About Propel Earth
Propel Earth is a founder network and marketplace that routes what people need to the specific person who can move it, for founders, investors, service providers and the people who run rooms, in New York and online.
Helping people help themselves.
Propel Earth is a founder network and marketplace that routes what people need to the specific person who can move it, for founders, investors, service providers and the people who run rooms, in New York and online.
Say what you are working on, what you need, and what you can give someone else. Propel shows you the people who fit, and you connect with them. What came of it is written down in public, so the next person does not start from nothing.
Three ways to get involved
File a Propel Card (1. Free, four minutes)
Who you are, your role, what you are building or offering, what you need now and what you can give. Most of it is filled in for you from your account, your site or your LinkedIn. Propel then drafts your profile, your listing and your first ask, and nothing goes up until you say yes. Every card is read by a person, and nobody takes without giving.
Make an account on propel.earth (2. Free, ten minutes)
Say who you are, what you need right now and what you can give, in three short screens. Propel then shows you members who fit, and you can ask any of them to connect. Register for rooms, post an ask, open a storefront or put up a founder page. An account is also how you get into the community chats.
Join the Private Network (3. $200 a month)
Three introductions a month, each reviewed by Stephen, to someone who can pay you, hire you or move your company forward. Your card is read first. Free entry to every room Stephen runs. Founding members keep the $200 rate for as long as they stay.
Not sure which? Take fifteen minutes with Stephen. If Propel cannot route what you need, you will hear that on the call.
Where Propel is today
141 rooms run on Propel's Luma calendar since June 2025, with 7,085 guests registered, counted 22 Oct 2026 on the events page. See every event
- 16,540 people subscribed to the Propel newsletter. Source: beehiiv subscriber count, 24 September 2026.
- 83 founders with a public page on propel.earth. Source: The Propel Card, 1 September 2026.
- 250 people in the Founder Network chat. Source: Nobody advertised it, 22 September 2026.
- 130 organizers in Community Organizers NYC, none of them advertised to. Source: Nobody advertised it, 22 September 2026.
Propels: the one number we count
A Propel is an introduction between two people who can move each other's work forward. It is the only number Propel counts.
Made, met, closed
Every Propel is counted in three stages, the same way on the site and on The Ledger.
- Made
- Both people are on it: a connection request accepted on the site, or an email or message with both people on it.
- Met
- There is evidence they spoke: a calendar event, a reply, a mention on a call.
- Closed
- Money moved, someone was hired, or a deal was signed. A dollar figure is printed only once it is confirmed in writing.
Why this number and not the others
Signups, posts and page views say people showed up. They do not say anyone was helped. A Propel that closed means somebody got paid, hired or funded because two people met here. That is what Propel is for, so it is the number we report, including the introductions that went nowhere.
Where to see it
Propels this week, on the Feed, counts the Propels made on the site in the last 7 days: connection requests accepted, counted live. Met and closed are tracked on The Ledger, the public record of every introduction and what it turned into, updated every Monday. A row is not taken down; a correction is added as a new row.
Open the Feed · Read The Ledger
How you make one
- Say what you need and what you can give. Three short screens, about a minute.
- See the people who fit: members who offer what you need, and members who need what you offer.
- Press Connect and add a short note.
- Answer the requests you get within 72 hours. Yes and no both count. An accepted request is a Propel made.
- Tell us when you met and when it closed. A way to do that on the site is coming. Until then, reply to the newsletter or email stephen@propel.earth.
How the website works, step by step
Here is what a new member does on propel.earth, in order. Every step is free, and you can stop at any one of them and come back later.
- Look around first. Explore, upcoming events and their guest lists, the marketplace, founder pages, projects and every newsletter issue are readable without an account, so you can see whether the community is alive before you join. Open Explore
- Make an account. Email and password, or Google. Confirm your email and you are in. It is free, and you do not have to pick one role: you can be a founder, an investor and a provider at once. Create your account
- Say what you need and what you can give. Three short screens, about a minute: who you are and where you are based, what you need right now, and what you can give someone here. Mark your need private and it is never shown or matched. Agree to the community norms: say what you give, answer requests within 72 hours (yes or no both count), close your loops, and give about as much as you take. Set up your profile
- Meet people who fit. Propel shows you up to three members who offer what you need and up to three who need what you offer, from members who agreed to be suggested. Money needs are not matched person to person yet; capital introductions are coming. How matching works
- Connect. Send a request with a short note. The other person answers on their Requests page, and accepting opens a chat in Messages. Your own requests, sent and received, are on Requests too. Open Requests
- Count it as a Propel. An accepted request is a Propel made, and Propels are the one number Propel counts. When you meet, and when it closes, tell us, and it goes on The Ledger. The Feed shows the Propels made this week. How Propels are counted
- Tell us more, when you have a minute. Your company and title, who you can reach, a win you already had and what you are aiming for. It makes your matches better and fills in your public profile. Tell us more
- Come to a room. Pick an event, choose a ticket and answer a few questions about what you are looking for. You appear on the public guest list with your name, photo and one line, and you can hide yourself in one click. See upcoming events
- Do the work in the open. Buy or sell services on the marketplace with payment held until the work is delivered, post an ask, claim a mission on a project, share a resource, or hire and get hired on the jobs site. Browse the marketplace
- Keep up. The newsletter comes once a week with what the network needs, what closed and the rooms coming up. Action cards on the site show the next useful thing to do, such as a request waiting for your answer or a profile to finish. Get the newsletter
- Go further, if you want a person on it. File a free Propel Card and a person reads it, or join the Private Network for three introductions a month, each reviewed by Stephen. The Private Network
Emails you will get
- Connections
- When someone asks to connect with you, and when someone accepts your request.
- Events
- Your registration, an approval or a decline from the host, a payment link if one is needed, and reminders a day and two hours before.
