Andrea oversees the Propeller team, operations and strategic direction.

Andrea began her career as a high school English teacher at John McDonogh Sr. High School and subsequently trained teachers at the University of New Orleans and The New Teacher Project. She has worked at the Louisiana Association of Charter Schools where she oversaw grantmaking for over $5 million in charter school startup funds and launched a $1.5 million below-market rate Bridge Loan Fund. She was named “40 Under 40” by Gambit Magazine, 2010 City Business Women of the Year, World Economic Forum Young Global Shaper, and is an appointed board member of the New Orleans Business Alliance, the official economic development arm of the City of New Orleans. She graduated from Stanford University, attended Harvard Graduate School of Education and the University of New Orleans, and was trained in business at Dartmouth University’s Tuck School of Business.

Jessica is Propeller’s Co-CEO and works collaboratively with Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Andrea Chen, to maximize operational efficiency, accelerate innovation, and deliver exceptional results to our entrepreneurs, our community, and our stakeholders.

Throughout over a decade-long career in the nonprofit sector, Allen has focused on championing cross-team collaboration to scale impact and achieve organizational goals. Allen began her career managing educational experiences for graduate health professional students who sought to work in the primary care field and those who have been historically marginalized within the medical field. This experience supporting healthcare professionals aiming to create a social impact with their career and creating systems-level change in the healthcare field led her to pursue an opportunity to join Propeller over six years ago. Allen’s initial role focused on providing technical assistance and business development counseling to ventures that deliver healthcare services and address social determinants of health. After several years on the program delivery team, Jessica moved to the operations team to serve as Propeller’s Chief Operating Officer to lead key initiatives in support of operational and strategic priorities to advance the organization’s mission and vision.

Jessica holds a Master’s in Public Health from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine with a focus in Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Bryn Mawr College.

Erik grew up on the West Bank of New Orleans and attended Tulane University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Management in 2013. After graduation, Erik served with a variety of socially minded organizations in New Orleans while working towards earning a Master of Business Administration from Loyola University in 2016. Passion for both entrepreneurship and for helping to spark positive change in his community led Erik to joining the Propeller team. Erik is excited to use his experience to help others build strong, sustainable organizations.Feel free to contact him for general entrepreneurship questions.

Adele London is co-founder and Director of Business Development for enmasse Media with over 23 years in the field of small business and economic development. As an honors graduate of Loyola University of New Orleans, LA, London holds both a B.A. in Political Science and Juris Doctor. For her outstanding leadership and dedication, she received the coveted Loyola Spirit Award, the highest recognition of a student’s demonstration of service to others at the prestigious institution. Adele is a very creative thinker, with innovative approaches and cutting edge concepts and her marketing acumen is highly regarded and has been noted by many of the small businesses and nonprofit organizations. She is a highly trained business coach and has been recognized by the SBA and FDIC for efforts to bring small businesses to the next level. Adele is a very creative thinker, with innovative approaches and cutting edge concepts. She is accomplished in many aspects of the marketing process including conceptualization, planning, writing, design, placement and distribution, production management and client relations. For more than 20 years, she has trained and mentored hundreds of small business enterprises. As a past Director of Business Development for Good Work Network, the Exec Director of the SE Louisiana Women’s Business Center and the Business Affairs Manager at The Housing Authority of New Orleans Small Business Program. Throughout her career, Adele has assisted some of the most under-resourced entrepreneurs to incorporate sustainable business practices and launch successful ventures. Contact Adele for support in navigating procurement bid processes.

Elizabeth was born and raised in New Orleans. She attended the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Business Administration. Following her time in Charleston, she moved back home to New Orleans to obtain her Master of Science in Accounting at the University of New Orleans. While studying for her Masters, she started work at Postlethwaite & Netterville as an audit intern. During Elizabeth’s four years at P&N, she worked on Propeller’s financial statement audit as well as the audits of other non-profit organizations in the Greater New Orleans area. Through working with non-profit organizations, she decided that she wanted to pursue a career in the non-profit sector outside of public accounting. Following her four years at P&N, Elizabeth worked as the Assistant Controller for the Archdiocese of New Orleans before joining the Propeller team. Elizabeth serves as the Treasurer for the Young Leadership Council. Elizabeth leads Propeller’s facility and finance operations.

Patrick serves as the Director of Capital Access, working to oversee the Propeller Impact Fund II as well as it’s predecessor Propeller Social Venture Fund, lead strategic planning efforts for and execution of access to capital programming, and connect entrepreneurs to capital sources to grow their businesses and impact.

