Mission: OCEANM19 LLC is committed to being an active single family investment office focused on generating superior investment results within a collegial environment that encourages a culture of excellence, partnership, respect and integrity.
OCEANM19 LLC (“OM19”) is a Chicagoland-based, single-family investment office that has concentrated allocations to direct private equity investments, hedge funds, venture capital and real estate. OM19’s founders established institutional investment firms in the private equity and hedge fund industries. Rooted in the entrepreneurial spirit of our team, we are passionate about partnering to accelerate growth and forging scalable business models. Our patient capital affords us substantial transactional flexibility. We pride ourselves on our ability to make decisions quickly and efficiently.
OM19 targets businesses with defensible market positions, high operating leverage and significant barriers to entry for private equity transactions. We typically seek control positions. Our team has a proven record of collaborating with seasoned management teams and aligning incentives to help build shareholder value. We focus on sectors including niche manufacturing, tech-enabled business services and food and ingredients. OM19 is an ideal partner for entrepreneurial business owners and operating teams looking to scale rapidly while also preserving existing culture and legacy.
OM19 seeks hedge fund partnerships with managers who have repeatable and durable investment processes. We believe that public market competition is fierce and that sustainable advantages manifest through acute focus, so our long-term partnerships are formed with sector and subsector specialists.
OM19 pursues venture capital partnerships with both founders of revenue-generating businesses and fund models that fit into the same sectors we target for our private equity investments. We leverage our unique institutional knowledge and professional networks to cultivate business growth.
OM19 works closely with entrepreneurs and management in areas such as strategy formulation, operational improvement, product line growth, strategic acquisitions and financing structures with the goal of unlocking sustainable value in companies.
OM19 values the experience and institutional knowledge of experienced founders and management teams. We leverage our history of business-building to contribute value-added services and advice wherever possible. At the advent of every partnership, we align our interests with those of the founders and management team to execute most efficiently on improvement opportunities and quickly identify the company’s successful growth plan. Founders and management have the opportunity to invest alongside our capital, contribute to the long-term growth strategy and retain daily operational control.
OM19 typically seeks controlling investments in businesses with $10 to $100 million in revenue and EBITDA ranging from $2 to $10 million. We prefer to align our interests with management to further the growth of companies with: significant barriers to entry, a diversified customer base, stable and recurring cash flow and high operating leverage.
Rocco Martino is a founder of OCEANM19 LLC. Mr. Martino is responsible for OM19’s private equity portfolio company management, business origination, deal negotiation and due diligence oversight. Mr. Martino has extensive board level experience working with entrepreneurs and management teams in the areas of strategy formulation (including exit strategy), productivity improvement, product-line growth, strategic acquisitions, financing growth and recruitment of senior executives and outside directors. Mr. Martino has over 30 years of experience investing in lower middle market or microcap companies.
Mr. Martino currently sits on the Board of Directors of Precision Products Group, Inc. and PRC Holdco, LLC (“Revco Solutions”). He formerly sat on the Board of Directors of NGC US Holdings, LLC (“National Gift Card”), Simplex Aerospace, National Metalwares LP, Avantech Testing Services, the Academy of Healing Arts LLC, Collection Associates, LLC, DeIorio, Impex Global, Ott-Lite Technologies, Inc. (“Ott-Lite”), Rain Creek, and Wm Wright LP.
Prior to founding OM19, Mr. Martino co-founded LaSalle Capital and served as a General Partner from 2004 to 2021. Mr. Martino joined the predecessor to LaSalle Capital in 1989 and co-organized Funds I and II of LaSalle Capital, LP ($330 million assets under management). LaSalle Capital is a private equity fund focused on lower middle market buyouts, recapitalizations and providing growth capital. Prior to joining LaSalle Capital, Mr. Martino was employed at Price Waterhouse Coopers (“PWC”) in Chicago from 1978 to 1989, where he was a Partner in the lower middle market practice.
Mr. Martino holds a BBA in finance from the University of Notre Dame (1976) and an MBA from Loyola University in Chicago (1978). Mr. Martino is a Certified Public Accountant in Illinois and is currently Chairman of the Edward/Elmhurst Healthcare System Board of Trustees, member of Loyola University of Chicago Board of Trustees. Additionally, he is a member of Notre Dame’s IDEA Center Advisory Council, Chairman of the Advisory Council for Loyola University Chicago Quinlan School of Business, a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and is Chairman of the Illinois Venture Capital Association (“IVCA”) Board of Directors.
Roxanne Martino is the Co-Founder of OCEANM19 LLC. Ms. Martino serves as a Director of Ventas, Inc., (NYSE: VTR), a S&P 500 company which is a leading real estate investment trust; and on the Board of Advisors of HAVI, a privately held global supply chain company.
Roxanne Martino was the Chief Executive Officer and Investment Committee Chairperson of Aurora Investment Management L.L.C. For over 28 years, Aurora provided portfolio solutions, through hedge fund investment management, to investors worldwide.
Ms. Martino is Co-Chairperson of The University of Chicago Booth School of Business Council. Ms. Martino is Chairperson of the boards of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and its Medical Center as well as Chair of its Executive and Governance Committees. She is the Secretary-Treasurer and serves on the Executive Committee of The Chicago Network and is on the Board of The Economic Club of Chicago. She served three terms as a Director of The Investment Analysts Society of Chicago. For over 30 years, she has been a Director of Thresholds (a past Chairperson). She is a past Chairperson of the Mendoza College of Business Council of The University of Notre Dame.
