A community that nourishes your drive to do good.

Rooted in empathy. Fueled by passion. Building a better world.

Our Mission

Through experiential learning, meaningful projects, and relationship building, our participants take an active role in providing capital and capacity-building support to impact-first organizations across Canada. Our programs open doors for future leaders to shape their careers around the issues that matter to them and to the world.

Our Vision

A world where every organization is impact-first and has the resources required to fully achieve their mission and potential.

Our Impact

372

Program Participants

163

Projects Completed

430

k

Dollars Invested
Impact Stories

Our Story

NSVF, 2017
The first iteration of the National Social Value Fund is tested as 10th Avenue Fund in Vancouver, British Columbia, with eight students at UBC. Three investments were made in the first year as the program found its early beginnings.
NSVF, 2019
The program is officially launched as the National Social Value Fund and expands its programming from one location in Vancouver to five locations across the country. Calgary, London, Kingston, and Montreal teams are established.
SIA/NSVF, 2021
As SIA and NSVF continue to build programming together, we started telling our joint story to youth, impact-driven organizations, and potential partners. The more we did, the clearer it became that merging into one nonprofit was inevitable.
21 Oct 2021
FINALLY a Webflow Expert!! After 1.5 years with over 60+ Webflow projects!
SIA, 2019
With initial support from HSBC Bank Canada, the Investment Readiness Program, and powered by the UBC Sauder Centre for Social Innovation & Impact Investing, we launch the Social Innovation Academy with the mission to expand impact training and job opportunities to youth all across Canada.
SIA/NSVF, 2020
Having met while students at UBC, the founders of both SIA and NSVF identify just how complementary and cohesive their social innovation and impact investing training programs would be together. They start working as a single team - while continuing to run the two nonprofits independently.
Propel Impact, 2022
Moving forward, Propel Impact will be the central hub for any youth who wants to work in the fields of social innovation or impact investing in Canada, while offering support through projects and investments to impact-driven organizations across the country.
Nov 2021
We had our FIRST ever 5-figure month & 6 simultaneous projects! 

Our Team

Cheralyn Chok

Executive Director

Cheralyn Chok (she/her) is the Executive Director of Propel Impact. She is a co-founder and previously Executive Director of the Social Innovation Academy, one of two nonprofits that merged into Propel Impact. From the inception of the Social Innovation Academy in 2019, Cheralyn led the organization’s program design, experiential learning, and equity, diversity, & inclusion efforts. Social and environmental impact have always been core to her work; Cheralyn brings entrepreneurial experience from founding and operating a zero-waste necktie company (Miley Cyrus bought one in 2015!) and was an early employee at social ventures Awake Labs and ChopValue. She holds a BCom from the University of British Columbia and now resides on the unceded territory of the Anishinaabe and Algonquin Nation in what is now Ottawa.

Tyson Bilton

Manager, Impact Consulting

Tyson Bilton (he/him) is the Impact Consulting Manager with Propel Impact and supports both the Impact Consulting Fellowship and Propel Impact Residency. Tyson is a graduate of the University of Calgary with a BComm. (Hons.) in Finance & Sustainability. He served as the Co-Chair for the Sustainable Development Goals Alliance and co-founded the Calgary Social Value Fund and Reimagine 17, which both have missions to engage, inspire, and spark action in students who want to pursue careers in impact.

Keshiv Kaushal

Manager, Impact Investing

Keshiv Kaushal (he/him) is the Impact Investing Manager with 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 at SVX, the County of Lennox & Addington, and QS2i. 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 social enterprises, building capacity with sectoral stakeholders, and raising capital for funds and impact investment products (like Manitoba’s first SIB focused on Indigenous youth in the justice system). Keshiv holds his CSC and SASB FSA credentials and currently serves on the board of the Fair Finance Fund.

Programming Partners

Employment Partners

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