A native of south Louisiana, Patrick left the state to attend the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics with a concentration in Finance. He began his career on the Allianz Capital Partners private equity fund investment team in New York City before moving back to Louisiana to co-found Roulaison Distilling Co. As an entrepreneur himself, Patrick understands the importance of access to capital.

Outside of work, Patrick spends his time serving on the Board of Directors of Young Leadership Council (2023 President) as well as an Associate Director on OnPath Federal Credit Union Board. In 2023, Patrick was honored by CityBusiness as a “Money Maker (Investment)” and selected for the publication’s “Power 50: Most Influential People” list.

Contact him for questions about the Financial Wellness Collaborative, assistance pursuing debt or equity capital, or more information about the Propeller Impact Fund II. You can also schedule a 30-minute meeting with him here.

Biruk oversees Propeller’s data collection, analysis, monitoring, and evaluation. Before joining Propeller’s team, Biruk was a full-time Associate Professor in the College of Business and Public Administration at Southern University in New Orleans for the last twelve years and an Adjunct Professor in the online Masters in Public Administration program at Grand Canyon University. She has studied in the Czech Republic for ten years and worked in Luanda, Angola for six years. Before coming to the United States, she worked for the United Nations Development Program and other international nonprofit organizations such as Africare Angola.

She received her Ph.D. in Public Policy with a concentration in public finance, a Masters of Professional Accountancy from Southern University in Baton Rouge, and an Engineering Degree in Agricultural Economics and Management from Mendel University in Brno, Czech Republic.

She loves cooking, traveling, reading, and exploring new cultures, food, and places in her free time. That love led her to open Addis NOLA, a family-owned restaurant serving traditional Ethiopian meals and sharing Ethiopian culture. She is also a 2020 Propeller Impact Accelerator Alumnus with Addis NOLA. She is fluent in five languages including Amharic, Czech, Spanish, Portuguese and English.

Amber Tucker is a place-based public health advocate. She previously worked as a research coordinator for The Healthy Neighborhoods Project and the Program Director of Hagar’s House, a home for women and children in New Orleans. Amber has her master’s degree in Public Health from Louisiana State University, where her research focused on the impact of transportation and housing access on health outcomes. She has completed coursework in Clinical Mental Health at Xavier University and earned her bachelor’s degree at Smith College with a self-designed major in Social Movements and Activism. Amber’s engagement with housing equity work in New Orleans includes employment at Tulane University’s School of Medicine, the Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center, as board member of the Tulane Canal Neighborhood Association, and the Tulane Canal Development Corporation. Amber can be contacted via email for any questions related to Propeller programing for health focused entrepreneurs. Amber serves as a main point of contact for our Alumni and can be contacted via email for any questions related to Propellers programming for Health related ventures.

Born and raised on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Sophia Scarano developed a passion for the arts and community serving enterprises at a young age. They studied Music Education at Florida State University and have continued to perform as a professional classical bassist with ensembles across the U.S. Sophia moved to New Orleans in 2014 where they earned their MA in Arts Administration. During this time, Sophia worked with arts organizations such as the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Uptown Music Exchange, the Louisiana Philharmonic, and Girls Rock New Orleans. Their dedication to mutual aid, uplifting marginalized people, and serving their community in New Orleans led them to Propeller, where they work to support water and education ventures in New Orleans as Program Manager. Sophia can be contacted via email for any questions related to Propeller programming for Water, Education, and Arts and Culture entrepreneurs.

Liz is a writer, performer, and Native New Orleanian with a passion for advocacy, the arts, and cultural studies. A graduate of Loyola University New Orleans and Louisiana State University, Liz has a BA in Writing with a minor in Social Media/Mass Communication, an MA in Writing and Culture, and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature with a French Studies minor.

In their career as an academic scholar, Liz was a Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Fellow and Instructor at LSU sharing their research on African Traditional Religions (ATRs) and Popular Culture at various venues, including the Louisiana Folklore Society and the Harvard Institute for World Literature. Liz is also the Founder and former Editor-in-Chief of the online arts, comparative studies, and gender/women studies journal Comparative Woman at LSU. They also worked as a Copyeditor and Social Media Specialist for The Maroon at Loyola and the Editor in Chief of the Loyola Branch of The Odyssey Online.

With a diverse background in nonprofit work, Liz did Public Relations work with The American Red Cross of Louisiana, led the Loyola University Community Action Program (LUCAP), where they won the Magis Award for Leadership, served as Director of Development and Communications at Anna’s Place NOLA and the Dodwell House Community Resource Center, and has been a mentor in several programs over the years.

Liz is passionate about supporting social justice, systemic change, and community advancement in New Orleans and is excited to join Propeller in our mission to grow and support local entrepreneurs in tackling social and economic disparities. Liz writes Propeller’s grants and leads our social media presence.

