Meet Propel ICT’s New CEO
SAINT JOHN – Growing and sustaining an already-strong network is the main goal of Propel ICT’s new CEO Anita Punamiya.
Earlier this month the organization announced Punamiya would be taking the reins of Atlantic Canada’s biggest accelerator.
Saint John-based Punamiya got her start with Propel back in 2005 and has served on its board of directors from 2008 to 2014.
“I’ve seen Propel evolve through multiple stages and I’m excited to see where it is today . . . and I’m thrilled to be a part of it,” Punamiya said.
As CEO, Punamiya said her goal is to leverage Propel’s many clients, mentors, funders, partners and sponsors to bring the organization to what she calls “Propel 3.0.”
“We have so many moving parts, so my goal is to understand what each component wants from the program, what they can give to the program and how can we build stronger relationships, how can we build stronger communications channels and transparency,” Punamiya said.
Propel has had a very successful year, and is on track to have another with an expansion into PEI and a record amount of applications for both their Launch and Build programs. It’s impressive, but Punamiya says it could be even bigger. This means working with their community partners such as Venn, Planet Hatch and Volta to get more people participating in Propel programs.
“Right now, we’re in all the major cities, but entrepreneurs are not limited to cities. How do we find a way to engage more and how do we attract more people into the program,” Punamiya said. “So here comes the role of the community partners who can get people Propel-ready … we need to build on what they are doing so we get more organizations into the Propel program.”
Punamiya believes startups play an important role in Atlantic Canada’s economy and not just because of the obvious economic contributions. They also help change the business culture.
“You don’t necessarily need to depend on just big industries to come to Canada. They have a role, but the startups have more entrepreneurial thinking. I hesitate to say that it’s just starting a business, it’s more about creating a mindset and that’s what I think Propel is doing,” she said
“To make people understand that there are different ways of doing things and you can build a business out of it. I think that kind of mindset creates a whole new wave of understanding of our economy. When you start a business you’re contributing, but you’re also promoting a different mindset.”