Senior Capital Access Manager

Background

Propeller: A Force for Social Innovation is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to supporting social innovation in New Orleans. Our mission is to grow and support entrepreneurs to tackle social and environmental disparities. We envision an inclusive and thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in New Orleans that responds to community needs and creates the conditions for an equitable future. Through our coworking facility, programming, and services, we provide entrepreneurs with critical support in accessing capital, scaling their businesses, and securing contracts that open doors to new opportunities.

Propeller and its entrepreneurs have received local and national recognition in The New York Times, TIME, Los Angeles Times, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Wired, Forbes, The Advocate and The Times Picayune. To learn more about Propeller, visit gopropeller.org.

At Propeller, our differences in who we are, what we’ve experienced, and how we think contribute to our strength as an organization. In recruiting for our team, we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation and beliefs. If you share our commitment to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion and our enthusiasm for entrepreneurship, you will find a home at Propeller.

Propeller is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and has a strong commitment to building a diverse and inclusive team.

Summary

Propeller seeks an energetic and proactive professional to join Propeller’s Programs Team in its work to support a more inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem that facilitates equitable access to capital for entrepreneurs of color. Reporting to the Co-Chief Executive Officer, the Strategic Capital Access Manager will lead the program implementation of Propeller’s  capital access initiatives. 

The Financial Wellness Collaborative, our primary capital access initiative, provides BIPOC businesses with stronger connectivity to loan officers and tailored support to help them access debt capital. Support areas for capital readiness include loan packaging, tax preparation, Quickbooks, credit score counseling, financial statements, accounting, and certifications. This initiative is a partnership with local CDFIs and entrepreneurial support organizations Fund 17 and Thrive New Orleans, supported by the JPMorgan Chase Foundation and Regions Foundation. 

This position will require collaboration across all departments and will be responsible for the management of one direct report, Propeller’s Strategic Projects Manager.

This is a salaried and exempt position.

Responsibilities

Capital Access Programming

• Provide individual counseling to for profit and nonprofit business owners to support their preparation for or continued pursuit of debt financing to grow their business.
• Develop curriculum and facilitate workshop sessions on topics such as financial statements preparation and loan packaging and providing opportunities for entrepreneurs to be connected to lending institutions. 
• Manage the Financial Wellness Collaborative program, including workshop content development, session facilitation, programmatic calendar coordination with program partners and lending institution partners, maintenance of active entrepreneurs interested in leveraging debt capital for their businesses to meet or exceed annual goals of 50+ entrepreneurs attending workshops, 45+ businesses receiving 1:1 technical assistance and $2MM+ in debt capital accessed by entrepreneurs. 
• Develop capital access strategies, relationships, loan packaging and pro forma assistance, and financial tools such as budget templates to support entrepreneurs in the inclusive procurement programs access necessary capital to mobilize for contracts.
• (potential) Propeller Impact Fund II is a seed equity fund investing in food Consumer Packaged Goods businesses owned by BIPOC or other socially/economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs. There is the potential to serve on the fund investment committees if interested and capacity allows.

Partnerships

• Build and maintain close partnerships with CDFIs, lending institutions and entrepreneurial ecosystem technical assistance partners to strengthen ecosystem connectivity. Maintain relationships for investor networks in support of fundraising for food consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies in Louisiana.
• Support the development of fundraising proposals, including narratives and budget documents, for access to capital programming.
• Represent Propeller externally to high-level influencers, funders, stakeholders, and partners in support of increasing capital access to entrepreneurs and furthering Propeller’s mission.  Present reports on capital access programming to internal and external audiences.
• Lead ecosystem partner coordination to collect and maintain accurate client data to meet programmatic deliverables.
• Conduct research on lending markets and innovative initiatives to increase access to capital opportunities for communities of color; analyze and utilize research to inform organization-wide access to capital strategy.

Management

• Coach the Strategic Projects Manager to meet or exceed ambitious programmatic goals and responsibilities, including:
  • Conceptualization and implementation of high value-add programming, technical assistance, and executive mentor network development to support the growth of food consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies;
  • Effectively project manage strategies to support food CPG companies’ pursuits in procurement opportunities and serve as a liaison with partners at the City of New Orleans to further procurement initiatives;
  • Effectively manage technical assistance plans for entrepreneurs as a part of the Financial Wellness Collaborative in support of entrepreneurs accessing debt capital.

Travel with some evening and weekend work required.

Requirements

CRITICAL COMPETENCIES

• Personal qualities of emotional intelligence and maturity, humility, and unwavering commitment to Propeller’s mission.
• Written and verbal familiarity in the history of structural racism in the US and its current manifestations in New Orleans and nationally, particularly in the area of accessing capital. Fluency in this area is highly desired.
• Experience in small business lending and consulting. Proven track record helping entrepreneurs of color and small businesses access debt capital and grow their businesses.
• Experience developing small business curriculum and facilitating workshops.
• Strong writing, public speaking, and meeting facilitation skills.
• Strong project management skills, with demonstrated experience stewarding projects from inception to completion.
• Authentic relationship building skills, with a track record of building trust and credibility by demonstrating consistency between words and actions.
• Self-motivated, innovative, and works with considerable independence within the context of an overall strategy and collaborative team.
• Demonstrates strong teamwork and collaboration by actively engaging with team members, fostering a supportive environment, and leads by example to strengthen team cohesion and collective success.
• Proven track record building trust-based and supportive relationships with direct reports to reach agreed upon outcomes.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s or equivalent knowledge + 5-7 years’ experience, or Master’s or equivalent knowledge + 3-5 years’ experience, and 1-3 years’ supervisory experience.
• Experience working alongside prominent New Orleans communities of color (Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Vietnamese-American, and others)

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation: $87,507.50 – $101,405.75, Propeller offers a competitive benefits package that includes health, dental, and vision insurance; long- and short-term disability insurance; retirement, paid time off, and professional development.

How to Apply

Apply here presenting your resume, cover letter, and responses to the questions below. In your cover letter, please explain how you heard about Propeller and your interest and qualifications in the position. Jessica Allen, Propeller Co-CEO, is the hiring manager for this position.

• What will be your greatest strength in this role? In what way will you need to grow the most to be successful in this role? (2-4 sentences)
• What gives you energy in your current work? What drains your energy in your current work? (2-4 sentences)
• Share a successful project or initiative you led that demonstrates your passion for and ability to connect business owners of color with financial capital. (3-5 sentences) 

The salary range for this position is $87,507.50 – $101,405.75 based on preferred experience and competencies. Does this range satisfy your salary requirement? (1-2 sentences)