Damian Clark serves as the Strategic Project Manager for Propeller. Damian’s career has focused on special project management, public policy, community engagement, and small business entrepreneurship development. Damian has experience in nonprofit & local government administration, serving as the Legislative Aide for the New Orleans City Council and Executive Assistant to the CEO of the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce.

A New Orleans native, Damian has earned his Bachelor in Business Administration degree with a concentration in Entrepreneurship from Southern University at New Orleans & a Master of Business Administration from Loyola University at New Orleans. He is an active National Black MBA Association and Youth Leadership Council member. He also serves as Executive Co-Board chair for the Committee for a Better New Orleans.

In his current role at Propeller, he is responsible for assisting the ongoing management of several of Propeller’s programming initiatives, which focus on projects related to equitable procurement, Access to Capital, and coordination of entrepreneurial services. He is the point of contact for all things related to the Financial Wellness collaborative, consumer packaged goods focus area in the Impact Accelerator, and Fund II relations.

In his free time, he enjoys attending music concerts & festivals, Saints games, new restaurants, and hanging out with friends.

Okiemute Eyemaro serves as the Talent and Culture Coordinator for Propeller. A native New Orleanian, Okiemute was a Posse Scholar and attended Case Western Reserve University where they received a Bachelors in International Studies and Anthropology while also completing a Masters in Nonprofit Organizations. Okiemute’s career started in Cleveland as a Cleveland Foundation Fellow with Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s Talent and Equity Department but their love and passion for the city and its people have brought them back home.

Jesse serves as the Coworking Associate for Propeller. Jesse moved to New Orleans in 2015 and attended Tulane University as a Founders Scholar. She graduated with a BA in Political Science and Environmental Studies. They began their career as an educator. They are a certified Louisiana Master Naturalist and love to be in nature. In their free time, Jesse enjoys gardening, being with her chickens, and all things food. If you are interested in using Propeller’s space as a member or for events, feel free to contact Jesse.

Jessica Triche serves as the Communications Specialist for Propeller. Born and raised in Atlanta, she has made New Orleans her adopted home for the past four years. Jessica studied History at the University of Miami and has a variety of experiences in the private and public sector. Prior to joining Propeller, Jessica worked in development for a New Orleans non-profit Citizen She United, and drafted grant proposals for BIPOC-led organizations with the DC-based consulting firm, English Hudson.

Jessica is thrilled to join Propeller to join her personal and professional desire to support social impact in the city of New Orleans. In her role as Communications Specialist, Jessica manages Propeller’s visual collateral and storytelling across digital media.

In her free time, she enjoys exploring the arts scene in New Orleans, repurposing antique furniture, and reading the work of some of her favorite authors.

Melissa Tyler is Propeller’s Director of Advancement, overseeing fundraising, evaluation and communications planning and operations. Tyler is a Gentilly girl, and returned to New Orleans after graduating from the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication to begin a public relations career. Purpose and destiny redirected her to a 20+ career in nonprofits including some of New Orleans’ most historic and important health & human services organizations: Touro Infirmary Foundation, Magnolia Community Services and Covenant House. She was the inaugural development director at the New Orleans Women & Children’s Shelter. Tyler has served on the boards of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, EPIC NOLA Church and the Ben Franklin High School Alumni Association and is a graduate of the Committee for a Better New Orleans’ Metropolitan Leadership Forum and the Parent Leadership Training Institute.

Tyler owns a small jewelry business, Jewelry Soiree NOLA and enjoys singing and omakase. Her passion is putting an end to domestic violence.

Shelina Davis, MPH, MSW serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI) where she oversees the LPHI team and offers strategic direction to ensure health and racial equity; and champion health for people, within systems, and throughout communities. Shelina brings over 15 years of experience in public health, health care systems, leadership development, and health equity. Shelina serves on the Boards of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship – New Orleans, Propeller and CARE: Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity. She was selected as Aspen Ideas Festival Health Scholar, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Office on Smoking and Health Leadership and Sustainability School Fellow, and National Council for Behavioral Health Addressing Health Disparities Leadership Program Participant. In April 2020, Shelina was appointed to Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards’ COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, Louisiana Prisons Sub-Committee and Louisiana Resilient Commission, Manufacturers Sub-Committee.

Prior to joining LPHI, Shelina served as Assistant Vice President of Practice Improvement at the National Council for Behavioral Health based in Washington, DC, where she led the strategic oversight and development of public health initiatives — supporting community-based organizations as well as federal, state, local and tribal governmental agencies and their workforce in achieving health and racial equity.

