Organization: SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS OF NEW ORLEANS
Mission: PROPELLER GROWS AND SUPPORTS ENTREPRENEURS TO TACKLE SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DISPARITIES.
Activities: SINCE 2011, PROPELLER HAS ACCELERATED 245+ SOCIAL VENTURES THAT HAVE COLLECTIVELY GENERATED OVER $162+ MILLION IN REVENUE AND FINANCING AND 485+ PERMANENT JOBS. WE BELIEVE THAT BY BUILDING A CRITICAL MASS OF ENTREPRENEURS SOLVING SIMILAR CHALLENGES FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES, WE CAN MOVE THE NEEDLE ON OUR CITY'S MOST PRESSING ISSUES IN COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION, FOOD, HEALTH, AND WATER.THESE ARE THE CORE ORGANIZATIONAL ACTIVITIES:IMPACT ACCELERATOR PROGRAM - PROPELLER'S IMPACT ACCELERATOR IS AN INTERACTIVE 4-MONTH ACCELERATOR PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES STARTUP AND GROWTH ENTREPRENEURS WITH COACHING, COMMUNITY BUILDING, CURRICULUM, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. OUR PROGRAM ENABLES ENTREPRENEURS TO BUILD VENTURES THAT ARE GROUNDED IN FINANCIAL VIABILITY, SOCIAL IMPACT, RACIAL EQUITY, AND A DEMONSTRATED COMMITMENT TO THE PROSPERITY OF OUR CITY AND REGION.SOCIAL VENTURE FUND - PROPELLER'S SOCIAL VENTURE FUND IS A $1 MILLION LOAN FUND THAT PROVIDES LOANS BETWEEN $20,000 AND $100,000 TO ENTREPRENEURS OF COLOR IN THE BROAD STREET COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR, AS WELL AS BUSINESSES AND NONPROFITS TACKLING DISPARITIES IN THE AREAS OF FOOD, WATER, HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.ALUMNI PROGRAM - WITH OVER 250 BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS IN ITS NETWORK, PROPELLER STRIVES TO PROVIDE CONTINUING SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES TO ENTREPRENEURS AFTER FINISHING THE IMPACT ACCELERATOR PROGRAM. SUPPORT TO ALUMNI VENTURES MAY INCLUDE BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO WORKSHOPS, ROUNDTABLES, COMMUNITY-BUILDING EVENTS, TECHNICAL SUPPORT, AND ACCESS TO NEW NETWORKS BASED ON NEED AND AVAILABLE RESOURCES. WITH THE EVER CHANGING ENVIRONMENT OUR ALUMNI VENTURES NAVIGATE DAILY AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC, PROPELLER AIMS TO BUILD OFF OF CURRENT ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP A MORE ROBUST PROGRAM TO BETTER SERVE OUR ALUMNI. PUBLIC WORKSHOPS - THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER PARTNERS AND ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM PROVIDERS AND INCUBATOR MEMBERS, PROPELLER OFFERS FREE, PUBLIC PROGRAMMING AND NETWORKING EVENTS TO THE BROADER LOCAL INCLUSIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP COMMUNITY.(NEW SERVICE) INCUBATOR SPACE - PROPELLER IS LOCATED IN NEW ORLEANS' SOUTH BROAD STREET CORRIDOR. ONCE A THRIVING MAIN STREET, THIS AREA IS NOW AT THE INTERSECTION OF A NUMBER OF DISADVANTAGED NEIGHBORHOODS AND IS DESIGNATED AS AN ENTERPRISE ZONE/RENEWAL COMMUNITY BY HUD. BEGINNING IN 2017, PROPELLER LAUNCHED ITS SOUTH BROAD INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOUTH BROAD COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING DIRECT ASSISTANCE TO BLACK AND BROWN ENTREPRENEURS OPERATING BRICK-AND-MORTAR BUSINESSES ON AND ALONG BROAD STREET; WORKING IN TANDEM WITH OTHER LEADERS AND STAKEHOLDERS TO IMPLEMENT EQUITABLE APPROACHES TO REVITALIZATION AND STABILIZATION IN THE AREA; AND COLLABORATING WITH NEIGHBORING BUSINESS LEADERS TO IMPROVE THE ECONOMIC VITALITY AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD'S BUSINESS OWNERS, RESIDENTS, AND CLIENTELE. IN JUNE 2019, PROPELLER PURCHASED THE BUILDING IT FORMERLY LEASED. UPON THIS ACQUISITION, PROPELLER EXPANDED ITS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS THROUGH THE SOUTH BROAD INITIATIVE BY RENTING OFFICE AND EVENT SPACE, PRIVATE AND SHARED, TO ENTREPRENEURS.THESE ARE THE AREAS OF FOCUS:COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - ENTREPRENEURS WORKING TO IMPACT AND IMPROVE LOCALIZED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TO DEVELOP AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND TO CREATE JOBS AND BUILD COMMUNITY ESPECIALLY FOR THE BENEFIT OF PEOPLE OF COLOR. IMPACTS AND OUTCOMES INCLUDE REVENUE AND CAPITAL RAISED BY ENTREPRENEURS OF COLOR AND JOBS CREATED. PROPELLER PRIORITIZES ENTREPRENEURS AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS LOCATED IN THE BROAD STREET CORRIDOR.EDUCATION - EDUCATION ENTREPRENEURS CONNECT YOUNG PEOPLE TO SKILL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES WHILE PROVIDING EQUITABLE, CULTURALLY-RELEVANT PRACTICES AND POLICIES TO OUR LOCAL EDUCATION SYSTEMS. IMPACTS AND OUTCOMES INCLUDE NUMBER OF STUDENTS SERVED.FOOD - ENTREPRENEURS IMPROVING FOOD ACCESS AND FOOD EQUITY AS WELL AS FOOD SERVICE BUSINESSES WHO ARE PIVOTING TO PRODUCING CONSUMER PACKAGED GOODS AND OTHER LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON SUSTAINABLE, HEALTHY, AFFORDABLE, AND LOCALLY SOURCED INGREDIENTS. PROPELLER PRIORITIZES IDEAS THAT WILL CREATE EQUITABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW ORLEANS FOOD SYSTEM. IMPACTS AND OUTCOMES INCLUDE NUMBER OF CHILDREN EATING HEALTHY MEALS, HEALTHY PRODUCE PURCHASED BY CORNER STORES, ETC.HEALTH - ENTREPRENEURS PROVIDING DIRECT HEALTH AND WELLNESS SERVICES, INCLUDING CLINICAL CARE AND SERVICES THAT ADDRESS THE SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH. PROPELLER WILL PRIORITIZE ENTREPRENEURS WORKING TO SERVE A CLIENT BASE DEMOGRAPHICALLY REPRESENTATIVE OF NEW ORLEANS. IMPACTS AND OUTCOMES INCLUDE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS RECEIVING HEALTH SERVICES.WATER - ENTREPRENEURS WORKING SPECIFICALLY IN STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, COASTAL RESTORATION, OR ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCE. PROPELLER WILL PRIORITIZE ENTREPRENEURS WORKING TO DIVERSIFY THE WATER ECONOMY TOWARDS A MORE DEMOGRAPHICALLY REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF THE MAJORITY BLACK AND BROWN CITY THEY SERVE. IMPACTS AND OUTCOMES INCLUDE GALLONS OF WATER RETAINED ON SITE AND ACRES OF COASTAL LAND RETAINED.
NTEE category: Community Improvement & Capacity Building
Secondary category: Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Foundations