- Getting started
- One reminder two days later if you skipped setting up your profile.
- The newsletter
- Once a week, if you subscribed.
Every email has a one-click unsubscribe link, and you can switch each kind off in Settings, under Notifications.
What brings you here?
Pick the one closest to you. Most people are more than one, and that is fine: roles on Propel are a toggle, not a box.
- You are building something. You need money, people, or a first customer. File a card saying exactly what you need. Put up a founder page so investors and customers can find you without a meeting. File your card
- You sell a service. You want clients who already care about the work. Open a storefront on the marketplace at your own rate. Say on your card who you want to be routed to. See the marketplace
- You invest or give. You want deal flow somebody has actually read. File a card saying which founders you want to meet. Every founder page shows their stage, what they need and the problem being solved. Browse founders
- You run rooms. You host events and lose everybody the morning after. Join Community Organizers NYC, the working group for people who host. Make an account first, then ask for the invite. Create your account
- You know everybody. You make introductions and nothing is ever written down. Answer an open ask, or offer the introduction on your card. Every one that lands is recorded on The Ledger. See the open asks
- You just want to help. You have time and no idea where to put it. Read the open asks on the marketplace and answer one. That is the whole commitment. See the open asks
Who uses Propel
- Founders who are raising or selling and need one specific person, not more advice
- Investors and funders who want deal flow a person has already read
- Service providers who want to be routed to clients who need exactly what they do
- Event hosts and community builders in New York, through Community Organizers NYC
- Operators and supporters with time or an introduction to give
The Propel Card: the one front door
Whatever you are bringing, it goes through the same card. Four minutes, free, and a person reviews before any introduction is made.
The card asks who you are, your role, what you are building or offering, the closest area, what you need now and by when, what you can give someone else, and where you are. Most answers are filled in from your account, your site or your LinkedIn, each with the reason, and you change anything that is wrong.
Three promises
- A person reviews before any introduction. Matching suggests who fits; a person reviews before any introduction is made. If someone can move what you are working on, you get an introduction with a reason attached.
- The offer question is required. Nobody takes from the network without saying what they give. That rule is what stops it becoming a place where everyone asks and nobody answers.
- Your need expires. You say when you need it by: within a week, this month, this quarter, or no rush. A stale need makes the whole record a lie.
What the card makes for you
- Your profile
- A founder listing, if you are building something
- A provider listing, if you sell a service or product
- Your first ask
Each one is shown first, drawn as it will look, and created only when you say yes. Later, a few small "still true?" questions keep the site tuned to you.
Meet people who fit, and connect yourself
You do not have to wait for an introduction. When you sign up and say what you need and what you can give, propel.earth shows you who fits and lets you ask them yourself.
How people who fit are found
A need fits an offer when they are the same kind. There are six kinds: money, people or talent, customers or distribution, expertise or advice, an introduction to a specific person, somewhere to start. You see up to three members who offer what you need and up to three who need what you offer, with a one-line reason for each. Members who share your areas or your city come first.
- Only people who agreed are suggested. Being suggested is something you agree to when you set up your profile.
- Private needs are never matched. Mark your need private and nobody sees it.
- Money is not matched person to person yet. Capital introductions are coming, and you will be told when they are.
- Nobody fits yet? Check back as new members join, and we will email you when someone fits once email is switched on. Meanwhile, post an ask or come to a room.
How Connect works
- Press Connect on someone's profile, on a guest list or on a suggestion, and add a note if you like, up to 300 characters.
- They see it on their Requests page, with a count in the menu.
- They accept or decline. Accepting opens a private chat between you in Messages.
- If they decline, you see "Not this time" and can ask again after 30 days.
There is one open request per pair of people, and at most 20 unanswered requests sent at a time, so requests stay worth answering. Connecting is free, with no agreement to sign beyond the community norms.
Not a founder, or not a need? Submit anything.
Sponsorship, a panel seat, a press request, a partnership, a room you want built: a second form takes all of it. Same result as a card. A person reads it and goes and finds who can move it.
Replying to any newsletter edition counts exactly the same as filling in a form.
How an introduction happens
On the site, and you make it yourself. Propel shows you the people who fit what you need and what you give, you press Connect, and they say yes or no. The Ledger records what each introduction turned into.
- You say what you need and what you can give, in your own words. Specific beats general: a climate lawyer who has done a Reg CF beats legal help.
- The site shows you the members who fit: people who offer what you need and people who need what you offer, from members who agreed to be suggested, each with a one line reason.
- You press Connect and add a short note. Nobody is introduced without saying yes: the other person accepts or declines.
- Accepting opens a private chat in Messages. That is a Propel made.
- When you meet, and when it closes, tell us. A way to do that on the site is coming. Until then, reply to the newsletter or email stephen@propel.earth.
- What it turned into is written on The Ledger, in public, including the ones that went nowhere.
Only counts and patterns are ever published about you. Your name and words appear on The Ledger only if you say yes, and silence is never treated as permission. If you want a person working on it as well, the Private Network has three introductions a month, each reviewed by Stephen.
The Ledger
The public record of every introduction Propel makes and what it turned into, updated every Monday. A row is not taken down when an introduction goes nowhere: it stays on the page as dead, and a correction is added as a new row.
- Made
- Both people are on it: a connection request accepted on the site, or an email or message with both people on it.
- Met
- There is evidence they spoke: a calendar event, a reply, a mention on a call.
- Closed
- Money moved, someone was hired, or a deal was signed. A dollar figure is printed only once it is confirmed in writing.
The Propel Map
The live record of what the network needs and what it can offer, built from the cards. Nothing on it is scraped, inferred or bought.
- Needs
- What people need: money, people, customers, expertise, a specific introduction, or somewhere to start.
- Clusters
- Two or more people who picked the same problem without knowing about each other.
- Offers
- What people can give.