Ms. Martino spent the first seven years of her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers and subsequently spent over six years at Grosvenor Capital Management, as a general partner.
Ms. Martino received a Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Notre Dame in 1977 and a Masters of Business Administration from The University of Chicago in 1988.
Dan Martino serves as the Chief Investment Officer of OCEANM19 LLC. Mr. Martino is responsible for portfolio management, deal generation, overseeing due diligence, and deal structuring. Mr. Martino currently serves as a Director of Pienso, a deep learning platform that enables non-programmers to turn large language models into insight instantly, an Observer of Revco, a healthcare revenue cycle management provider, an Observer of Washington Metal Fabricators, an engineering first ISO9001:2015 certified contract metal fabricator and precision welder and an Observer of Sokol, a wet-fill manufacturer of B2B ingredients and retail food products.
Prior joining OM19, Mr. Martino served as an Analyst at Achievement Asset Management, a multi-strategy hedge fund, where his coverage areas included consumer retail, gaming, lodging and paper packaging. Prior to Achievement Asset Management, Mr. Martino was a part of a team that launched three distressed real estate opportunity funds with aggregate commitments of approximately $500 million at Silver Point Capital, a distressed credit hedge fund.
Mr. Martino received an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and graduated with honors from the University of Notre Dame with his B.B.A. in Finance. Mr. Martino serves as Co-Chair of the Nominating Committee on the Children’s Research Fund Board, which supports pediatric medical research conducted at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute.
Alli Purcell Hayes is the Chief Financial Officer of OCEANM19 LLC. As CFO of a Family Office, Alli focuses on accounting operations, cash management, rental property management, tax planning and compliance, wealth planning and other investment and strategic projects. Additionally, she facilitates various investments focusing on private equity, hedge funds and other project funding.
Prior to joining OM19, Alli was an Associate Professor of Accounting at North Central College. During her tenure, her teaching areas of interest focused on individual and entity taxation, wealth transfer planning, and estate taxation. Along with her teaching focus, Alli has published articles in the Journal of Advancements in Business Education (JABE) and the Journal of Accounting and Finance. Additionally, she has participated in several presentations and panels through the American Accounting Association, American Tax Association, and the Illinois Accounting Teacher's Conference. In 2013, the Illinois CPA Society honored Alli with the 2013 Outstanding Educator Award, recognizing educators who excel in leadership and teaching, and who make continuous and outstanding contributions to accounting education in the state.
As a certified public accountant, Alli has worked in the accounting profession for Caterpiller, Inc. and as a senior tax consultant for the Private Client Advisors group with Deloitte Tax, LLP.
Alli earned her undergraduate degree in Accounting from St. Ambrose University and a Master of Accounting Science from Northern Illinois University. Alli is a Licensed Certified Public Accountant.
Elizabeth Starkey is a Senior Accountant at OCEANM19 LLC. As a Senior Accountant of a family office, Elizabeth’s duties vary from day to day. She assists with cash management, record keeping, financial statement generation, annual tax compliance and reporting, as well as all insurance needs. Additionally, Elizabeth assists the CFO and members in several specialized projects that arise.
Prior to joining OM19, Elizabeth was the Team Leader of Project Accounting at Reed Construction. During her time at Reed Construction, Elizabeth managed accounting and record keeping in its entirety for hundreds of construction projects, assisted with quarter-end and year-end financial responsibilities, was responsible for all bank reconciliations, managed several accountants at the company, and completed many additional projects assigned by the Controller and CFO. Elizabeth continues to implement the skills she learned at Reed Construction during her employment at OM19.
Elizabeth also has experience in public accounting from her time at Wipfli LLP as a Senior Accountant. She earned her undergraduate degrees in Accounting and Spanish from North Central College as well as a Master of Accounting Science from Northern Illinois University.
Erin Leonard is an Executive Assistant at OCEANM19 LLC. As an Executive Assistant of a family office, Erin focuses on streamlining workflows increasing efficiency and coordinating processes, in order to ensure executives can focus on strategic initiatives.
Erin works directly with the Co-Founders and is responsible for support matters relating to executive board meetings, property management, philanthropic endeavors and other specialized projects.
Prior to joining OCEANM19 LLC, Erin was an Executive Assistant at Delta Dental Plans Association providing support to the General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer. Erin has served as Delta Dental Plans Association’s contract administrator, where she developed, negotiated, reviewed and managed contracts for the organization.
Erin earned her undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Saint Joseph’s College. Erin is an IAAP Certified Administrative Professional, with an Organizational Management Designation. She is also a registered ScrumMaster, focusing on innovative project management.
Colin Foy is the Operations Manager at OCEANM19 LLC with responsibilities that include managing information technology, computer systems, security and property management.
Prior to joining OM19, Mr. Foy was a partner in a boutique restaurant group where he was responsible for development and site renovation. In this capacity, Mr. Foy helped bring three abstracts from concept to fully functioning restaurants. He also worked as a technical research analyst at Nuclear Security Services Corporation focusing on remotely operated weapons platforms. Mr. Foy has a history in construction working at Hudson Remodeling and Trident Custom Home Builders; a company focused on high-end residential construction in the southwest suburbs of Chicago.
During graduate school, Mr. Foy volunteered as an instructor with the WITS program, a privately funded nonprofit organization focused on literacy in historically marginalized neighborhoods. Mr. Foy holds a B.A. in English Literature from Lewis University and a M.A. in English from DePaul University in Chicago, where he graduated with distinction as a member of Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honors society.