Julie Henriquez Aldana serves as an Administrative Assistant Professor of Women’s Leadership and Director of Student Leadership and Engagement for the Newcomb Institute at Tulane University. In this role, she manages all student engagement and leadership development initiatives, and leads both organizational and equity, diversity, and inclusion strategic planning efforts. She earned a B.S. in International Trade and Finance (2003), M.S. in Human Resource Education (2005), and a Ph.D. in Human Resource Education with a concentration in Human Resource and Leadership Development (2017) from Louisiana State University.

Julie’s dissertation research focused on the experience of Latina faculty as they navigate the tenure process, specifically on the role of engagement in successfully achieving tenure. As a Latina and emerging Human Resource Development and Leadership scholar, Julie’s research interests focus on multicultural leadership, cultural competence, and organizational culture in the workplace.

Dr. Calvin Mackie is one of the nation’s most prolific young STEM and Educational Motivational Speakers and Leaders. He is an award winning mentor, an international renowned motivational speaker, and a successful entrepreneur. His message as a mentor, speaker, entrepreneur and former engineering professor continues to transcend race, gender, ethnicity, religion, and time. His passion and talent is totally devoted to helping people unleash their greatness and transcend personal and societal barriers. Operating under the premise that exposure and experience are two important parameters of success, he utilizes unique strategies and methodologies to motivate and inspire. Calvin Mackie has lectured widely throughout the United States, helping people change the way they think about achieving their lifelong dreams through education in general, and STEM specifically.

A professional speaker, in 1992 he co-founded Channel ZerO, an educational and motivational consulting company and has presented to numerous civic, educational institutions and Fortune 500 corporations. Over the last 16 years, Dr. Mackie has presented to numerous school districts, educators, universities and corporations across the America. In 2004, Dr. Mackie received the 2003 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring in a White House Ceremony. In 2005, he was the featured speaker for the six regional forums for The College Board and the opening speaker for the 50th Anniversary of Advanced Placement (AP) Conference. Mackie has addressed the National School Board Association, National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) , National Science Foundation (NSF) and is a frequent speaker at national teacher trainings, school districts, mentoring and technical development conferences. Most recently, Mackie has been lecturing internationally in Kuwait, Nova Scotia and Quebec Provinces of Canada. More at calvinmackie.com.

Cedric S. Grant has served as a senior executive at each of the three major levels of government. His expertise is in capital development and finance, economic development, general government policy development, water utility and disaster grants management and resilience, urban, transportation and strategic planning. He is a strategic thinker and visionary leader.

When he first worked for the City of New Orleans, he managed the development and sale of a 264 unit single family housing subdivision under a federal infrastructure grant. At the City’s Downtown Development District, he completed the infrastructure redevelopment that ushered in the 1984 World’s Fair. At the Port of New Orleans, he developed the 20-year Port Master Plan which included plans for cruise ship and gaming berths. At the City of New Orleans, he managed the City government of 6,000 employees along the $550 million operating and $200 million capital budgets. He managed the Atlanta regional office for Parsons Corporation, overseeing major road and highway projects. As Deputy Secretary of Transportation for the State of Louisiana he managed the State toll authority, its disadvantaged business program and multi-million-dollar special projects such as the Huey P. Long Bridge Expansion, John James Audubon Bridge and I-10 Twin Spans Bridge Replacement Project. While CAO of Ascension Parish he managed the government and its recovery from Hurricane Gustav, securing $20 million for recovery projects including the acquisition of the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center.

During his 40-year career, Grant developed billions of dollars of public projects. As the leader of the City of New Orleans post Katrina recovery program he directed the delivery of over $1 billion in facilities and roadwork projects including the redevelopment of the World Trade Center Office building. As leader of the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, he led reforms of the organizational structure and increased water and sewer rates to support a $3.3 billion capital improvement program that included a $200 million investment in green sustainable infrastructure. He has undertaken, guided and completed complex projects throughout his career. On an international level, Grant engaged in collaborative initiatives such as the C40 Delta Cities Network aimed at creating resilience and adaptation strategies around the world. He has been a frequent speaker on these subjects at international forums.

Grant is currently president of Grant Management Group, a management services firm providing advisory and strategic planning services to government, private sector and non-profit organizations. He is an advisor to public and private clients where he consults with senior leaders on government operations, strategic growth, business development, water management, resilience and sustainability.

Grant holds a B.A. in Political Science from Xavier University of Louisiana and a Master of Public Administration from the University of New Orleans. He is a graduate of the United States Army Command and General Staff College and graduate of an International Port Management Training Course. He is an US army veteran retiring with the rank of Major. Mr. Grant is a Life Member of the International City/County Management Association and a member of the ICMA Advisory Group on Graduate Education. He is the 2019 recipient of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators Marks of Excellence Award. He has served on the board of directors of several national organizations. Cedric is married to Bridget Depland-Grant.

