Propel Entrepreneur-In-Residence Has Helped Grow Big Brands Like Nestle, Starbucks
MONCTON– Atlantic Canadian tech startup accelerator Propel has hired two entrepreneurs-in-residence, the organization announced Thursday.
Derek Latham and Gordon McArthur will be joining the Propel team in the roles.
Propel’s entrepreneurs-in-residence will help develop and shape the programming for its accelerator, Incite. They also work directly with the founders and startups – coaching them on the next steps for their business, guiding them through the curriculum and connecting them with mentors and experts.
We are very happy to have Derek and Gordon join our team,” said Barry Bisson, CEO of Propel, in a release. “While their backgrounds are different, their knowledge and experience are equally impressive. And, perhaps more importantly, they are both extremely passionate and driven to help the founders in Incite further their companies.”
Latham has a background in business development and marketing and has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world. He has developed successful consumer programs for Nestle Canada and the Royal Canadian Mint. He also led business development in Atlantic Canada for Starbucks Coffee Canada. Latham is also no stranger to Propel as he participated in their accelerator as a founder in 2017.
“I am very excited to be working with Propel’s incredible team, whom over 15 years developed Atlantic Canada’s leading ICT accelerator,” said Latham. “A Propel Alumni myself, I am excited to work with the talented startup founders to achieve product/market fit and grow their businesses here in Atlantic Canada.”
McArthur has a long history with entrepreneurship and 10 years of experience at the intersection of cleantech, ICT, and hardware industries. He was one of the founders of Eosense – an environmental gas measurement technology company. He spent nearly 10 years as the president of the company during which he helped protect and manage intellectual property, as well as grow its international sales reach.
“There are a lot of places to go wrong when starting a business and what Propel is doing, getting businesses off on the right foot by focusing them intensely on the problem they are solving, is going to have huge reverberations in Atlantic Canada and beyond. I’m fortunate to be a part of that,” said McArthur.
With these two hires, Propel now has four EIRs on staff. Latham and McArthur join Charlotte Murray and Richard Jones.