Meet the CEO & Founder
José Ocaño
Holá, I'm José Ocaño, a proud Chicano with over seventeen years of experience preserving and promoting the human-animal bond by leading and developing individuals, teams, and organizations in the animal welfare sector.
I co-founded Hatching with my husband with the intention of sharing the ethos, tools, and practices that have profoundly influenced our life and careers. I believe they can help you, too.
My journey started in Tucson, Arizona, where during my youth, I played in a mariachi band. Perhaps an unlikely setting, the experience would become foundational to my own "hatching" — a chance to learn leadership, collaboration, and how to work productively with peers.
By eighteen, I had begun working in one of the most under-resourced animal shelters in the country [not far from where I grew up]. This experience was a catalyst for learning how to manage my emotions and how to influence workplace culture. Over the next decade, I worked my way from an entry-level kennel attendant to the role of Executive Director.
Leading the team responsible for the transformation of the local “dog pound” into a nationally acclaimed organization, was truly humbling: I made mistakes along the way, but I did my best to learn from all of them. As we worked and struggled, I learned a vital lesson: Prioritizing the well-being of the individuals who contribute to the everyday magic is imperative to creating lasting and sustainable change.
In 2017, I moved to Los Angeles to work for a large national nonprofit, Best Friends Animal Society. Within the organization, I held the role of Senior Director of People and Culture, responsible for designing and implementing innovative programs and practices to elevate the workplace culture, effectiveness, and overall employee experience. As a result of these efforts, Best Friends has received numerous accolades, including Top Workplace Awards, and other prestigious recognitions.
Then in 2021, my world shifted once again. I became the primary caregiver for my mom as she transitioned into hospice. An enormous responsibility — and as it turned out, a tremendous honor. As it is for so many, my relationship with my mom was complex. A few years before she passed, I made a conscious decision to cultivate a better relationship with her. I wanted us both to feel more love and peace.
It was well into this journey when a close friend and colleague remarked, "José, you're hatching." It dawned on me that the strategies guiding me through this challenging period weren’t simply situational. They were a way to live, a way to work, and a way to integrate everything that matters. A way to fully activate our wisdom and potential. This revelation sparked the inspiration for Hatching and our compassion-based approach to personal and professional development.
At Hatching, our vision is to create a more compassionate world by helping people live with more self-worth, curiosity, and forgiveness.
We believe we will transform the world by helping people and organizations develop the skills and mindsets to #LiveBetter and #WorkBetter.
Each heartbeat is a reminder that we are enough, a living testament to our limitless potential. We hold the power to become what we imagine, forever in the beautiful process of hatching.
José Ocaño
Meet the COO & Co-Founder
Angel Guzmán
Hi, I'm Angel Guzmán, a multi-dimensional leader, entrepreneur and professional violinist with over twenty years of experience in leadership, banking, financial investigations, accounting, change management, and business operations.
My journey also started in Tucson, Arizona, where I owned and managed Mariachi Sol Azteca while in my senior year at Pueblo High Magnet School. It was then that I began to learn business and leadership fundamentals that would later serve me in my professional career.
After graduating high school, I began studying at the University of Arizona and continued building and growing my small business. Shortly after, I also began working for Wells Fargo Bank where upon graduating with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and Business Administration, I stepped in supervisory and management roles that provided corporate leadership & sales training. It was through my time on the Wachovia-Wells Fargo East Coast conversion team where I fine-tuned my skills in change management.
After years of corporate banking, I was ready for a change and began my investigative career with the State of Arizona on the Financial Exploitation Unit for Adult Protective Services. After much success, I managed the investigative team for the State of Arizona where I also trained local law enforcement and helped create the policies and procedures that effectively and efficiently address allegations of financial exploitation.
With a musical opportunity knocking at my door, I pivoted my career and began performing at Disney's Epcot Center and then Disney's California Adventure Park as a violinist during seasonal shows. Shortly after, I began performing with Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuellar on tours and various studio recordings.
While on tour and during breaks, I studied to become a QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor, eventually becoming as a small business accountant and consultant.
After running my own business, spending years in corporate banking, touring the country as a professional violinist, or managing a state program that investigates financial exploitation, I’ve learned that who we are (how think, communicate, and make decisions) directly influences how we lead and show up, whether that’s at work, or at home.
At Hatching we help leaders become more intentional by learning how to influence workplace culture, unpack power dynamics, and how to create an employee experience that keeps staff engaged, motivated, and impactful. I enjoy helping organizations create an environment where people thrive, where missions are advanced, and where you are able to feel satisfied and at peace with your contributions.
My hope is that Hatching inspires some sort of action. Whether you're in a position of power or not, we all deserve and have a responsibility in creating a healthier workplace, regardless of the industry or size of company.
Angel Guzmán
