Water

Tackling disparities caused by water’s impacts and participation in water industries

Our Impact

Since 2011, Propeller has incubated and accelerated 263 ventures through the Impact Accelerator and Social Venture Fund. Collectively, they have generated over $262 million in external financing and revenue and created 485+ full- and part-time jobs. Our businesses and nonprofits overall have an 84 percent survival rate, compared to the national average of 56 percent.

In 2019, Propeller water alumni (14 respondents) reported grossing $5.4mm in revenue, $1.9mm in debt financing, $200,000 in equity financing, and $202,000 in grants.

As a result of our work with ventures in the water focus area, Propeller has influenced the following outcomes:

Restored or mitigated 700 acres of coastal land.
Received a total of 18 government contracts totaling $1,363,700 for their work in coastal restoration/mitigation and urban water management from the Sewage and Water Board, NORA, Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Sustainability, New Orleans Department of Public Works, and Plaquemines Parish Government.
Completed the installation or design of 310 urban water management projects designed to capture a cumulative 13,183,668 gallons of stormwater.
Provided environmental education to over 1,000 community members.

Water Focus Area

Propeller works with small businesses and nonprofits to tackle critical regional water challenges and establish Louisiana as an emerging leader in the water management industry. Propeller entrepreneurs are building underground rain harvesting systems to keep stormwater from flooding to neighborhoods most vulnerable to environmental disaster. They are preserving coastal wetlands and building new technologies to prevent coastal land loss to protect native communities who are unable to uproot and move inland. Propeller also works to support minority and local business enterprises establishing Louisiana as a premium market for seafood, constructing vessels, and training the next generation of green infrastructure professionals.

In water, Propeller’s Impact Accelerator focuses on supporting entrepreneurs working in urban water management, coastal restoration, and adaptation or resilience, as well as those working to diversify the local water economy. Propeller prioritizes ventures strengthening the local water economy to increase how the industry represents and includes BIPOC individuals.

Propeller prioritizes solutions that specifically address the following issues in the water focus area:

Community-level interventions to improve how we live with water, companies or organizations directly addressing environmental disparities for communities of color
Design or construction of coastal projects in alignment with state coastal master plan, e.g. marsh creation and rock terracing
Design or construction of green infrastructure for public or private clients

To date, Propeller has accelerated 47+ water-focused ventures by providing access to contacts, contracts, community, capital, mentors, and subject matter experts (financial modeling, graphic design, customer pipeline, marketing, fundraising, etc.). This support has resulted in notable success for these entrepreneurs. Below are some of our notable Alumni.