Backing the builders of the new economy.

Jay is drawn to founders rebuilding financial services from first principles and to the systems, incentives and infrastructure underneath them. He would rather understand how something works than outsource the understanding.

He co-founded Propel after two decades in financial services: credit analyst, commercial loan officer, nearly ten years at Visa across finance and corporate development, then Executive Director of Corporate Development at BBVA, where he led investments in Coinbase, DocuSign, Personal Capital, SumUp and Taulia and the $117M acquisition of Simple. From Milwaukee, a Wisconsin graduate, 25 years in the Bay Area.

David invests as early as possible in ambitious founders anywhere in the world, with a pull toward AI, financial technology, and energy and compute infrastructure.

He co-founded Propel and has invested since 2016. He started at SVB Financial Group in valuation and advisory, then joined Jay at BBVA in Corporate Development and M&A, where they backed Coinbase, DocuSign, SumUp, Taulia and Personal Capital and acquired Simple. From Milwaukee, a Wisconsin graduate, in the Bay Area with his wife and kids.

Braeden works on AI in services, AI safety and security, insurance, and the financing behind physical infrastructure. He finds founders in niche online communities. Before Propel he spent a summer at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and worked at a fintech media startup. From the Chicago suburbs, a Wisconsin computer science graduate, now in San Francisco.

Jenny works on the building blocks of commerce: payments, AI security and infrastructure. She backs companies at their earliest stage and stays close as they grow. Before Propel she spent five years in investment banking at PWP, Broadhaven and Lazard, advising PayPal, Ripple, Xpansiv, Franklin Templeton and the FTX Debtors. From Dallas, a Columbia graduate, now in San Francisco.

Hunter runs the firm's finances and compliance, and has since 2024. Before Propel he ran fund accounting at ACME Capital for five years and began in audit at EY and Deloitte. From Tennessee, a Rhodes College graduate, now in the Bay Area.