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.

Tiffany Harvill is a business professional with specific acumen in optimizing financial performance, process improvement, and talent development. Tiffany has served in various senior level finance and operations positions across several industries including retail, financial services, automotive, management consulting, and government. Most recently, Tiffany provided operational and financial direction to eleven Walmart stores. In this role, Tiffany successfully opened seven Neighborhood Markets in the Greater New Orleans area while achieving double digit sales growth in established stores. Additionally, the stores under Tiffany’s leadership exceeded financial goals and one store was honored with the Region and Division Store of the Year Awards. With that said, Tiffany brings a diverse set of skills to the COO role, however, she is most inspired by the opportunity to fully integrate her professional proficiency with her passion for improving the lives of individuals in her community. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Tiffany is a Certified Public Accountant with a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Michigan State University and a Masters of Business Administration from Columbia University.

Dorcas manages Propeller’s Finances, Human Resources, and Operations. If you have any questions or concerns don’t hesitate to call or email her. Dorcas has Accounting, Business Management, and Grants Management experience.

Before joining Propeller, Dorcas was an Accountant for a community college, government agency, and educational enrichment business in the New Orleans area. Dorcas has a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Marketing from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Dorcas will enjoy working for Propeller, because she will get great satisfaction from seeing how her work helps the New Orleans nonprofit and entrepreneurial community. In her free time, Dorcas enjoys relaxing, volunteering her accounting and business expertise, volunteering in general, cooking and baking, and attending festivals.

Daniel oversees Propeller’s Impact Accelerators. Before coming to Propeller, Daniel founded two companies, Red Parrot Tours and Matador Marketing Group. Red Parrot Tours is now a part of AGORA Inc. and operates in developing countries across the Caribbean and South America. Most recently in 2014, Daniel worked as a Growth Strategy Consultant after founding Matador Marketing Group, a company specializing in providing digital and integrated marketing services to growth stage organizations. In between founding his two companies, Daniel worked as the marketing manager for Class Wallet, one of twelve startups from around the world to be accepted into the TechStars and Kaplan Accelerator, where he successfully completed the accelerator program and integrally assisted in pitch preparation and securing seed funding. Daniel comes to Propeller with experience from Teach for America, as well working for the multinational non-profit – The Hawn Foundation. Daniel received his Bachelors in Business Management and International Marketing from Hampton University.

Ginny works with the Director of Programs to oversee all of Propeller’s program offerings.

She is excited to continue the work she began in New Orleans seven years ago as the Director of the Bard New Orleans Exchange, an educational volunteer program that has worked with the Broadmoor neighborhood since 2006. As a graduate of the Urban Studies department at Bard College, she is drawn to the city for its innovative infrastructure and entrepreneurial projects that promote environmental sustainability and inclusive planning practices. She feels fortunate to bring her experience with various neighborhood revitalization groups, international art organizations, and educational non-profits to her work as Propeller’s programs team.

Ginny is passionate about the intersection of art, environment, and design, and can be found photographing the Louisiana landscape when not in the office.

Tracy, also known as Trace, manages the Propeller Incubator, focusing on business development, member and community relations, facilities management, and financial management. Reach out to him if you are interested in becoming a coworking member or renting out event space.

Trace has always held a deep passion for empowering others. This passion led him to earn a B.S. in Psychology with a Sociology minor from Mississippi College. Trace comes to Propeller with experience empowering at-risk youth through recreational and educational programming in St. John the Baptist Parish. Most recently he was involved with the Young Fellowship Program of the Portland Leadership Foundation, where he had the opportunity to create collaborative work spaces for local nonprofits, develop leadership capacity among student athletes, and coordinate a humanitarian trip known as Rise Uganda, to serve vulnerable children and orphans in Jinja, Uganda.

Trace is thrilled to be a part of the social entrepreneurship movement in New Orleans that Propeller is leading

Sydney manages Propeller’s grants and fundraising efforts. Reach out to her if you are interested in supporting Propeller.

Moving from San Francisco to New Orleans in 2011, Sydney has spent the last three years in New Orleans honing her skills in fundraising and development, first with the Audubon Nature Institute and later as a Global Advocate Fellow through Mama Hope where she raised funds and managed a clean water project serving a community of 2,700 in Kenya. After returning from Kenya, Sydney managed grants for Louisiana Green Corps and co-founded an all-volunteer organization dedicated to the intersection of women and water issues, Mama Maji. In her free time she serves as a flute player and as an adviser to the board for the New Orleans Volunteer Orchestra and writes fiction. Sydney holds a B.S. in Molecular and Environmental Biology as well as a B.A. in Molecular and Cellular Biology and utilizes her education and experience in research to inform every aspect of fund development.

