Propel was an early impact investor with the goal of tackling economic inequality and recycling capital for future impact. In our first decade, we experimented with strategies to increase the flow of capital for social change, catalyzing many first-time fund managers and intermediaries who are now leaders in the impact investing ecosystem.
After more than ten years of learning and partnership with over 100 entrepreneurs and change-makers, Propel maintains our commitment to innovation, flexibility, and a blended capital (political, investment, philanthropic) approach to funding. Today, our focus is on direct investment in early-stage impact-driven companies, building progressive power in the U.S. and improving economic outcomes and access to capital.
SARAH M. WILLIAMS
CO-FOUNDER + CEO
As Co-Founder and CEO, Sarah leads Propel’s overall team and strategy. She brings over 30 years of experience to the role, with a career focused on leveraging capital strategically for social impact.
Previously Sarah led her own consulting firm, working with foundations, donors, and corporations to strengthen giving and impact investing strategies. She also launched and led the Pfizer Foundation, with over $320 million in assets, overseeing the creation of their first international and community-based health initiatives and venture programs designed to generate income for social enterprises. Earlier in her career, she worked in government for the Chancellor of the NYC Public Schools and on Capitol Hill.
Sarah is a lifelong organizer and activist, working in the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in NYC, at the state level for access to health care, and with people and families affected by the criminal justice system. She currently serves as a board member of the Brooklyn Community Foundation, Color of Change, New Media Ventures, and Vera Action. Sarah has a B.A. from Wesleyan University and was a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her family.
JEREMY MINDICH
CO-FOUNDER
Jeremy is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Scopia Capital Management L.P., an institutional alternative asset management firm. Jeremy is also the Co-Founder of Propel, where he works closely with the CEO on the organization's strategy and priorities.
Since 2007, Jeremy has been active in building the field of impact investing, helping to scale innovative social impact organizations, and advancing progressive initiatives. He currently chairs the board of SHOFCO, and serves on the investment committee of Wesleyan University. He was previously the board chair for Root Capital.
Before entering the financial world, Jeremy worked as a freelance journalist. He wrote articles on economic, political, and social issues for publications including the Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, SF Weekly, and the Village Voice. He holds an M.P.A. from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a B.A. from Wesleyan University.
ABEERA SAEED
OPERATIONS & FINANCE ASSOCIATE
Abeera Saeed is currently serving as the Operations and Finance Associate at Propel Capital.
Born in Lahore, Pakistan to a family who deeply values education, Abeera earned a B.A. in Ethics, Politics, and Economics from Yale University. Her academic pursuits laid a solid foundation for her subsequent professional endeavors. Before joining Propel, she excelled as a senior risk analyst at Goldman Sachs, where she covered the equities desk. Passionate about democracy and economic development, Abeera also was the Democracy and Economy fellow at the Brookings Institute during the pivotal 2020 election. Throughout her young career, she has actively engaged with various politicians and nonprofits, leveraging her skills to make a positive impact.
In addition to her professional achievements, Abeera is the co-founder and CEO of the ALI Leadership Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering urban youth in low-income areas. Through this initiative, she trains and mentors young individuals to become the future activists, organizers, and grassroots leaders of tomorrow. Abeera is a Yale Presidential Public Service Fellow, an active member of the Yale Alumni Association, and is a member of the 2020 Insider NJ's Top 100 Millennial Power List. Outside of her professional commitments, Abeera finds joy in various activities including ice skating, baking, and watching movies starring Michelle Yeoh. She is a resident of Jersey City, New Jersey.
BRITNEY BRITO
PROGRAM ASSISTANT
Britney Brito is the Program Assistant at Propel Capital. Prior to this role, Britney was a Propel Democracy Fellow.
Britney comes to Propel with an interest in electoral politics, specifically leaders and organizations working to meet the needs of all Americans through progressive policies and power building. She’s interned at Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar’s office, was a field organizer on Alvin Bragg’s Manhattan District Attorney campaign, and a development intern at the Brennan Center for Justice. Coming from an immigrant Latinx background, she is passionate about supporting her community and advancing immigrant and womxn’s rights as well as the intersectionality that achieving equity and justice for all demand.
Britney is a resident of Queens, New York.
JAMES JETER
PROPEL JUSTICE FELLOW
As the Propel Justice Fellow, James works to advance the rights, particularly voting rights, of people affected by the criminal legal system. James also speaks and writes on issues related to mass incarceration.
James is the Co-Founder of the Full Citizen’s Coalition, which includes Unlock the Vote to secure voting rights; programs for returning citizens; and research and advocacy around prosecutor and police accountability. He is also the Director of the Civic Allyship Program, with a curriculum he designed for Yale students on community leadership and power-building, at Yale’s Dwight Hall. He was named a Galaxy Gives Fellow and was the inaugural Tow Justice Fellow at the Yale Prison Initiative. Previously, he was a policy analyst at the Hartford Community Loan Fund, a Community Development Financial Institution in Connecticut, concentrating his efforts on housing and food justice policies. James is passionate about storytelling around current and historic social issues and data.
After serving 19 ½ years in prison, where he was a Wesleyan University student in the Center for Prison Education Program, James is finishing his B.A. at Trinity College, where he designed his own undergraduate degree focused on politics, literature, and activism. He is active in his church, and lives in Hartford, CT with his family.
ANNA GALLAND
PROPEL DEMOCRACY FELLOW
Anna is a nationally-recognized progressive organizer, nonprofit leader, and campaign strategist with two decades of experience advancing democracy and economic and social justice in the United States.
She regularly serves as a senior strategic advisor and consultant to civil society organizations and funders. She serves as the national board chair of MoveOn Civic Action, following seven years as Executive Director (2012-2019). In 2022 she was a Pritzker Fellow at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics.
Her work in national media has included numerous appearances on MSNBC, CNN, and CSPAN, and interviews with print publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, Glamour Magazine, Huffington Post, and a range of other outlets. Her writing has appeared in outlets including The Nation, Impact Alpha, and the Boston Globe.
She also serves as a member of the boards of Public Citizen and the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and as an advisor to a number of other activist efforts and civic start-ups. She lives with her husband and three children in the Chicago area.