- Who is here
- Founders, investors, operators, service providers, supporters, and people hiring.
- Urgency
- Within a week, this month, this quarter, or no rush.
- What closed
- And what it took.
Today the map is compiled by hand and published in the newsletter. A live version on propel.earth is being built.
The Private Network
Three introductions a month, each reviewed by Stephen, to someone who can pay you, hire you, or move your company forward. $200 a month, the founding rate, until 31 Oct, then $250.
- Three introductions a month. Not a directory, not a Slack invite. An email from Stephen to two people, with context on both sides.
- Your card is read first. Members go to the front of the queue.
- Free entry to every room Stephen runs. Members get free entry to every room Stephen runs, paid ones like the October 8 room included; existing agreements stay as they were.
- It works both ways. You go into the pool too, so other members can be introduced to you.
- An honest no. If what you need cannot be routed, you are told so, and told who might be able to help.
Founding members keep the $200 rate for as long as they stay. It is billed monthly through the newsletter.
Who it is for, and who it is not for
For founders raising or selling who need a specific person, investors who want deal flow a person has read, and providers who want to be routed to the people who need exactly what they do. Not for anyone who wants a list of emails or volume.
Check before you pay
File a card first. It is free and tells you whether Propel can help. Or take fifteen minutes with Stephen: if he does not think he can route it, he will say so rather than take the money.
Join the Private Network · Book fifteen minutes · Read the full page
The community chats
Propel runs WhatsApp groups that grow by invitation, not advertising. Almost everyone in them was added by somebody already inside.
Community Organizers NYC
A working group for people who run rooms in New York: events, communities, cohorts, dinner series. Venues, speakers, sponsors and co-hosts get traded here. 130 people as of 22 September 2026.
The Founder Network
Founders sharing events, launches, paid gigs and introductions. 250 people as of 22 September 2026.
How to get in
- Make an account on propel.earth. It takes two minutes and it is how Propel knows who is walking in. No account, no link.
- Tell Propel which room: organizers, founders, or both. The invite comes from there.
The Propeller Network
A free community space on the newsletter's site. Post what you need in Asks, post what landed in Closed, say you are coming in Rooms, and find work in Hiring. Stephen reads everything in there.
Cohorts and the accelerator
Propel runs founders through together in small cohorts, building in public and closing with a public showcase or demo day. The first, the 2026 NYC Social Impact Cohort, ran with Tavern Community Coworking and pitched at Demo Day on 17 June 2026.
Next is a cohort for event hosts: people who have hit the same wall on door lists and no-show rates four times, working through it together instead of alone.
The most concrete thing Propel does is a room.
Propel started as rooms, and the point of every one is the introductions that come out of it.
141 rooms run on Propel's Luma calendar since June 2025, with 7,085 guests registered, counted 22 Oct 2026 on the events page. See every event
The rooms
Each room is announced on the events page. Everybody gets a few minutes to say what they are working on and what they need, and introductions are made live rather than over email afterwards. Free for Private Network members.
A room built for you
From $2,500 for up to 100 guests, seven to ten days from kickoff to live. Strategy, venue, guest list curation, invitations to the Propel audience, and moderation if you want it. Larger rooms, several cities or a series are priced to fit.
The investor webinar, for hire
An approval-only room for one founder: vetted registrations, a pre-brief on who is listening, forty-five moderated minutes with one clear ask, and a same-day follow-up. Investor webinar for hire: $3,500 flat. Propel takes no share of money raised and is paid nothing when an introduction closes.
At a Propel event, registration asks what you are looking for and what you can offer the people in the room, and guests are matched by a person before the doors open.
Events: where they are and how to register
Every upcoming Propel event is on the events page, and each has its own page with the time, the place, the tickets and who is coming.
- Propel's own events
- Registered for on propel.earth. Pick a ticket and answer a short form: what you are looking for from the event, what you can offer the people in the room, your company, title and LinkedIn, and any questions the host adds. What you write is what the introductions are routed on.
- Tickets
- Free or paid, set per ticket, some with limited places. A free ticket is confirmed straight away. A paid ticket is paid by card through Stripe. Some tickets need the host's approval first; if that ticket is also paid, you pay once you are approved.
- Events on Lahuta
- Some rooms run on Lahuta. The Register button takes you to Lahuta to register and pay, and on propel.earth you can say you are going and join the guest list.
- After you register
- Your status shows on the event page: confirmed, waiting for approval, or waiting for payment. Change your answers or cancel there. Online events show the join link only to confirmed guests, and some venues show the street address only after you register. Cancelling a paid ticket keeps the payment; write to Propel for a refund.
- Past rooms
- Every room on the Propel Luma calendar, counted live on the events page. New registrations no longer go through Luma.
141 rooms run on Propel's Luma calendar since June 2025, with 7,085 guests registered, counted 22 Oct 2026 on the events page. See every event
Fashion weeks
Propel co-hosts fashion week events with DCG Media Group. Hamptons Fashion Week, 22 August 2026 at the Southampton Inn, had 374 guests with Jeffrey Banks headlining. Times Square Fashion Week ran on 15 September 2026 on Father Duffy Square. Private Network members get into Propel's fashion events without buying a ticket.
Who is coming: public guest lists
Guest lists are public, because knowing who will be in the room is half the reason to go.
- Everyone is listed by default. With name, photo, one line about you and company. Never your email, phone number, registration answers or payment.
- Hide yourself in one click. On the event page, beside your registration. Switch it back the same way. You still count in the number going.
- Capital tickets are hidden unless you opt in. On Propel's own events, holders of tickets such as a family office ticket are not listed unless they choose to be.
- Connect before the night. Signed-in members can ask anyone on the list to connect, so the first conversation is not a cold one.
