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for an equitable future.

What We Do

Propeller is a 501c3 nonprofit that grows and supports entrepreneurs to tackle social and environmental disparities. Our vision is an inclusive and thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in New Orleans that responds to community needs and creates the conditions for an equitable future.

At the heart of Propeller’s work is our commitment to helping local entrepreneurs start, transform and grow their businesses to affect social and environmental change. In the last five years (2019-2023), Propeller has served over 675 entrepreneurs and expanded our programs to provide more intensive support in the critical areas of Capital Access and Inclusive Procurement. Our cornerstone program, the cohort-based Impact Accelerator, has served 107 startup and growth stage entrepreneurs in the last 5 years in areas including early childhood education, food consumer packaged goods, green infrastructure, health, and community economic development. Since 2019, Impact Accelerator Alumni reported generating $46.4MM in revenue and financing and created over 183 full-and part-time jobs, making a measurable social impact in New Orleans and beyond. Read more about their impact. Read more about their impact.

Our 10,000 square foot Coworking building offers a collaborative work and meeting space for small business owners, nonprofit leaders, and community members. More than 80 organizations and over 150 individuals work out of our coworking facility. Our space is also available to rent for events, and can accommodate gatherings of all sizes.

Our strategy is to build a critical mass of small businesses and nonprofits working to tackle disparities in community economic development, education, food, health, and water. These are areas we have identified as having significant inequities and proven market opportunities for local entrepreneurs to implement solutions.

our impact.

by the numbers

people service

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nonprofits and business supported through accelerator programs

external financing

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million in external financing and revenue collectively generated

jobs created

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full-time and part-time jobs created for the local New Orleans workforce

revenues
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thousand raised in seed funding awarded to local entrepreneurs

2006 - 2010
2011 - 2015
2016 - 2019
2020 - Present

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Propeller Executive Director and Co-Founder Andrea Chen and a group of friends revive the volunteer-run Social Entrepreneurs of New Orleans. Propeller is founded and begins mobilizing people, telling their stories, and offering support to nonprofits and for-profit entrepreneurs. Propeller launches its first Impact Accelerator, supporting nine nonprofits and small businesses making social and environmental impact.

Propeller is founded and begins mobilizing people, telling their stories, and offering support to nonprofits and for-profit social entrepreneurs.

Propeller launches its first accelerator program, supporting nine nonprofits and small businesses making social and environmental impact.

Propeller opens its coworking facility at 4035 Wasington Avenue in partnership with Green Coast Enterprises, who developed the space.

Once a tire and rim repair shop, the salvation army purchased the building after Hurricane Katrina as their base. Subsequently, Green Coast purchased the building.

More than 50 organizations and 100 people work out of Propeller on a daily basis. Propeller’s fourth accelerator class begins, bringing the total number of accelerated ventures to 60.

Propeller expands its accelerator programming to offer accelerator programs that zero in on the issue areas of food, water, health, and education. This more than doubles the number of nonprofits and small businesses it serves per year, totaling 90 ventures launched.

Propeller tailors its accelerator programs further to include a Startup and Growth track for nonprofits and small businesses at different stages of their lifecycle. Propeller’s graduates totals over 100.

Propeller revises its mission and vision to focus explicitly on economic equity and inclusion. Propeller’s team gears its programs and work towards understanding and dismantling disparities in entrepreneurship and its issue areas of food, water, health, and education.

Propeller launches its Social Venture Fund and the South Broad Business Initiative. Propeller purchases its building to provide free and low cost services and programming to New Orleans’s entrepreneurs. Propeller Accelerator graduates total over 200.

The COVID-19 pandemic forces Propeller programming to go virtual. Propeller partners with Thrive and HOPE to help over 200 ventures secure $1.4MM in PPP and $1.9 MM in EIDL funding (1,184,266 to Propeller Alumni)

Hurricane Ida closes Propeller coworking space. Social Venture Fund ends deployment.  Propeller coworking space reopens following Hurricane Ida closure. Financial Wellness Collaborative launches in partnership with Thrive and Fund 17.  Inclusive Procurement Technical Assistance Program (IPTAP) Launches; Propeller coworking space reaches 100% occupancy. Piloted “Open Door to the Ecosystem” walk-in program.  Advancing Childhood Care Through Executive Leadership (ACCEL) ECE back office workshop series launches; Propeller Impact Fund II launches and makes first seed equity investment.

our commitments.

Learn More About Our Direct Assistance to Entrepreneurs

We are part of a growing movement in entrepreneurship to ensure that those who have been historically excluded are at the decision-making table and reflected in our entrepreneur portfolios. We believe that Propeller needs to correct for past and current injustices to groups that have been disadvantaged and socially, politically, and economically excluded.

Disparities In Business Ownership And Receipts

  • 68 percent of New Orleanians are BIPOC, 58 percent are Black, and while the share of businesses owned by BIPOC owners has almost doubled since Katrina, their share of the receipts has not topped 2% and over 80 percent of employer businesses in New Orleans are White owned.

Disparities In Capital Access

  • According to a report by the Federal Reserve, in 2021, 35 percent of white-owned applicant firms received all of the financing they sought, compared with 16 percent of Black-owned firms, 15 percent of Asian-owned firms, and 19 percent of Hispanic-owned firms. (excludes 20/21 pandemic financing)
  • BIPOC Small business owners have struggled to access the capital they need and want. Black-owned firms are twice as likely to be denied loans compared to their white counterparts, face higher bank fees, and are 3-5 times more likely to be labeled a high credit risk.

Impact Accelerator
Our Impact Accelerator works with startup and growth stage entrepreneurs to start, grow, and transform financially successful businesses rooted in social impact, racial equity, and a commitment to our region.

Access to Capital
Our $3mm Propeller Impact Fund II makes seed equity investments in BIPOC food CPG companies in Louisiana. Through our Financial Wellness Collaborative, we work with ecosystem partners to get entrepreneurs loan ready.

Inclusive Procurement

Our Inclusive Procurement program works with anchor institutions and prime contractors to expand opportunities for entrepreneurs and provides support and technical assistance to prepare them to bid, secure and successfully fulfill contract opportunities.

Coworking
Our 10,000 square foot coworking space provides 50+ organizations and 100+ New Orleans small businesses, nonprofits, and community members with the space to connect and collaborate as they grow their own ideas.

Go Propeller

Supporting and growing entrepreneurs to tackle social and environmental disparities