Atlantic Canadian virtual tech accelerator Propel has added two new members to its board of directors, appointing Christine Pound and Barry Bisson.
“We are very pleased to welcome Christine and Barry to the Propel board,” said Interim CEO Elaine McKinnon in a press release. This is a particularly exciting time as we bring our expanded programming, new subject matter experts and AI-focused workshops to our founders. We look forward to the strong stewardship and industry insights that Christine and Barry will bring to our team.”
Pound is a corporate and commercial lawyer who advises clients on transactions of all sizes, both domestic and international, as well as their day-to-day operational and governance needs. A former Propel CEO, Bisson has also served as the J. Herbert Smith Chair in Technology Management and Entrepreneurship in the UNB Faculty of Engineering and the President of Shad Valley International (now SHAD Canada).
In addition to Pound and Bisson, the Propel board comprises:
- Cathy Bennett, Co-founder Sandpiper Ventures and Volunteer Lead, Taskforce NL;
- Sreejatta Chatterjee, Co-founder HiVanya and Co-founder LeadSift (acquired);
- Craig Haney, Head of Ventures, AltaML;
- Jennifer LaPlante, Deputy Minister, Department of Cybersecurity and Digital Solutions, Government of Nova Scotia;
- Gerry Lawless, CEO, discoverygarden;
- Nicole LeBlanc, Partner, Woven Capital;
- And Sean Power, CEO and Co-founder, Musical AI.
Propel works with both pre-revenue and revenue-generating companies. The accelerator marked its 20th year in 2023, and says it continues to play a role in developing the technology startup ecosystem in Atlantic Canada. The organization’s programming offers founders access to coaching, mentorship, and structured support aimed at helping startups scale.
More than 1,000 startups have participated in Propel programming to date. Its virtual delivery model is designed to connect founders with coaches and mentors without requiring travel, allowing companies from across Atlantic Canada to access programming.
Propel says it assists startups in validating product-market fit, identifying repeatable customers, and raising financing. The organization is currently encouraging founders to apply for upcoming cohort programming. You can find more information here.