The Feed: one thing to do on each card
Action cards from the whole network, each with one button: asks you could help with, offers you could use, rooms coming up, and wins written up as blueprints. Signed in, requests and invitations waiting on you come first, and a green Why you line says when a card fits what you need or give.
- Asks and offers
- From members who turned on Show my need and offer on the Feed, plus open marketplace asks. A private need and a money ask are never shown.
- Order
- For you (what waits on you, then what fits you, then rooms this week, then the newest), New, Near you (your city) and Closing soon (rooms this week or nearly full).
- This week
- Connections made, people registered for rooms and project updates in the last seven days, counted live.
Explore: the whole network in one feed
Community posts, projects, open jobs, resources, marketplace listings and open asks, in one feed. It is readable without an account, on purpose: you should be able to see whether a community is alive before you join it.
- Filter
- All, Posts, Projects, Jobs, Resources, Listings or Asks.
- Post
- Any signed-in member can post a title, text and up to ten images, and like, comment on or repost other posts.
- Create
- The Create button starts a post, a marketplace listing, a project or a resource.
The marketplace: buying, and asking
Members sell services and products to each other at their own rates. Search it, filter by category, type and pricing, and sort by price, rating or what is popular.
How a purchase works
- You check out through Stripe. Your card is authorised, not charged.
- The seller accepts the order, and only then is your card charged. A seller who does not respond within 72 hours is declined automatically and you are not charged.
- Until the seller accepts, you can cancel.
- The seller delivers and marks the order complete.
- The seller is paid 14 days after completion, so there is time to raise a problem first.
If something goes wrong
- Before completion
- The seller can refund you. You get 97% of what you paid back; Propel keeps 3%.
- During the work
- You can request a cancellation.
- After completion
- You can open a dispute within 7 days, with up to five files as evidence. The seller has 48 hours to respond, and if they do not, a Propel admin takes it over and decides. A payout never goes out while a dispute is open.
Asks: post what you need
If nobody is selling what you need, post an ask: what you need, a category and a budget range if you have one. Anyone can read asks. Members answer by messaging you or by making an offer with a price, a description and a delivery time. Accept an offer and it becomes an order, paid and protected the same way; the other offers are declined for you.
After a completed order, you can leave the seller a review from one to five stars.
Selling on Propel
- Create a service provider profile: company name, location, support email, LinkedIn, a description and a logo.
- Accept the seller agreement. That sends your application to Propel for review.
- Start listing straight away. Listings you create while you wait go live the moment you are approved.
- Connect Stripe when you are ready to be paid. It is not needed to list, only to receive payouts.
- What you can list
- Services or products, priced one-time, hourly, daily or as a subscription, in US dollars, with optional shipping and inventory. Up to 100 listings.
- What Propel keeps
- 15% of each completed sale, taken from the payout. Buyers pay your price plus any shipping and tax.
- When you are paid
- 14 days after you mark an order complete, straight to your Stripe account, unless a dispute is open.
- Taking a break
- You can pause your store yourself at any time.
Approval also puts you in the Service Providers directory, so buyers can find your storefront without a search.
Featured founder pages
A public page for the company and the change you are trying to make, so investors, customers and hires can find you without a meeting.
- What it shows
- Your company, the problem, mission and vision, stage, funding goal, what you need right now, who you want to meet, and a feed of your events and wins.
- Your deck
- Stored privately. Visitors get a link that expires after an hour, never a permanent file.
- Comments
- Anyone can read them. Signed-in members can leave one each, and edit or delete it.
- Going public
- Fill in your profile from your dashboard. Propel reviews it for fit, then it goes live.
The Showcase
Founders and service providers from across the network, and everything they sell, in one scroll. Sponsored placements appear first and are always labelled.
- Spotlight: $500 a month. Three slots.
- Front Row: $250 a month. Seven slots.
- Featured: $100 a month. Ten slots.
Placements are arranged with Propel directly and invoiced; there is no self-serve checkout yet.
Service providers
Storefronts for people who sell expertise: what you do, what it costs, how long it takes, how long you have been at it, photos, packages, testimonials and a booking link. The directory lists approved providers; buyers can message them or buy their listings.
For example, Cohen and Co sell fractional CFO work, and Dorwart Law list legal work at $1,000 with a three day turnaround (as published 1 September 2026).
For investors
Investors make a profile with fund, stages, themes, portfolio and a booking link, and are listed on Featured Investors once Propel reviews it. The fastest way to get deal flow a person has already read is to file a Propel Card saying which founders you want to meet.
Every founder page shows stage, funding goal and the problem being solved, so you can see what is real before a call.
File a card · Make an investor profile · See featured investors
Projects: work in the open
A project is work happening in public, with missions anyone can pick up. Start one for a community, a startup, a room or event, a piece of research, or anything open.
- Status
- The lead marks the project Planning, Active, Blocked or Done, so anyone can see where it stands.
- The crew
- Join a project to be part of its crew. The lead decides who in the crew can open missions and post updates and needs.
- Missions
- Each piece of work says what done means before anyone starts. Kinds: do, fund, refer and volunteer, with a priority.
- Claiming
- Any signed-in member can claim an open mission. Nobody is assigned anything.
- Finishing
- You submit what you did and why. The project lead accepts it, or sends it back to be tried again.
- Blueprints
- An accepted mission becomes a public blueprint: what was wanted, what happened and how it was done, so the next person does not start from nothing.
- Funding needs
- The lead lists what the project needs money for, line by line. A pledge does not charge you; the money is settled directly and the lead marks it received.
- Following
- Star a project to follow it, and read the lead's updates on how it is going: good, stuck or blocked.
Private projects and cohorts inside projects are not built yet.
Jobs, at jobs.propel.earth
- Job seekers
- Browse and apply free with an account. Track each application: applied, reviewing, interviewing, offer, hired. Make your profile public to be found by employers.
- Employers
- $200 a month per listing, plus a 15% placement fee on first-year salary when you hire through Propel. Cancel the subscription and the listing comes down.