Sydney is excited to have the opportunity to work with Propeller and use her passion for storytelling to showcase the innovators and social entrepreneurs of our vibrant city.

Catherine manages Propeller’s communication efforts. Reach out to her for any press or media inquiries or if you are interested in learning more about what Propeller does.

Catherine is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and fellow for Venture for America, a 2-year program that empowers college graduates to revitalize American cities through entrepreneurship.

She was drawn to New Orleans by its civic engagement and magical culture and stayed for the opportunity to work alongside the city’s brightest innovators. She is thrilled to be working as Propeller’s Marketing & Development Manager, telling the stories of the ventures and people establishing New Orleans as a hub for social innovation. Outside of Propeller, she teaches yoga and is passionate about sharing mindfulness and wellness with the community around her.

Allison DeJong is Propeller’s Senior Water Manager, focusing on water policy and strategy, special projects, and supporting Propeller’s entrepreneurs and accelerator programs. Allison comes to Propeller from GCR, where she was a Senior Planner and a leader in local economic development efforts; she co-authored the City of New Orleans strategic plan for economic development, ProsperityNOLA, and led the recent update to JEDCO’s Jefferson EDGE 2020 strategic plan. She has also contributed to numerous housing, transportation, and economic development plans and analyses throughout Louisiana. Most notably, Allison and her team at GCR secured over $240 million in CDBG-DR awards for their clients from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s National Disaster Resilience Competition. Allison developed benefit-cost analyses, application narratives, and contributed to community outreach strategies, resulting in millions of dollars in funding for innovative water management and coastal resilience projects. Allison is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and holds a BA in Economics from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from Louisiana State University.

A native New Orleanian, TraciAmanda comes to Propeller with over ten years of experience in the education sector. Beginning her career as a Math teacher, TraciAmanda worked at KIPP’s TEAM Academy in Newark, NJ, and then as a Math Achievement Director for Middle Schools with Achievement First in Brooklyn, NY. She returned to New Orleans and taught Math at KIPP Believe College Prep before moving into Administration as the Upper School Academic Dean at ARISE Academy. Most recently, she led a charter school turnaround as the Founding Principal of Mildred Osborne Charter School in New Orleans East.

TraciAmanda holds a BS in Psychology from Howard University and a Master’s Degree in Sociology and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a is proud Alumnus of Education Pioneers (NYC 2009). She is passionate about and committed to the growth and excellence of educational opportunities in New Orleans and is excited to bring that passion and commitment to the Propeller Team!

​Kristine manages Propeller’s Food Sector accelerator and strategy. This includes managing the LPHI Healthy School Food Collaborative Evaluation Study, spearheading the New Orleans Healthy Corner Store Collaborative, and advocating for local food systems as a tool for economic development. Reach out to her if you are interested in pitching your food related start-ups at PitchNOLA, if you want to apply for the Accelerator Program, or if you are interested in collaborating on food access related projects.

As a clinic manager in Malawi, Africa and a nutrition volunteer in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Kristine has been involved with food and nutrition research around the world. Here in New Orleans, she has worked on research studies related to food access, obesity prevention, and nutritious foods in schools. Kristine is an executive member of the New Orleans Dietetic Association and also serves on the New Orleans Food Policy Advisory Committee.

Kristine has a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition from California Polytechnic State University, a Master’s Degree in Public Health from Tulane University and she is also a Registered Dietitian. In her free time she loves to garden, play piano, and cook. Kristine is excited to work with Propeller where her strong passion for food equity and quality can be realized.​

Monique assists in implementing accurate operations procedures for Propeller, including Propeller’s data structure and accounting. She works as a resource for the team to ensure the most efficient methodologies to support the work of Propeller’s program staff.

Monique is a New Orleans native who grew up in New Orleans East. She graduated from Amherst College in 2013 earning a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology. Before joining Propeller, she worked as an office administrator in healthcare and medical distribution for several years.

Monique was drawn to and inspired by Propeller’s purpose and commitment to change. She’s excited to apply her skill in organization and process design to furthering Propeller’s vision.

