Jimmy Chen is the Founder and CEO of Propel, a software company that aims to fight poverty through technology. They are the creators of the Fresh EBT mobile app, which enables EBT cardholders to manage their benefits, save money through grocery coupons, and find jobs. Fresh EBT is used by over 2 million low-income Americans across the country. In this episode of Innovation For All Podcast, Sheana learns why Jimmy decided to start Propel and use the tools of Silicon Valley to address social issues around poverty.
In this episode you will learn:

 Why Jimmy Chen decided to focus on building tech for low income families
 What is Propel and Fresh EBT
  Why start with the food stamp program to battle poverty
  How does Propel get the experience and empathy to solve problems they might not understand
  What is the process for getting usable information from users
  What are the logistical and general obstacles faced by Propel and how are they overcome
  What are some misconceptions about the food stamp program
  Where else can the private sector make a difference and what are the challenges

Get show notes for this an every episode at innovationforallcast.com or find us on Twitter @inforallpodcast.
Original air date: 8/21/19

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Start fresh. How Propel and the Fresh EBT app is battling poverty.

Innovation for All explores how diversity and inclusion are impacted by innovation and technology. Long form interviews with experts in tech, design, AI, and business.

Is Facebook really a monopoly? How can remote work get more diversity in tech? What’s in the terms of service we usually ignore? How can we build inclusive, human-centered AI?

Host Sheana Ahlqvist created Innovation For All to help technologists and entrepreneurs make more inclusive products and businesses and think more critically about the societal impact of their work. Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/innovation-for-all/support

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Cassie Betts is the founder of District2.Co, a technology company that connects brands/designers with factories to streamline the manufacturing process, and Made In South LA (MISLA),  
a DevShop Academy. Hear how Cassie went from being homeless to being called “The Woman Turning South LA into Startup Land” by Forbes. 
You'll hear 

 How she went from coding her first computer game at 9 to being homeless at 19, and how she turned that all around. 
 How do you help protect the poor from being displaced through gentrification? 
  Why more money should be spent on technology bootcamps instead of other diversity initiatives.

Note: This episode uses includes explicit language and includes some difficult topics about Cassie’s past that may be uncomfortable for some listeners. Please use your discretion.
Do you enjoy Innovation For All? Help others find us easily by rating and reviewing us on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcasting platform. 

Note: This conversation was recorded before the COVID-19 Pandemic and the death of James Floyd.

From homeless to fashion-tech entrepreneur: Cassie Betts

Paul Tasner, Co-founder and CEO of PulpWorks and more recently, Co-founder of Sort, has more than 40 years of operations experience. He has held leadership positions in ventures ranging from start-up to Fortune 100. For the past decade, his focus has been on sustainability. Paul’s corporate affiliations include The Clorox Company, Clif Bar, Method Products, and Hepagen Vaccines. He has authored numerous papers and presentations on supply chain sustainability and currently lectures on this subject in the MBA Programs at San Francisco State University and Golden Gate University as well as the Packaging Engineering Department at San Jose State University. He holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Boston University.
In this episode you will learn:

 How PulpWorks manufactures packaging for consumer goods using fiber waste
 The story of Paul Tasner starting his first business at age 66
  The perks of being your own boss as an entrepreneur
  The specific challenges PulpWorks faces in securing new customers
  How to pursue investors in the competitive city of San Francisco
  Critical questions to consider for people nearing retirement that want to start a business
  How recycling is an answer but not the answer
  Why Paul is envious of the millennial mindset
  How rejecting plastic can make a difference
  What Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is and how EPR regulations could impact society
  Paul’s new tech-based recycling business

Note: This conversation was recorded before the COVID-19 Pandemic and the death of James Floyd.

Starting a business at age 66 with Paul Tasner

Jimmy Chen is the Founder and CEO of Propel, a software company that aims to fight poverty through technology. They are the creators of the Fresh EBT mobile app, which enables EBT cardholders to manage their benefits, save money through grocery coupons, and find jobs. Fresh EBT is used by over 2 million low-income Americans across the country. In this episode of Innovation For All Podcast, Sheana learns why Jimmy decided to start Propel and use the tools of Silicon Valley to address social issues around poverty.
In this episode you will learn:

 Why Jimmy Chen decided to focus on building tech for low income families
 What is Propel and Fresh EBT
  Why start with the food stamp program to battle poverty
  How does Propel get the experience and empathy to solve problems they might not understand
  What is the process for getting usable information from users
  What are the logistical and general obstacles faced by Propel and how are they overcome
  What are some misconceptions about the food stamp program
  Where else can the private sector make a difference and what are the challenges

Original air date: 8/21/19
Note: This conversation was recorded before the COVID-19 Pandemic and the death of James Floyd.

Battling poverty with Propel and the Fresh EBT app

Dr. Marcia Chatelain, author of Franchise: The Golden Arches In Black America discusses the complex history of McDonald’s in black America with Sheana. She explains how the civil rights movement impacted black business ownership and how franchises, like McDonald’s, can be both an economic win and financially limiting for low-income communities.
Note: This was recorded during the early days of the COVID pandemic.

How McDonald's empowered black America (but it's complicated) with Dr. Marcia Chatelain

Amplio Recruiting is a company that helps companies hire people from the refugee and immigrant communities. How does the CEO help refute and calm the fears of potential employers? How does he ensure that vulnerable people aren’t being taken advantage of? And what has made his business so successful? Find out with Sheana in this episode of Innovation for All Podcast.

Note: This episode was recorded before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Start fresh. How Propel and the Fresh EBT app is battling poverty.

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