represented countless startup and emerging growth companies throughout their life cycles and numerous private and public companies in M&A transactions, in industries including healthcare, medical devices, technology, fin-tech, e-commerce and telecommunications. Eddie has also co-founded several companies in the medical device and technology areas. He has also been an active investor in early stage companies in various industries.
Eddie received his JD from Stanford Law School, where he was the Editor-In-Chief of the Stanford Journal of International Law and the Articles Editor of the Stanford Law and Policy Review. He holds a B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles.