Cheralyn Chok

Cheralyn Chok (she/her) is the Executive Director and co-founder of Propel Impact.

Since the inception of Propel Impact in 2019, she has led the organization to train hundreds of young leaders across Canada, developing the programs she would have wanted to take part in years ago. Social and environmental impact have always been core to her work; Cheralyn brings entrepreneurial experience from founding and operating a zero-waste necktie company for seven years (Miley Cyrus bought one in 2015!) and was an early employee at social ventures ChopValue and Awake Labs.

Outside of Propel, Cheralyn serves on the board of the Tribe Network and as an advisory board member of the University of Victoria Impact Investing Hub. She holds a BCom from the University of British Columbia and was named a BCBusiness Top 30 Under 30 in 2022 and one of The Peak's Emerging Leaders in 2024.

Tristan Smyth

Tristan Smyth (they/them) is the Managing Director of Propel Impact and resides on unceded and unsurrendered Algonquin Territory with their spouse and dog, Grogu.

A recognized nonbinary advocate working at the intersection of DEI and ESG, Tristan previously served in executive roles with several Indigenous organizations, and, in recognition of their work, was named by Future of Good as one of Canada’s top 21 Young Impact Leaders in 2019 and Forty Under 40 by the Ottawa Business Journal in 2023.

Outside of Propel, they lead a graduate seminar on responsible and impact investing for Carleton University’s School of Public Policy and Administration.
Beyond work, Tristan is an advisor to Boann Social Impact and the Common Approach to Impact Measurement. Additionally, they serve on the boards of directors for the Table of Impact Investment Practitioners (TIIP), Giyak Mishkawzid Shkagmikwe Corporation (GMS), and Living Wage Canada.

Keshiv Kaushal

Keshiv Kaushal (he/him) is the Director of Impact Investing at Propel Impact.

Keshiv is a graduate of Queen’s University with a BComm. (Hons.) in Finance. He has held various roles in impact investing and community economic development over the last 5 years as a consultant as well as at SVX and the County of Lennox & Addington. Keshiv also co-founded the Kingston Propel Impact Fund and has been engaged in multiple community capital initiatives in Eastern Ontario. Keshiv has worked across the impact investing ecosystem, evaluating social enterprise loans and venture investments, working with organizations to design funds and build strategies, consulting directly with impact-driven ventures, running investment readiness programming for social enterprises, and raising capital for funds and impact investment products (like Manitoba’s first SIB focused on Indigenous youth in the justice system). Keshiv has successfully passed his Level I CFA exam and holds his CSC and SASB FSA credentials.

Olivia Charlebois

Olivia Charlebois (she/her) is the Director, Impact Consulting at Propel Impact.

Olivia holds a MSc in Management, specializing in Strategy, from HEC Montréal, as well as a BA in International development & African studies from McGill University. She has held various program management, project management and consulting roles for development finance institutions, funds, foundations, social enterprises and non-profit organizations. Olivia has advised leadership teams on strategy, spearheaded transformative projects, influenced organizational direction, and successfully managed innovative development projects. Within the global impact space, she’s managed various client relationships, including TELUS Pollinator Fund, Vancity Community Investment Bank, the Houssian Foundation, the Government of Quebec, the Eastern and Southern African Trade & Development Bank (TDB) and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID). Olivia has also designed and led capacity building in impact management systems for development finance institutions in emerging economies. Olivia was named one of Future of Good's Young Leaders to Watch in 2024.

Daius Steiner

Daius Steiner (they/them) is the Program Associate at Propel Impact.

Daius participated in Propel Impact’s Summer Analyst Program, where they worked at RADIUS SFU as an Impact Analyst in 2022 and Vancity Savings Credit Union in 2023. Daius is a recent graduate of Simon Fraser University’s Sustainable Business Joint Major Program (BBA), where they were awarded the Sustainability Leader prize in 2023.

They supported the advancement of sustainability in business education by contributing the development of Simon Fraser University’s first mandatory lower-division business sustainability course, BUS 275: Business in a Sustainable Society, as a Research Assistant.

Additionally, Daius advocated for integrating sustainability into business schools across Canada as a Curriculum Change Coordinator at Re_Generation.