Cherita Williams handles accounting, payroll, human resources, and database management duties at Propeller.
Cherita graduated from the University of New Orleans with a B.S. in accounting in May 2017 with a focus on accounting information systems. Her passions include organizational leadership, tutoring, data management, and data analysis. Her recent volunteer experience has included projects focused on healthcare, animal welfare, park beautification, and employment access for differently-abled people. Cherita is especially eager to apply her knowledge and talent to furthering Propeller’s mission of increasing access to education and improving quality of life for the most disadvantaged of New Orleanians. In her spare time Cherita enjoys reading, going to the movies, and craft projects.

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 as an AmeriCorps VISTA for one year with the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, where he acted as Project Lead for the organization’s revenue-generating social enterprise, ZomBeads. Upon finishing his term as a VISTA, Erik returned to school to earn 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 serve another term as an AmeriCorps VISTA for Propeller as Programs Associate. Erik is excited to use his education and experience to help others build strong, sustainable organizations.

Daniela assists with Propeller’s Food sector, focusing mainly on special projects and community outreach.

After graduating from Loyola University New Orleans in 2015 with a B.A. in English Literature and a minor in Psychology, Daniela spent a few months volunteering as an English teacher at a rural school in Chile. During her time abroad, she realized the importance of contribution, the lasting effects that it creates, and how needed it is.

Upon her return from South America, she began seeking a job that would allow her to contribute to the fascinating and vivacious community of New Orleans through meaningful projects aiming to stimulate growth, strength, and positivity. Daniela joined Propeller’s team in June 2016 and is delighted to be part of a mission that is tackling big challenges and promoting a better future for the city and people of New Orleans.

Stefan works with Propeller’s Health sector, assisting on projects to improve the health and well-being of the New Orleans community. He attended SUNY Maritime College for Facilities Engineering, a military school in the Bronx, NY.

A born and raised New Yorker, Stefan always had an eye for business and decided to let that be the path he travels. He worked in many industries consulting small companies whom have very limited budgets. This included, but isn’t limited to Real Estate, fashion, and apps. He has had to learn quickly and adapt in the dynamic business world of New York.

Seeking a more socially meaningful experience, Stefan sought out a city whose innovation was based on necessity and hope, not financial gain. That, in conjunction with Stefan’s love of food and music made New Orleans the only real choice.

Stefan joined the Propeller through the AmeriCorps VISTA program in September, and hopes to use his skills acquired from the Big Apple to make an impact in the Big Easy.

Sara is originally from Orlando, Florida. She moved to New Orleans in 2011 to attend Tulane University, where she double-majored in Psychology and Environmental Studies. Following graduation Sara served a year as an Americorps member at ReNEW Cultural Arts Academy, where she provided daily interventions to at-risk elementary schools students. This experience strengthened her belief in the necessity of educational equity throughout the city.

Sara believes that providing a successful education to the city’s youth is an essential component in bringing about social change. She is now serving an additional year as an Americorps VISTA joining Propeller in September 2016 as the Education Program Associate. She is excited to work with like-minded, innovative people to tackle the big challenges our city is facing.

Keeta was raised in the popular coastal town of Virginia Beach, Virginia. She would then earn her B.S in Marketing Management from Virginia Tech in 2002 before joining a Fortune 500 company that led to her working at their corporate headquarters in St. Louis, MO. This is where Keeta met her husband and an opportunity opened for them to move to New Orleans, LA in the summer of 2010. In 2013, Keeta decided to make a change in career that aligned more with her concerns for social equality and entered into a master’s program in Human Services at Capella University, which she completed in March of 2016.

Using her experience of more than a decade in corporate America, from operations to customer service, Keeta has joined the Propeller team as an AmeriCorps VISTA, Grant Research and Evaluation Associate . She assists in designing and implementing systems and materials that will expand the funding of Propeller. This is her first Non-profit role!

Keeta and her husband have both grown to love the City of New Orleans, and she is excited to be involved in the city’s growing Social Innovation scene.

Teri develops and creates marketing and press material that will establish and maintain Propeller’s online and community presence.

Teri is a New Orleans native, Loyola University graduate, and is currently pursuing post-baccalaureate certification in Digital Design at Tulane University. Before Propeller, Teri worked for public relations agencies and local non-profit organizations creating platforms for client storytelling.

Teri was drawn to Propeller’s socially driven mission and its efforts to connect with underserved communities. Passionate about gaining perspective from different sources, Teri enjoys reading in her spare time.

Olivia works on the communications team as the Community Outreach Associate AmeriCorps VISTA. If you live or work in Broadmoor, Hoffman Triangle, Gert Town, Zion City, or Central City and want to know how Propeller can help you or your small business succeed, please reach out!

Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, CA, Olivia graduated from Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, MD in May 2016 with a B.A. in Global Environmental Change and Sustainability and International Studies. She is specifically interested in the intersection between social and environmental sustainability—how we approach inequities holistically, creating a sustainable world that is both environmentally responsible and socially just. As a senior in college, she worked on integrating equity into Baltimore City’s Sustainability Plan. She was drawn to Propeller by its commitment to incorporating equity into all of its solutions to both social and environmental problems in New Orleans.

Olivia hopes to draw on her experience in both environmental and political organizing, as well as her passion for community-led engagement and empowerment, to strengthen Propeller’s relationship to the people, businesses, and organizations who call Propeller’s neighborhood home. She hopes to explore how Propeller can be a resource to all New Orleanians. As a liaison to Propeller’s surrounding community, she looks forward to helping residents and business owners find ways to take advantage of Propeller’s resources, listening to current needs and desires to determine how Propeller can best serve its neighbors.

Dr. Usdin is the president of Swamplily, LLC. In this capacity, she has helped match the strategic interests of philanthropic organizations with the needs and capacity of local non-profits and governmental agencies in diverse areas. In the last six years, she has worked with the Ford, the Open Society, the Conrad N. Hilton, the Louisiana Disaster Recovery, and the Greater New Orleans foundations. In addition, she has taught courses on building community engagement in public health efforts for the South Central Public Health Leadership Institute, the Centers for Disease Control, and Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and has facilitated strategic planning processes for groups such as the City of New Orleans, National Network of Public Health Institutes, and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. Dr. Usdin was recently awarded a Bellagio fellowship from the Rockefeller Foundation. She graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in psychology from Duke University, has a master’s degree in public health from the University of California at Berkeley and a Dr.PH. from the international health department at Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. The focus of her academic work was on the planning and evaluation of community development and change initiatives.

Billy Perez is General Counsel with @Pay LLC, a revolutionary electronic payments company headquartered in Albuquerque, NM. Billy has over 20 years of experience in all aspects of public and private company corporate and securities legal matters. He has previously worked both in-house, as General Counsel for an international computer hardware manufacturing company, and with several AmLaw 100 law firms, including Morgan Lewis & Bockius, Jones Day, Locke Lord, and Adams and Reese. A frustrated entrepreneur, Billy has also co-founder several companies in diverse fields including manufacturing, high-tech, food service and retail. Billy received his LL.M. in Securities and Financial Regulations from Georgetown Law Center, J.D. from Loyola University School of Law and MBA from Loyola University, both in New Orleans, and BBA from University of Mississippi. In the community, Billy is active with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, and is a member of the St. Jude/ALSAC Leadership Board of the Board of Directors. Billy has been honored multiple times by New Orleans Magazine as a Top Lawyer in the fields of Mergers and Acquisitions, Securities Regulation, Securities/Capital Markets, and Venture Capital. Billy is licensed to practice law in Louisiana, the District of Columbia, and Virginia.

Jamar McKneely’s educational philosophy is derived from Marian Wright Edelman’s special quote: “The question is not whether we can afford to invest in every child; it is whether we can afford not to”. He earned both a bachelor’s degree in Finance and a master’s degree in Educational Administration from Southern University in Baton Rouge. Prior to becoming an educator, Jamar worked in the field of finance as a budget analyst for two non-profit organizations in Baton Rouge. After serving for seven years as a teacher and Assistant Principal at Edna Karr High School, he transitioned to the position of Principal of Alice Harte Charter School. In 2013, together with the principal of a nearby high school, he formed InspireNOLA charter schools, a new Charter Management Organization in New Orleans focusing on educating the youth of our city.

Under Jamar’s leadership, Alice Harte and its students experienced great success, including: increased School Performance Score by 25 points. For the 2013-2014 school year Alice Harte was ranked as an A school and top gain school proving that students with high-poverty can excel.

As Chief Executive Officer of InspireNOLA, Jamar currently manages two of the highest performing open-admission schools in New Orleans and focuses on creating a pipeline for leadership, supervising administrative and instructional personnel, establishing a clear vision for the organization’s mission and goals and branding the new CMO.
 

