Management Team / Advisory Board Bios
Ilya PolokhinCEO, Co-Founder & Head of Product DevelopmentIlya founded and ran Hubneo VR Lab, the leading US VR simulation center, in 2017 after having started building VR motion simulators in 2014. This work led to co-founding Octonic with David in 2020. Prior to that, Ilya managed operations and finance in automotive and retail for fifteen years. Intertwined with his day-to-day job are his main hobbies: VR gaming and long-distance running. Ilya graduated from Lomonosov MSU with a BA in Economics and an MA in Finance, and holds an MBA degree from Wharton.
David (Nan) WenCo-Founder, Chief of Engineering & Head of SoftwareDavid has over eight years of experience working on everything from full-stack applications to system-level operations and AI. He has been in VR development with Unity since joining Ilya at Hubneo VR Lab in 2017. Outside of work, David is a competitive strategy game player and Expert+ Beat Saber regular. He graduated NYU with a BA in Computer Science & Game Design and is currently working on a Masters in Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech.
Nahiyan AhmadChief Business OfficerNahiyan was VP of Business Development & Operations at Jump Into The Light, a VR center in Manhattan, where in addition to his business operations duties, he also produced creative content alongside artists like Bill Pullman and Patricia Field. He has more than seven years of experience in the XR space, as well as prior experience in finance, strategy, and consulting. Outside of work, he has written for VR Trend Magazine about industry developments. Nahiyan graduated from Emory with a BA in Economics and holds an MBA degree from Duke.
Matt FallHead of Digital MarketingMatt started his marketing career as a DC area nightclub promoter in the late 90s. In 2002 he moved to Los Angeles where he worked with some of the world’s biggest brands and artists as both a DJ and marketing manager. In 2012 he moved to NYC to focus solely on marketing where he honed his skill set. He is a Google Certified Partner and has managed over $5 million in advertising budget. His interests are artificial intelligence, automation, dogs, music, spirituality, and XR.
Nathan Rees3D Animator & DesignerNathan has over twelve years in 3D animation and digital design experience. Previously he started Squishy Games where he published his first award-winning retro computer game called Rogue Invader. In addition, he was the Art Director for the inaugural FantasyCon convention held in Salt Lake City. Nathan has a BFA in Animation from Brigham Young University.
Nathan works 2.5 hours per week for Octonic.
Will Park3D Environment ArtistWill is a game designer specializing in standalone VR-level design. He has a deep understanding of Unity’s various components, tackling all aspects of the engine from full-fledged world-building to coding game systems. Currently a senior majoring in Design and Technology at Parsons School of Design, Will is broadening his horizons in the world of VR.
Will works 5 hours per week for Octonic., Pradeep FernandesBoard Member, Strategy Advisor & InvestorPradeep is a seasoned commercial aviation executive, with over 25 years of experience in engineering, product strategy, finance, and leading teams. For over a decade, he has risen in the ranks at The Boeing Company and now serves as the Vice President of Strategy for Boeing Commercial Airplanes Division. He holds degrees from Wharton, MIT, and NYU.
Pradeep works 1.5 hours per week for Octonic.
Ricky HuffLegal CounselRicky, being a partner at Brown Huff and Zohar and having worked with dozens of startups, brings in a rare combination of legal expertise with entrepreneurial approach. The scope of his work includes commercial contracts, shareholder documentation, legal and privacy risks management. Ricky holds a JD from Florida State University College of Law.
Ricky works 5 hours per week for Octonic.
Mikhail ZhavoronkovBusiness Advisor, InvestorMikhail is a former Co-Founder of Octonic who now serves as a close advisor. Previously, he Co-Founded Guardhat, having raised 3 rounds of financing from over 25 VC funds, totaling more than $40 million. Earlier in his career, he worked in strategic planning in the steel industry. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Mikhail works 1 hour per week for Octonic.
Ays SharaevFunding Advisor, InvestorAys is a Partner and co-founder of the Luxembourg-based venture capital fund, Waarde Capital. His fund is one of Octonic’s earliest and largest institutional investors. Waarde Capital invests in tech startups across the US, Europe, Israel, Southeast Asia, and Africa. Prior to Waarde, Ays worked in investment banking. Ays received his MBA from Wharton.
Ays works 1 hour per week for Octonic.
Greg VaisbergTech Licensing Advisor, InvestorOver his career in tech business Greg has built and led a world-class legal team responsible for privacy and security, as well as supporting product and business development. Greg has a track record of successfully enabling nearly 20B in partnership, licensing and M&A transactions. Greg holds a JD from Santa Clara University and Wharton MBA.
Greg works 1 hour per week for Octonic.
Konstantin TsarevMarketing Advisor, InvestorKonstantin has over a decade of marketing and brand management experience in CPG (FMCG). Over his career he worked as a brand manager at Kimberly-Clark and GSK, and as a Customer Marketing Manager at Godiva. Konstantin holds a BA in Marketing Management from the University of St. Thomas and an MBA from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler.
Konstantin works 1 hour per week for Octonic.