- Referrers
- Share a referral link. When a placement you referred is paid, you earn 10% of the placement fee for bringing the employer, or 5% for bringing the candidate, paid by PayPal or Venmo.
The resource library
Articles, reports, guides, grants, tools, courses and organizations that helped someone, shared for everyone. Any signed-in member can add one, with up to ten files: PDFs, images, video, documents or slides. Save the ones you want to come back to; one is featured each day.
Your account, profile and messages
- Signing up
- Email and password, or Google, then confirm your email and answer three short screens. You do not pick one role: you can be a founder, a provider and an investor at once.
- Your public profile
- Your name, photo, one line, bio and location, with your posts, projects and jobs, and buttons to connect with you or message you.
- Requests
- Connection requests you sent and received, with a count in the menu when someone is waiting on you.
- Messages
- Direct messages between members, the chat that opens when a connection is accepted, and conversations attached to an order, a listing or an ask.
- Settings
- Your profile, what you need and give, and which emails you get.
What is public, and what is not
Propel is built on people being findable, so some of your profile is public. You decide the rest.
- Public
- Your name, photo, one line and what you add to your profile; founder, provider and investor pages once reviewed; your posts, asks, listings and projects; your place on an event guest list unless you hide it.
- Seen by members who fit
- Your name and your two lines, what you need and what you can give, if you agreed to be suggested.
- Off until you turn it on
- Your need and offer on the Feed at propel.earth/feed, with your name, photo, company and city, so people who can help find you. A private need or a money ask is never shown there.
- Never shown
- A need you mark private, your email and phone number, your registration answers, and anything about payments.
- Shared with an event host
- Your registration answers, so the host can route introductions and approve tickets.
What makes Propel Earth different
Propel is not trying to replace any of these. Most are good at the moment they are built for. The difference is what happens after it: whether you find the specific person who fits, and whether anyone writes down what came of it.
You see who fits, and both sides say yes
On LinkedIn you search and send requests yourself. On Propel you say once what you need and what you give, the site shows you the specific people who fit, and nobody is connected until they accept.
Outcomes are published
Networks record that two people connected. Propel publishes what each introduction turned into on The Ledger, updated every Monday, including the ones that went nowhere.
Nobody takes without giving
The offer question on the Propel Card is required, and every need expires. That keeps the record honest, unlike a Slack or WhatsApp group where the same unanswered question comes back every month.
Hire inside a community, with payment held
On Upwork and Fiverr you hire a stranger from a global pool. On Propel you hire someone in a community you are part of, and payment is held until the work is delivered.
Not only for raising
AngelList and deal platforms are built around a fundraise. Propel routes customers, hires, advice and single introductions as well as capital, so it is useful in the months you are not raising.
Side by side
| How you find the right person | What happens after the introduction | What it costs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Propel Earth | You say what you need and give, and the site shows you the specific people who fit | Nobody is connected without saying yes, and what it turned into is published on The Ledger | Card and profile free. Private Network $200 a month for three hand-made introductions |
| You search and send requests yourself | Nothing is recorded. The network cannot learn whether it worked | Free, with paid tiers for messaging strangers | |
| Upwork and Fiverr | You search a global pool of people you have never met | A review of the job. No record of the relationship | Service fees on each contract |
| AngelList and deal platforms | Investors browse founders | Built around a raise. If you are not raising, there is nothing for you | Free to list, built for fundraising |
| Luma, Eventbrite, Meetup | You meet whoever came to the room | The guest list, if you remembered to export it | The ticket |
| A WhatsApp or Slack group | Whoever happens to be awake answers | It scrolls away by morning | Free |
Propel Earth vs LinkedIn
What it is good at
Being findable. A public professional identity, search across a very large network, and recruiting at scale.
Where Propel is different
- Finding the person
- On LinkedIn you search and send requests yourself. On Propel you say once what you need and what you give, and the site shows you the specific people who fit, with the reason.
- Before the introduction
- Propel asks both sides separately before connecting anyone, so nobody gets a cold, unwanted introduction.
- After the introduction
- LinkedIn records that two people are connected. Propel follows up and publishes what it turned into on The Ledger.
- Cost
- LinkedIn is free with paid tiers for messaging strangers. Propel's card and profile are free; three hand-made introductions a month are $200.
When to use it instead of Propel
When you need to be searchable by recruiters and the whole market, or you want to reach a very large number of people yourself. Keep your LinkedIn; Propel links to it from your founder page.
Propel Earth vs Upwork and Fiverr
What it is good at
Speed and volume for well-defined tasks: a global pool of freelancers, reviews, and someone available at any hour.
Where Propel is different
- Who you hire
- On Upwork and Fiverr, a stranger from a global pool ranked by volume. On Propel, someone inside a community you are part of, often introduced by a person you both know.
- Risk
- Propel holds the payment until the work is delivered and a hold period passes, so neither side has to go first.
- Sellers
- Propel approves a seller once. After that every listing goes live when you publish it, at your own rate.
- Beyond the job
- Propel is not only a marketplace. The introductions, the rooms and the public record are the larger part of it.
When to use it instead of Propel
When the task is a commodity, you need it done tonight, and you do not need the person to be someone you will see again at the next event.
Propel Earth vs AngelList and deal flow platforms
What it is good at
Running a raise: syndicates, investor-facing deal flow, and the paperwork around a round.
Where Propel is different
- Who it serves
- Deal platforms are built around a fundraise. Propel routes customers, hires, advice and single introductions as well as capital.
- Investors
- On Propel, investors file a card saying what they back and get deal flow a person has already read. Every founder page shows stage, funding goal and the problem being solved.
- Proof
- Every introduction Propel makes is logged on The Ledger, with what came of it.
When to use it instead of Propel
When you are running a syndicate or need the legal and cap table machinery of a raise. Use Propel to find the specific people to bring into it.
Propel Earth vs Luma, Eventbrite and Meetup
What it is good at
Event pages, ticketing and reminders. Propel uses event platforms too: its events run on Lahuta, and some fashion events sell on Eventbrite.
Where Propel is different
- The point of the room
- Event platforms sell a ticket. Propel runs rooms for the introductions that come out of them.
- Before the doors open
- Propel registration asks what you are building and who you want to meet, and a person matches guests before the event.
- After everyone leaves
- What you said you needed stays on your card and can still be answered a month later, instead of being lost with the guest list.
When to use it instead of Propel
When you only need to sell tickets and send reminders. When you need the right people in the room and something to come of it, that is what Propel does.
Propel Earth vs a WhatsApp or Slack community
What it is good at
Speed and warmth. A good group chat answers a question in minutes; in Community Organizers NYC a member found an event host in seventy-four minutes.
Where Propel is different
- Memory
- A chat scrolls away by morning and the same question comes back every month. Propel writes needs and outcomes down where they can be found later.
- Who is in it
- Propel's own chats grow by invitation, and an account on propel.earth comes before the invite.
- Follow-through
- In a group, whoever happens to be awake answers. On Propel, members agree to answer requests within 72 hours, yes or no, and what an introduction turned into goes on The Ledger.
When to use it instead of Propel
Keep the chat for speed. Propel runs chats too; the card and The Ledger are what keep the answers from disappearing.
Propel Earth vs paid founder communities (On Deck and similar)
What it is good at
A curated cohort, programming, and a directory of other members.
Where Propel is different
- What you pay for
- Paid communities sell membership: access to a program and a directory, and you do the reaching out. Propel's Private Network sells three introductions a month, made by a person, for $200.
- Commitment
- The Private Network is billed monthly. The card, the chats and the Propeller Network are free.
- Accountability
- Propel publishes every introduction and what it turned into on The Ledger, including the ones that went nowhere.
When to use it instead of Propel
When you want a structured program with a fixed cohort and curriculum. Propel runs cohorts too, and the introductions continue after it ends.
Propel Earth vs AI matching apps (Lunchclub and similar)
What it is good at
Volume. An algorithm can pair you with a new person every week with no effort from you.
Where Propel is different
- How the match is made
- A match app pairs you with a new stranger every week. Propel shows you who fits what you need and what you give, with the reason, and you choose whom to ask.
- Consent
- Nobody is connected until the other person accepts the request.
- What counts as success
- A match app counts meetings. Propel counts Propels, made, met and closed, and closed is the one that matters: money moved, someone hired, a deal signed.
When to use it instead of Propel
When you want to meet lots of new people and do not need any one meeting to lead somewhere specific.
Most of it is free.
You pay when a person does work for you: an introduction reviewed by Stephen, or a room built around what you need.
- Propel Card: Free. Read by a person. Tells you whether Propel can help before you spend anything.
- Account, profile, founder page: Free. Also how you get into the community chats.
- Posting an ask, a resource or a project: Free.
- Connecting with members: Free. Send a request with a note. Accepting opens a chat. No fees.
- Event tickets: Set per event. Many rooms are free. Paid tickets for Propel's own events are paid by card on propel.earth; tickets for events on Lahuta are paid on Lahuta.
- Selling on the marketplace: 15% of each sale. You set your price. Propel keeps 15% of completed sales, taken from the payout, which lands 14 days after completion.
- Private Network: Founding rate $200 a month until 31 Oct, then $250. Three introductions a month, each reviewed by Stephen, your card read first, free entry to every room Stephen runs. Founding members keep the $200 rate for as long as they stay.
- A room built around your need: From $2,500. Up to 100 guests, seven to ten days from kickoff to live, with the introductions made on purpose.
- Investor webinar for hire: $3,500 flat. Approval-only, for one founder. Propel takes no share of money raised and is paid nothing when an introduction closes.
- Posting a job: $200 a month. Per listing on the jobs site, plus a 15% placement fee on first-year salary when you hire through Propel.
- Showcase placement: $100 to $500 a month. Featured, Front Row or Spotlight. Arranged directly and invoiced.
If you have to email us to do something, that is a bug.
Do these yourself, today
- File a Propel Card. Free, four minutes, read by a person.
- Say what you need and what you can give. Three short screens after you sign up, then see members who fit.
- Connect with a member. Send a request with a note. Accepting opens a chat.
- Register for a room. Pick a ticket and answer the questions on the event page. Hide yourself from the guest list in one click.
- Make a profile or a founder page. Mission, stage, funding goal, and a feed of what you have shipped.
- Open a storefront. Apply once as a seller and start listing. Listings go live when you are approved, and after that the moment you publish.
- Post an ask. Say what you need. It sits beside the offers and anybody can answer it.
- Add a resource or start a project. Open real work with a clear bar for what finished means. Anyone can claim a piece.
- Post or apply for a job on the jobs site.
- Read every issue of the newsletter on propel.earth.
These go through a person
- Introductions are confirmed with both sides before anybody is connected. That part is on purpose. An unwanted introduction costs the person who made it.
- Approval happens once: before your first listing goes live, and before a founder, provider or investor page is public.
- The community chats grow by invitation. Make an account, then ask for the invite.
- Rooms built for you are planned with you, because the guest list is the product.
- Tickets that need approval are approved by the host of that event, for example the family office ticket.
Everything built next makes another part of Propel self-service. Tell us where you got stuck and it moves up the list. Every issue of the newsletter says what shipped.
The team behind Propel Earth
Stephen Michael, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Stephen started at NYU in 2020, a few blocks from Union Square, where the Climate Clock went up that September, while taking his first sustainable business classes. Before Propel he worked in venture and built Catalyst.
