Propel Impact

What was your career path?

For Sharujan Santoshkumar, the path to impact investing began with a curiosity about how capital can be leveraged to drive meaningful change. "I came across Propel Impact while looking for a way to apply my finance skills in a new space and gain a deeper understanding of Canada’s social finance and social innovation ecosystem. While I had a good grasp of the ‘investing’ part of impact investing, I was curious about the ‘impact’, how capital moves the needle on real world issues." As an international student eager to find a community of like-minded individuals, who were open-minded people who were pushing boundaries and rethinking how to tackle complex problems. “Propel offered exactly that: a structured program with hands-on learning, exposure to new ideas, and the opportunity to work on meaningful projects alongside a great team. Seeing Propel alumni in key roles across the impact space made it clear that this was where I needed to be”

How did Propel Impact help you grow?

Sharujan participated in Propel Impact’s Consulting Fellowship from 2021-2022, before transitioning into the Analyst Program the following summer. "The Fellowship program offered a comprehensive experience that combined structured training with practical application. I particularly appreciated the mentorship from industry professionals and Propel alumni, which provided valuable insights into impact investing in Canada, emerging trends in the space. The Summer Analyst Program further enhanced my experience by placing me directly within an impact-driven organization, allowing me to apply my skills to real-world challenges." During his time at Propel, Sharujan worked with an innovative startup focused on eliminating single-use packaging waste. His project involved developing a financial model to support their expansion plans, analyzing market opportunities, and forecasting financial outcomes to guide strategic decision-making. He also collaborated with a national nonprofit dedicated to ending youth hunger in Canada, where he conducted market research and assessed the feasibility of revenue models to strengthen their long-term sustainability. “One of the biggest highlights of the Propel Impact Analyst Program was the learning exchange it created. The program brought together students from different backgrounds, all working with partner organizations tackling diverse challenges in the impact space. Through our weekly check-ins, we shared insights from our work, discussed challenges, and learned how different organizations approached similar goals in unique ways. Hearing about what others were doing, whether it was impact measurement, financial modeling, or market research, gave me a broader understanding of the impact investing ecosystem and the many ways capital can be used to drive change. Those conversations and exchanges made the experience even more valuable and shaped how I think about impact today.” The Propel Impact Analyst Program played a pivotal role in shaping Sharujan’s career path. It introduced him to Canada’s social finance landscape and connected him with organizations making tangible change. “The program gave me a window into Canada’s social finance ecosystem and the opportunity to work with organizations making a real impact. Through the program, I joined SVX, an organization I deeply admired for its role in building Canada’s impact investing market. What began as an internship grew into more than three years with the team, where I advanced to Senior Associate and developed a strong foundation in private markets and impact fund due diligence. Today, I’m with Rally Assets as Manager, Public Investment Research, leading work on sustainable and impact investing in public markets. The program didn’t just give me experience; it opened the door to a career built on aligning capital with purpose.”

What issue do you most want to tackle in the world?

Sharujan remains committed to using finance as a tool for positive change, recognizing the interconnected nature of today’s social and environmental challenges. “It’s hard to focus on just one issue because so many challenges are interconnected. At SVX, I work across a range of impact areas, from social finance to climate solutions, seeing firsthand how different issues overlap and influence each other. Impact isn’t isolated—social, environmental, and economic challenges are deeply linked, and addressing one often means tackling others. What drives me is the ability to move capital toward solutions that create real, measurable change. Finance has the power to influence the world at scale, but too often, impact remains an afterthought rather than a core objective. I want to help shift that mindset.” Sharujan remains committed to using finance as a tool for positive change, recognizing the importance of mobilizing capital across both public and private markets to solve the interconnected nature of today’s social and environmental challenges. “At SVX, I had the opportunity to work across a wide spectrum of impact areas, from housing and community real estate to food systems, seeing how capital can directly shape outcomes on the ground. That experience deepened my understanding of what it takes to make impact tangible: rigorous due diligence, strong partnerships, and capital that is patient enough to drive real change. Private markets taught me to design and underwrite impact where capital is scarce. I moved to public markets to apply those disciplines at scale. It is a different challenge, less direct but more systemic. Public markets influence the flow of trillions in capital and the behaviour of thousands of companies. At Rally Assets, I am focused on embedding impact in this space, aligning investment research, stewardship, and measurement in markets often driven by short-term pressures. For me, this work represents the next step, using scale, transparency, and influence to move markets toward a more sustainable and equitable future.”