Cliff Wright
Founder/Chairman/
Chief Executive Officer
Clifford (Cliff) Wright is the Chairman, Founder, and Chief Executive Officer of Octet Medical and the inventor of the OMEA® platform. He is a seasoned entrepreneur, engineer, and medical-device innovator with more than 130 issued and pending patents spanning medical devices, electrostatic delivery systems, respiratory technologies, and advanced manufacturing platforms.
Previously, Mr. Wright was one of the founders and served as Chief Technical Officer of Victory Innovations, where he invented the world’s first cordless electrostatic sprayer. Under his technical and operational leadership, the platform was successfully commercialized across 70 countries, creating a new global category in electrostatic application technology. Victory Innovations was acquired by the Carlyle Group in 2020.
Throughout his career, Mr. Wright has served on multiple medical-device boards and executive leadership teams, contributing deep expertise in engineering, intellectual-property strategy, manufacturing scale-up, regulatory readiness, and product commercialization to drive innovation and long-term shareholder value.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Wright spent fourteen years at Sharp Memorial Health Care in San Diego, California, where he specialized in neonatal and adult ventilation systems. He worked closely with respiratory therapists, pulmonary physicians, and clinical engineering teams to support high-acuity respiratory care and maintain life-support equipment.
Mr. Wright has authored peer-reviewed publications in the Journal of Medicine for the first design of a medical transport delivery system and in the Journal of Pulmonary Medicine for his work on heated filtration systems used in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Arizona State University and is a Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician, having completed his biomedical training at TTI University in Phoenix, Arizona.
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.
David Willms, MD
David Willms, MD FCCP FCCM is a graduate of Baylor College of Medicine, and completed his fellowship in Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. Dr Willms is currently co-director of the Critical Care Service, and director of ECMO, at Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego, California.
Dr. Willms is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, and Critical Care Medicine, and is a member of numerous professional societies. He has served on the editorial boards of ASAIO Journal, Respiratory Care, and World Journal of Critical Care. Dr. Willms’ research and publication interests have focused on respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, heliox therapy, mechanical ventilation, and extracorporeal life support. He has served as a consultant to, or board member of several medical device companies over the past 30 years. He has spoken nationally and internationally on various critical care topics.
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Brian Berning
Brian Berning brings 20+ years of strategic leadership to Octet Medical. He is employed by Corza Health, where he leverages his expertise in M&A, finance, operations, investor relations, corporate governance, risk management, and compliance to partner with management teams to accelerate growth and create significant value.
Brian most recently served as the CFO at GreatCall, the leading provider of connected health solutions for seniors. He successfully guided the company through its acquisition by GTCR in 2017 and ultimate sale to Best Buy a year later for $800 million.
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Previously, as CFO at Human Longevity, a genomics and cellular therapy company, Berning helped the founders raise over $300 million and establish global operations.
Berning also served as SVP of Finance at LPL Financial, where he was the executive sponsor to the board for all operating efficiency initiatives and helped guide the company to a successful IPO. Brian began his career with Ernst & Young, LLP where he earned his CPA.
Brian holds a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from San Diego State University and a Master’s in Accounting from the University of Southern California.
Seth Burgett
Seth Burgett is Founder, CEO, and President of Gateway Bronco, the market leader in re-mastered vintage Ford Broncos. He previously founded Yurbuds, the sport-headphone company he scaled from inception to a successful acquisition by Harman International in seven years, establishing the category-leading athletic headphone brand in the U.S.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Burgett served as a principal inventor at Stereotaxis, a global leader in robotic surgical systems for neurology and cardiology. During his tenure, the company completed an IPO and achieved strategic integrations with Siemens and Philips Medical Systems across Europe. He has also supported early-stage healthcare innovation, including helping close a Series A funding round for IVD Research, a medical device company developing non-contact monitoring technology for metastatic cancer cells.
Mr. Burgett holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering, an Executive MBA from Washington University in St. Louis, executive certificates from MIT and Stanford, and is a patented medical device inventor.