He built propel.earth so members find the people who fit and connect themselves, and he publishes The Ledger of what each introduction turned into.
LinkedIn · Stephen on propel.earth · stephen@propel.earth
Propel is founder-led. Stephen is the whole team for now.
I imagine a future where it is radically accessible for anyone to help someone else.
Stephen Michael, founder, A Note From Stephen on Helping Others
How Propel started
Propel Earth was founded in January 2025, and it began as rooms, not software: evenings where somebody said out loud exactly what they needed and the night ended with it lost. Every one of those rooms is listed on the events page. The Propel Card exists so that what people say they need is written down and routed, and in 2026 Propel ran its first accelerator, the NYC Social Impact Cohort, with Tavern Community Coworking.
Key facts
- Company name
- Propel Earth
- Type
- Founder network and marketplace
- Founded
- January 2025
- Founder
- Stephen Michael, Chief Executive Officer (linkedin.com/in/stephennmichael)
- Team
- Founder-led. Stephen is the whole team for now
- Headquarters
- New York, NY, United States
- Website
- propel.earth
- Contact
- stephen@propel.earth
- Core offering
- Hand-made introductions routed from a written statement of need
- Pricing
- Propel Card and account free. Private Network: Founding rate $200 a month until 31 Oct, then $250. Rooms from $2,500. Investor webinar a flat $3,500, with no share of money raised
- Contract terms
- Private Network billed monthly. Founding members keep the $200 rate for as long as they stay.
- Services
- Propel Card, member matching and Connect, Private Network, rooms and event registration, investor webinars, marketplace, founder pages, projects, jobs board, newsletter
- How the site works
- Sign up free, say what you need and what you can give in three short screens, see members who fit and ask to connect, register for rooms, then buy, sell, hire or work on projects in the open
- Communication
- Email, weekly newsletter, chat on propel.earth after a connection is accepted, online rooms when one is on the events page, WhatsApp community chats
- Published results
- The 2026 NYC Social Impact Cohort pitched at Propel's Demo Day on 17 June 2026. KIBO's investor webinar on 31 July 2026 produced introductions offered live on the call. Every introduction is logged on The Ledger
- Events
- Counted live on propel.earth/events: every room on the Propel Luma calendar since June 2025, plus upcoming rooms on Lahuta and on propel.earth
- Newsletter subscribers
- 16,540 (24 September 2026)
- Compared with
- LinkedIn, Upwork, Fiverr, AngelList, Luma, Eventbrite, Meetup
- Social
- LinkedIn, Instagram, X, YouTube, TikTok
Frequently asked questions
What is Propel Earth?
Propel Earth is a network where you say what you are working on, what you need and what you can give someone else, and Propel shows you the people who can move it. It has three parts: the Propel Card, which is free intake read by a person; propel.earth, where members say what they need and can give, connect with members who fit, register for rooms, and buy, sell and hire in public; and the Private Network, which is three introductions a month, each reviewed by Stephen, for $200 a month. Every introduction is a Propel, counted made, met and closed, and what it turned into is published on The Ledger.
What is a Propel?
An introduction between two people who can move each other's work forward, and the one number Propel counts. Not signups, not posts: introductions and what they turned into. Each one is counted in three stages. Made means both people are on it: a connection request accepted on the site, or an email or message with both people on it. Met means there is evidence they spoke: a calendar event, a reply, a mention on a call. Closed means money moved, someone was hired, or a deal was signed. A dollar figure is printed only once it is confirmed in writing. The Feed shows the Propels made on the site this week, and The Ledger records every one and what it turned into.
Who is Propel Earth for?
Anyone who needs something specific or can give it: founders, service providers, investors and funders, people who run events and communities, and people with time who want to put it somewhere useful. There is no application to join and no category you have to fit into.
Who founded Propel Earth, and when?
Stephen Michael founded Propel Earth in January 2025 and is its Chief Executive Officer. Stephen is the whole team for now.
What happens after I sign up on propel.earth?
You confirm your email, then answer three short screens: who you are, what you need right now, and what you can give. It takes about a minute. Propel then shows you people who fit: up to three members who offer what you need and up to three who need what you offer, each with a Connect button. You can skip and finish later from Explore, and add more detail under Tell us more for better matches.
How does Connect work on Propel Earth?
Connect sends a member a request with an optional note of up to 300 characters. They see it on their Requests page and accept or decline. Accepting opens a private chat between you in Messages. There is one open request per pair of people and at most 20 unanswered requests sent at a time. If someone declines, you can ask again after 30 days. Connecting is free.
How do Propel Earth events work?
Upcoming events are listed on propel.earth/events. Propel's own events are registered for on propel.earth. Events Propel runs on Lahuta are registered for and paid on Lahuta, and you can add yourself to the guest list on propel.earth. Every event page says when and where it is, what it costs and who is coming. The same page lists every past room, counted live.
How do I register for a Propel Earth event?
Open the event on propel.earth/events and sign in. For Propel's own events, pick a ticket and answer the registration questions, such as what you are looking for from the event and what you can offer the people in the room. A free ticket is confirmed straight away. A paid ticket goes to card payment through Stripe. A ticket that needs the host's approval waits for it, and if it is paid you pay once you are approved, so nobody pays for a seat they do not get. For events on Lahuta, the Register button takes you to Lahuta.
Is my information public on Propel Earth?
Some of it, and you choose. Your public profile shows your name, photo, a one-line description and what you add yourself. On an event guest list people see your name, photo, one line and company, never your email, phone number, registration answers or payment. A need you mark private is never shown and never matched. Your need and offer can also appear on the public Feed at propel.earth/feed, with your name, photo, company and city, so people who can help find you. That switch is off until you turn it on, and a private need or a money ask is never shown there. Members who fit can see your name and your two lines and ask to connect, which you agree to when you set up your profile.
How do I hide myself from an event guest list?
