With novel technology and process innovation, OctaveGreen is poised to become a leading producer of Green Hydrogen and SAF in a market that requires capital efficiency and rapid scale-up, and additionally using abundant bio-ethanol as feedstock. We envision a future with sustainable resources and products and using efficient processes.
Experienced Leadership
Our team brings together exceptional research acumen with extensive experience in process scale-up developed over several decades.
Dr. Sagar Gadewar
Founder/CEO
Dr. Sagar Gadewar is a distinguished chemical engineer and entrepreneur, he is the founder and the Chief Executive Officer of OctaveGreen Inc. as well as KX2 Development LLC. With over two decades of experience spanning research, engineering, and leadership, he has built a reputation for translating innovative concepts into commercially viable technologies.
Before founding OctaveGreen, Dr. Gadewar held leadership positions as President & CEO at Greenyug, LLC and Prairie Catalytic, LLC, where he played a central role in inventing, scaling, and commercializing green chemical production processes. Earlier in his career, he managed the development of proprietary gas-to-liquids technologies, successfully bridging laboratory research with industrial deployment.
An accomplished inventor, Dr. Gadewar holds more than 20 patents covering chemical processes and catalytic technologies, including novel methods for converting ethanol into higher alcohols and the production of high-purity ethyl acetate. He has also published over 15 technical papers and advised several Fortune 500 companies in the chemical, pharmaceutical, and consumer goods sectors. He continues to drive innovation in sustainable chemical technologies, helping organizations transition from early-stage R&D to full-scale commercial operations. His vision combines technical depth with strategic leadership, making him a recognized thought leader in green and cost-effective process engineering.
Dr. Gadewar earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and Bachelor of Engineering from Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai, His expertise lies in reducing costs and accelerating timelines for industrial processes by designing efficient pilot plants and turnkey solutions.
Wesley Cate
VP Business Development
Wesley Cate serves as Vice President-Business Development at OctaveGreen and works closely with the CEO. He is also the Director of Business Development for NGL Supply Terminals Co. in Denver, Colorado. NGL is a 50+ year-old privately held diverse energy company with commercial platforms in the LPG space as well as significant terminal assets throughout North America. Wesley is responsible for leading the diversification of the company into new energy commodities such as hydrogen, CNG, RNG, methanol and renewable propane.
Wesley has 18+ years of diverse experience in the energy industry with expertise in midstream, energy marketing, exploration and production and land management. He currently serves as the President for the Kentucky Oil and Gas Association, as well as serving on the Advisory Board for the ARCH2 Hydrogen Hub and is an active member with the Renewable Natural Gas Coalition.
A native of Kentucky, he holds a B.A. in Finance from Eastern Kentucky University. In his spare time, Wesley is an avid global outdoorsman and enjoys teaching his 2-year-old son how to ski, bike and hike in the Rockies.
Dr. Luca Zullo
VP Commercialization
Dr. Luca Zullo is Vice President of Business Development and Commercialization at OctaveGreen, where he drives strategic initiatives to advance sustainable technologies from pilot stage through to commercial deployment. With a career spanning leading global companies, Dr. Zullo has deep expertise in biomass, biofuels, and renewable energy.
He began his professional journey at Shell Research in The Netherlands, contributing to the design and automation of innovative petrochemical and oil processes. Transitioning to Cargill, he expanded his focus to biofuels and bio-energy, with a particular emphasis on waste-to-energy systems and second-generation biofuels. At Cargill, he also led a pioneering team that developed methane capture projects across agricultural operations, enabling renewable energy generation and the creation of carbon credits on both domestic and international scales.
Later, Dr. Zullo further strengthened his contributions to the renewable chemicals and fuels space through senior roles at Greenyug and KX2 Development. His work consistently bridges science, engineering, and commercialization to deliver impactful solutions for a sustainable energy future.
Dr. Zullo earned his degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Padua, Italy, and holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London, United Kingdom.
Dr. Vivek Julka
VP Engineering
Dr. Vivek Julka is the Vice President of Engineering at OctaveGreen, where he leads process design, scale-up, and commercialization efforts for advanced chemical technologies. He works closely with research and industry partners to deliver innovative solutions that reduce costs and accelerate deployment, helping clients transition novel concepts into full-scale commercial operations.
Dr. Julka brings over two decades of experience in the chemical engineering and process industries. Before joining OctaveGreen, he served as Vice President of Engineering at KX2 Development, where he advanced proprietary process technologies, particularly in the conversion of natural gas to value-added products. He also held leadership roles at Aspen Technology, Inc., focusing on process modelling and simulation, and began his career as a Staff Engineer at Union Carbide Corporation, gaining foundational experience in plant operations and process design.