Ms. Delio offers global experience running businesses, working with entrepreneurs, and partnering with government agencies. Ms. Delio was formerly at the World Resources Institute, where she served as Global Director of the New Ventures program, WRI’s center for environmental entrepreneurship. In that role, Ms. Delio provided business development services to innovative environmental enterprises in Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, and Mexico. Prior to joining WRI, Ms. Delio led the Springboard program at the Center for Women and Enterprise, one of the leading U.S. women business development agencies, and worked for Procter & Gamble Co. in the Philippines, where she handled marketing and advertising for the Healthcare and Food and Beverages businesses. Ms. Delio received her MBA and MPA degrees from the Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School and her Management Engineering and Economics (Honors) degrees from the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines. She was awarded the Don K. Price Award by the Harvard Kennedy School for academic distinction and leadership in public service.

Stephanie Barksdale is Manager of Social Entrepreneurship Initiatives at Tulane University. She is also the Assistant Director for Center for Engaged Learning and Teaching – Social Innovation Engagement at Tulane University.

After working in the diplomatic field for several years, Stephanie received her MPA, with a concentration in non-profit management, from NYU Wagner School of Public Service. Stephanie has also worked for The Low Income Investment Fund, Upwardly Global, and the King Hussein Foundation International.

Currently, Stephanie is helping Tulane build upon its strengths in service learning and civic engagement to develop a university-wide, interdisciplinary social innovation and entrepreneurship program. Current initiatives include a speaker series, social venture competitions, engaging student’s across the university, and an academic minor in social innovation and social entrepreneurship.

http://tulane.edu/socialentrepreneurship/index.cfm

Alvertha B. Penny is the Principal of Alvertha Penny and Associates, LLC. Through February 2014, she served as president and CEO of The Community Foundation of South Alabama. Ms. Penny’s background includes more than 35 years of development, management and administration of community development and human services programs in the nonprofit and public sectors nationally and in Louisiana, California, Washington, D. C. and Alabama. Previously, Ms. Penny worked as Senior Vice President of Programs at the California Community Foundation where she oversaw the planning, strategy development and distribution of a $20-million annual competitive grants budget, a $16-million program related investment portfolio and more than $3 million in special initiatives and supporting organization grant portfolios. Additionally, Ms. Penny was the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation President’s Senior Advisor on community development issues and the Family and Community Development Program Director. This included leading the Hewlett Foundation’s $30 million, comprehensive multi-year urban community revitalization demonstration effort. Prior positions also include serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the National Congress for Community Economic Development in Washington, D.C.; Program Officer for Urban Affairs at the San Francisco Foundation; and the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Planning and Community Services with the City of New Orleans. Ms. Penny is a member of the Association of Black Foundation Executives and chairs its Governance Committee. She has served on various national, regional, statewide and local boards of directors including the National Community Development Institute, the Nonprofit Finance Fund, Southern California Grantmakers, Northern California Grantmakers, Alabama Giving, VOICES for Alabama’s Children, and the Mobile Area Education Foundation. She holds a Master of Science in Urban Studies from the University of New Orleans.

Ava Rogers has worked in international affairs, specializing in conflict and emergency settings for 20 years. Her previous assignments with the U.S. State Department and the United Nations include the Republic of Congo, Israel and the Palestinian territories, Nigeria, and Sudan.

She has an undergraduate degree in international relations from Georgetown University and a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Ava was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Andreanecia M. Morris serves as the Executive Director for HousingNOLA, is a 10-year partnership between the community leaders, and dozens of public, private, and nonprofit organizations working to solve New Orleans’ affordable housing crisis.

A native of Edgard, Louisiana, began working to support creation of affordable housing opportunities in the Greater New Orleans Area in both the public and private sector after graduation from Loyola University New Orleans. Morris has created opportunities for approximately 500 families to become first time homebuyers after Hurricane Katrina, and she was lead organizer for Greater New Orleans Housing Alliance (GNOHA) when it started in 2007 as collaborative coalition of non-profit housing builders and community development corporations who work to rebuild the City of New Orleans.

Kevin Wilkins is the founder of trepwise llc, a New Orleans based advisory firm with the vision of driving entrepreneurial success in New Orleans. Kevin has extensive experience in general management, marketing, and operations, and brings over 25 years of experience in corporate and entrepreneurial ventures. A graduate of Dartmouth College, he began his career at The Procter & Gamble Company in brand management for new product development in the Household Cleaning Category. After graduating from Harvard Business School with honors, he ran high net worth discretionary management for Fidelity Investments, where he was also Vice President of Strategic Planning for customer acquisition. He transitioned to State Street Research & Management, Inc. where he was the Managing Director and head of SSRM Distribution Company.

http://www.trepwise.com/