John D'Orazio

John D'Orazio is an entrepreneur, founding, managing, and investing in businesses from an early age, pursuing his passion for solving complex problems to positively impact humanity. John is energized to work in partnership with some of our nation’s brightest minds to bring incredible technology to life. As a Founding Partner at Proton Enterprises, John focuses on technology commercialization.

Today, John is a Founder of Ikove Venture Partners, powering commercialization efforts at leading research institutions and universities. Among the technologies Ikove has brought to life, a few of John’s biggest focuses are Nikola Labs - changing how power is delivered, Elum (acquired 2021) - a medical device company focusing on innovative neurovascular applications, and Cognovi Labs - which brings deep learning and AI to better understand behavior and emotions. John is also the founder and CEO of Capture Collective, working on bringing innovative emergency preparedness solutions to market. John is an International Business Innovation Association Certified Incubator Manager and acts as a close advisor for a number of startup companies. John brings a hands-on owner/operator mentality to his work, having been a venture development founder of 10+ businesses. John has invested in/advised over 50 disruptive technology companies and is actively involved as a board member at Cognovi Labs, SUN Fund, Elum Technologies, and Capture Collective.

John has been managing businesses and investments since a very early age. He Co-Founded Naples Dock Staining, a weather-proofing and carpentry business, has worked in finance with Federated Investors and manages a personal investment portfolio with a focus on technology and health. John previously worked on social business development in Haiti as a Managing Partner of Sitwayen Development Group. John serves on the board of LEVE Foundation, assisting in strategic development and fundraising, previously focusing on social business incubation in Haiti.

John graduated cum laude from Xavier University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and a minor in Entrepreneurial Studies. In 2016, John was awarded the Xavier University Magis Award, which recognizes an alumnus who, within 15 years of graduation, has achieved a high degree of excellence and embodies Jesuit morals and ethical values.

John is an FAA licensed pilot and enjoys snow-skiing, boating, and spearfishing.