A recognized expert in distillation system design and optimization, Dr. Julka has contributed extensively to the development of advanced separation processes. His research and patents include pioneering work in geometric methods for multicomponent distillation and innovative propane-to-propylene conversion technologies. His expertise has guided Fortune 500 companies in designing highly efficient distillation systems that improve both economic and operational performance.
Dr. Julka earned his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Shrinivas Hake
VP Operations
Shrinivas Hake is an accomplished business leader and technologist with over two decades of experience at the intersection of engineering, project management, and business development. He currently serves as the Vice President – Operations at Octavegreen. He is also the Managing Director, India Operations at KX2 Development, where he oversees process development and piloting facilities and drives scale-up programs from concept through commercial deployment.
His career spans leadership roles in specialty chemicals, renewable materials, and advanced process development, where he has combined technical depth with strategic business insight. His experience includes business development, program execution, and project management, enabling him to align technical milestones with commercial objectives. He has substantial expertise in leading cross-functional teams for both pilot and commercial operations, including permitting, procurement, construction and commissioning.
During his tenure as Vice President, India Operations at Greenyug Specialty Chemicals, Shrinivas played an instrumental role in setting up a commercial-scale biochemicals plant in Nebraska, USA. This milestone project not only validated Greenyug’s innovative technology but also demonstrated his ability to manage global teams and complex, large-scale industrial operations.
Earlier in his career, he gained valuable experience in program and stakeholder management as a Senior Project Manager at IGATE Patni Computers.
He earned his Masters in Management Studies from JBIMS and a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from VJTI, grounding his commercialization work in both engineering rigor and business acumen.
Paul Woolard
Board Member
Paul serves as the Chairman of the Veteran Ventures Capital Investment Committee. He is the Vice President of Finance/Risk Management for Eco-Energy, LLC an ethanol and natural gas marketing and trading company based in Franklin, TN. In addition to his current work in energy/commodity trading, Paul has a broad background in structured transactions, M&A/due diligence/integration, biotechnology, and innovation from 30 years in global agriculture and energy investing.
Prior to his current role, Paul served for 20 years in central Illinois in a series of senior finance, innovation, M&A, and business development roles with Archer Daniels Midland Company, a Fortune 50 Agribusiness serving customers in 160 countries and Tate & Lyle, a London based food ingredient manufacturer. Earlier in his career he held finance leadership roles in the retail grocery and electric/gas utility industries and began his career with KPMG in Little Rock, AR in public accounting.
Paul graduated from Harding University in Searcy, AR with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting. He later completed an MBA from Harding. He holds the professional designations of CPA, CGMA, and CertICM. He is a member of the President’s Council and school of business Advisory Board at Harding University, and formerly the Greater Decatur YMCA Board of Directors and Board of Directors of BioBlend Renewable Resources, LLC.
Kevin Moore
Advisory Board
As Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for Biobased Products at CBiRC, Kevin Moore reports to the Vice President for Research at Iowa State University. In this role, he acts as a vital link between research and industry, collaborating with CBiRC Director Brent Shanks, Iowa State researchers, and BioConnect Iowa to identify promising emerging technologies and guide their transition into commercial products.
From 2017 to 2021, Moore served as Vice President for the Advanced Separations Group and later as Vice President for BioProcess Solutions at Trucent, Inc. Before joining Trucent, he built a distinguished 27-year career at Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) Company, where he held multiple leadership positions, including Vice President of BioProducts Operations, Vice President of the BioProducts and Industrial Group, and ultimately Vice President and President of Renewable Chemicals.
Dr. Aniruddha B. Pandit
Advisory Board
Dr. Aniruddha B. Pandit, Vice Chancellor of the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai, is a globally acclaimed chemical engineer specializing in hydrodynamic cavitation and process intensification.
Born in Mumbai on December 7, 1957, he earned his B.Tech from IIT-BHU and completed his Ph.D. at ICT in 1984. After contributing seminal research at Cambridge University, he returned to India to launch the Hydrodynamic Cavitation program at ICT—leading innovations in water treatment, rural energy, nanomaterials, and waste valorization.
A prolific inventor and researcher, he has over 376 publications, 34 patents, and more than 31,000 citations. His mentorship has shaped over 160 graduate scholars. Recognized with prestigious honors—including membership in the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (2023), Sir J. C. Bose Fellowship, Vishwakarma Medal, and TWAS Fellowship—Dr. Pandit continues to elevate ICT’s global stature through visionary leadership and impact-driven innovation.
