Onyeka Obiocha

Ony is responsible for managing CTNext’s full array of strategic economic development programs focused on fostering entrepreneurship, startup and growth-stage businesses while cultivating a robust innovation ecosystem on behalf of the State of Connecticut.

Prior to assuming his role at CTNext, Ony was the Managing Director of the Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking at Yale (Tsai CITY), where he deployed capital, developed programming and attracted resources to help students launch and scale for-profit and nonprofit organizations. He also recently served as the Director of Integrated Capitals and Learning at the Heron Foundation and was responsible for implementing practices to embed Heron’s emerging principles into the communities, investments and operational strategies of the organization.

Over the course of his entrepreneurial career Ony has taken on various roles, from designing a corporate social responsibility program for a food startup in Hartford, CT, to starting Sharelogical, an e-commerce platform empowering consumers to make charitable donations by leveraging affiliate marketing. Most notable was his time as co-founder and COO of A Happy Life, a coffee roasting company and coffee shop with the mission to create a happier world for all. Ony’s newest venture includes co-founding Breakfast Lunch & Dinner, a startup studio that starts, supports and scales community ventures.

Ony holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Connecticut and lives in New Haven, CT. His overall goal is to build a world where innovation and entrepreneurship fundamentally shape vibrant communities. Outside of work, he enjoys natural wines, long walks and UConn basketball.