After seven years coaching founders at virtual accelerator Propel, Charlotte Murray is joining Moncton social enterprise The Farmers’ Truck where she will work to improve food security across the continent.

The Farmers’ Truck provides fresh, accessible food in communities across North America through the use of mobile market trucks and through funding and supply partnerships with communities.

The company has experienced rapid growth in recent years. In 2022, Entrevestor reported how the venture nearly doubled its sales in 2021 as pandemic-related economic woes increased food insecurity in some parts of the United States.

CEO Fredéric Laforge said at the time that “food deserts,” which are regions where nutritious food is not readily available, had been exacerbated by inflation on the already small basket of goods available in those regions, as well as the typically lower income levels of residents. Many local charities responded by ramping up their operations, said Laforge, who described food trucks as a workable and comparatively capital efficient solution.

This week, Murray spoke to Entrevestor from Montreal where she is onboarding for her new role as Farmers’ Truck Chief Operating Officer.

“I’m excited to have found a Propel alumni company which is working with non-profits to deliver fresh food in underserved communities across North America,” said Murray, who will apply her experience building companies to the rapid expansion of Farmers’ Truck in the areas of business development, recruitment and operations.

“The delivery of fresh food is one of North America’s greatest challenges and the Farmers’ Truck is boosting food security in more than 20 American states and in Canada. By 2030, the aim is to feed one million families a week,” she said.

Before her stint at Propel, where she worked with more than 500 companies, Murray ran her own smart contract startup PACTA, and earlier worked in procurement and then brand management at Procter & Gamble.

As she undertakes her new role, Murray is considering how much the ecosystem in the region has evolved in recent years. Digital programming is now the norm -- Propel went virtual in 2018. Incorporating feedback from founders, the group will soon launch its updated Traction and Growth programs.

It's been a challenging few years for early-stage companies seeking investment and resilience is a word on many lips.

“There’s been a bit of a vacuum of early-stage funding, not just in Atlantic Canada,” Murray said. “From my perspective, it helps founders focus less on VC as the go-to. VC should be sought only when founders have gained traction in the market. Initially, they need to focus on the skills they need to build the business.”

She said founders in this famously friendly region still prioritize mutual support through hard times.

“All startup coaches at Propel have been founders,” she said. “Can we still count on founders supporting founders? Absolutely.”