Open the event page while signed in and switch off being shown on the guest list, beside your registration. It takes one click and you can switch it back the same way. You still count in the number of people going. On Propel's own events, holders of capital tickets, such as a family office ticket, are hidden unless they choose to be listed.
How often is the Propel Earth newsletter sent, and what is in it?
Once a week. Each issue carries what the network needs, what closed, the founders and the rooms coming up, written by Stephen. Subscribe free with your email on propel.earth/newsletter or at the foot of any page, and unsubscribe from any issue. Every issue is kept on propel.earth/newsletter.
How do projects work on Propel Earth?
A project is work done in the open. Its lead marks it Planning, Active, Blocked or Done. The work is split into missions, and each mission says what done means before anyone starts. Any signed-in member can claim an open mission. Joining a project puts you in its crew, and the lead decides who in the crew can open missions and post updates. When the lead accepts a finished mission, the write-up becomes a public blueprint the next person can learn from.
What is the Propel Card?
The free intake at propel.earth/card, about four minutes: who you are, your role, what you are building or offering, what you need and by when, and what you can give someone else. Most answers are filled in for you from your account, your site or your LinkedIn. From the card Propel drafts your profile, a founder or provider listing and your first ask, and creates each one only when you say yes. Every card is read by a person. The give question is required, so nobody takes from the network without saying what they give, and every need has a date, so the record does not fill up with stale requests.
What is the Private Network and what does it cost?
The Private Network is $200 a month, the founding rate, until 31 Oct, then $250. Members get three introductions a month, each reviewed by Stephen, to someone who can pay them, hire them or move their company forward. Their card is read first, and they get free entry to every room Stephen runs, including paid rooms like the 8 October Family Office Room. Founding members keep the $200 rate for as long as they stay. If Propel does not think it can route what you need, it says so before taking the money.
How do introductions work on Propel Earth?
On the site. After you sign up and say what you need and what you can give, propel.earth shows you members who fit. You press Connect and add a note, and they accept or decline; accepting opens a chat in Messages. Nobody is introduced without saying yes. Each introduction is a Propel, counted made, met and closed, and what it turned into is published on The Ledger. Private Network members also get three introductions a month, each reviewed by Stephen.
What is The Ledger?
The public record of every introduction Propel makes and what each one turned into: made, met, closed, or quiet. It is updated every Monday. The numbers are small and every row has a source, which is the point. It lets anybody judge the work rather than the promise.
Where can I read the Propel Earth newsletter?
Every published issue is on propel.earth/newsletter, and the newsletter is sent by email through beehiiv. Subscribing is free.
How do I join the Propel community chats on WhatsApp?
Make an account on propel.earth first, then ask for the invite to the room you want: Community Organizers NYC for people who run events and communities, or the Founder Network. The account is how Propel knows who is walking in, and it is why the chats stay worth being in.
How does the Propel Earth marketplace work?
A provider makes a profile and accepts the seller agreement, and Propel approves the seller once. Listings then go live at the provider's own rate. A buyer checks out through Stripe; the card is only charged when the seller accepts the order, and a seller who does not respond within 72 hours is declined automatically. The seller is paid 14 days after marking the order complete, less Propel's 15%. Asks sit beside the offers, so a buyer can post what they need and take offers.
Does Propel Earth hold payments in escrow?
Yes. The card is authorised at checkout and charged only when the seller accepts. The seller is paid 14 days after completing the order, and never while a dispute is open. Buyers can open a dispute within 7 days of completion; a seller who does not respond within 48 hours is escalated to a Propel admin.
What does it cost to use Propel Earth?
The Propel Card, an account, a profile, connecting with members, posting an ask, adding a resource, starting a project and the newsletter are free. Event tickets are priced per event, and many rooms are free. Sellers set their own price and Propel keeps 15% of completed marketplace sales. The Private Network is $200 a month, the founding rate, until 31 Oct, then $250. A job listing is $200 a month plus a 15% placement fee on a hire. A room built around a specific need starts at $2,500.
Can Propel Earth build a room or an event for my organization?
Yes, and it is the most concrete thing Propel does. Propel assembles the right people around a specific need, up to 100 guests, seven to ten days from kickoff to live, makes the introductions deliberately and records what came of them afterwards. Rooms start at $2,500. Propel also runs an approval-only investor webinar for a single founder for $3,500 flat. Propel takes no share of money raised and is paid nothing when an introduction closes. Every room Propel has run is listed, and counted live, on propel.earth/events.
How is Propel Earth different from LinkedIn?
LinkedIn records that two people are connected. Propel records what a connection turned into. You say once what you need and what you give, the site shows you the people who fit, nobody is connected without saying yes, and the outcome is published on The Ledger, so the next match is informed by the last one.
How is Propel Earth different from Upwork?
On Upwork you hire a stranger from a global pool. On Propel you hire inside a community, often through someone you both know, and payment is held until the work is delivered. Propel is also not only a marketplace: the introductions, the rooms and the public record are the larger part of it.
Can I use Propel Earth without an account?
Yes, for reading. The marketplace, founder pages, resources, projects, the Explore feed, upcoming events and their guest lists, the newsletter and this guide are public. An account is needed when you want to be seen or act: registering for a room, connecting with a member, posting, buying, selling, claiming work, or joining the community chats.
Is Propel Earth only for climate or impact work?
No. Propel started in climate and impact circles and much of the network still works there, but it is open to anybody with something they are trying to make happen. The card lists problems from climate and health to arts and civic tech, and a problem written in by enough people becomes a category of its own.
Where is Propel Earth based?
New York, where the community and most of the rooms are. Members and online rooms are worldwide.
How do I contact Propel Earth?
Email stephen@propel.earth, or book fifteen minutes with Stephen. The fastest way to be helped is to make an account, say what you need and what you can give, and connect with the people who fit.