Deirdre serves as Program Officer at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Previously, she served as the Executive Director of OPEN (Orleans Public Education Network). Under her leadership at OPEN, the organization has launched programmatic anchors like the Parent Leadership Training Institute, engaged more than 3,000 New Orleanians, and successfully advocated for development of the ONE APP and increased transparency in the charter application process. A native New Orleanian and product of the city’s public schools, Deirdre Johnson Burel recognizes the importance of investing in public education.

Johnson Burel attended Eleanor McMain Magnet Secondary School and went on to attend U.C. Berkeley for undergraduate study and New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service where she earned a Master of Public Administration in public policy and non-profit management. She brings a career deeply rooted in social justice via educational programming (founding staff member for New Orleans’ first Americorps program, former Director of Franklin Summerbridge, Director of Programs at Urban League of Greater New Orleans) and education policy (Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget Policy Analyst, and Policy Director for the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education) to OPEN.

Sheryl Kennedy Haydel, PhD, APR earned her doctorate in mass communication from the University of Southern Mississippi – Hattiesburg, an MBA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a focus in Marketing and an MA in Journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park, and bachelor’s in mass media from Clark Atlanta University. She has worked as a journalist and an award-winning public relations executive. In addition, Haydel serves as a media expert on the use of social media in political and social movements. Twice she has been awarded the Individual Award of Excellence by the Public Relations Society of America’s New Orleans chapter. She also serves as the director of the National Association of Black Journalist’s high school program (JSHOP). Haydel has held both academic and administrative positions at several institutions. Her research examines the role of the Black collegiate press in the pursuit for Civil Rights and the use of social media today for both branding and activism.

Ericka Michelle Lassair aka “Chef Diva” the Founder of Diva Dawg Food Truck is a New Orleans native and graduate of Southern University A&M College and Delgado Culinary Arts. She is a Tory Burch Foundation Fellow/Ambassador and was featured in the January 2017 Vogue magazine alongside Tory Burch. In Cosmopolitan’s “Get That Life,” and an episode of Modern Hero on Amazon Prime, Ericka shares the story of her entrepreneurial journey. The summer of 2017, Ericka was featured in Essence magazine as the Celebrity Chef for ‘Essence Eats’ and had an appearance in the movie “Girls Trip” in the Diva Dawg truck. In 2020, Ericka will be featured on several episodes of WYES TV show Kitchen Queens.

Reuben Teague is a Director in the Impact Investments group in the Corporate Social Responsibility Department at Prudential. He is responsible for sourcing, underwriting and managing investments that meet Prudential’s social value criteria while providing risk-adjusted financial returns. Prudential Impact Investments manages a portfolio of more than $450 million in investments and typically originates between $150 million and $250million in transactions annually. The group has a goal of reaching a $1 billion portfolio by 2020. Prior to joining Prudential in 2013, Teague was co-founder and principal of Green Coast Enterprises, a triple bottom line real estate development and project management firm based in New Orleans. He participated in the development of over 1,000 units of sustainable, hazard-resilient affordable housing and over 50,000 square feet of commercial space aimed at restoring needed community resources to the greater New Orleans area.

He previously was an adjunct professor in Tulane University’s Masters of Sustainable Real Estate Development program. Teague has an AB degree in economics from Princeton University and a JD from New York University School of Law. He was an Echoing Green Fellow in 2008. Teague is a board member of Advocates for Arts Based Education.

Matt originated the idea and co-founded TurboSquid in 2000 as one of the web’s first digital marketplaces for stock media, which was acquired in 2021 for $75M. Before TurboSquid, Matt entered the 3D industry as a founding partner and senior producer of 3D visual effects for Chimera Digital Imaging, a visual effects and 3D animation firm.

In 2005, he contributed the idea and co-authored the legislation for the Digital Interactive Media incentives for the state of Louisiana, widely cited as significantly contributing to the city’s entrepreneurial renaissance. More recently he co-chaired New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s transition team as she took office in 2018. Matt serves as Chairman of the Board for the New Orleans Startup Fund, and as a trustee for the RosaMary and MFW Foundations. His awards and recognition include being named “Technology Leader of the Year” for Louisiana by the Governor’s Office, and induction into the “Business Hall of Fame” by Junior Achievement. Matt graduated with a degree in History from Brown University in 1994 with a personal emphasis on software engineering. He is a member of the 2014 Class of Henry Crown Fellows at the Aspen Institute.