About Propulsion Capital Management

Tech fluency. CFA discipline. A fiduciary standard — always.

LEADERSHIP

Strategic Advisory Board

Propulsion Capital is guided by a distinguished advisory board whose members bring decades of expertise in real estate development, institutional operations, venture, private equity, and corporate tax strategy.

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Erik Hayden

Member

Founder & Managing Partner, Urban Catalyst

Responsible for over $3.5 billion in real estate development including 2,300+ residential units across the Bay Area. Erik brings deep expertise in acquisition, entitlements, financing, and large-scale mixed-use projects — and a network that spans Silicon Valley's real estate ecosystem.

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Josh Burrough

Member

Chief Operating Officer, Urban Catalyst

As COO of Urban Catalyst, Josh oversees fund operations, investor relations, and organizational strategy for one of Silicon Valley's leading Opportunity Zone development firms. He brings operational rigor and institutional process discipline to the advisory board.

Pat Kodjoe

Member

Co-Founder/COO, Ryno Net Zero Solutions

Patrick is a German-Ghanaian dual citizen who moved to the U.S. as a teenager to play college basketball at Virginia Commonwealth University. After earning his B.A. in Business Marketing, he played professionally in Europe for six years while residing in Los Angeles during the off-season. Following his retirement from professional sports, Patrick turned his focus toward enterprise and trade. He possesses diverse experience as an entrepreneur, marketer, investor, tech executive, strategist, and business development consultant. With a background spanning multiple sectors—from economic development to AI—across four continents, Patrick leads with strategic efficiency and flexibility. He combines expertise in communication with a sharp focus on operational structures and processes. Currently, Patrick leads the development of green data centers through his sustainable energy infrastructure company, Ryno. Simultaneously, he and his brother, Boris, are scaling their non-profit organization, Full Circle Africa, which focuses on economic development across the African continent. Patrick holds diplomatic status in Ghana and serves on the board of directors for the Kodjoe Family Foundation, as well as the advisory boards of Birthright Africa and Diaspora Impact. He lives in Houston, Texas, with his wife and two children.

Meet Our Team

FOUNDER, CIO & PRESIDENT

Michael Germain, CFA

Mike founded Propulsion Capital Management with a straightforward thesis: the people building the technology economy deserve a wealth manager who actually understands it. Not someone who reads about tech in the Wall Street Journal — someone who's lived inside the ecosystem.

Before launching PCM, Mike built a career that spans software engineering, real estate development, financial analysis, and CFO-level corporate finance. That unusual combination isn't an accident — it's the foundation of how he thinks about wealth. Technology creates it. Real assets preserve it. Disciplined portfolio management grows it. His CFO experience gives him a practitioner's understanding of business tax strategy, capital allocation, and complex transactions like sale-leasebacks — expertise he now brings directly to clients navigating both personal and business financial decisions.

As a CFA® charterholder, Mike brings the analytical rigor of institutional investing to individual portfolio management. The CFA program — widely considered the most demanding credential in investment management — covers security analysis, portfolio construction, risk management, and ethical practice. It's the same framework used by portfolio managers at the world's largest asset managers. Mike applies it to every client portfolio he builds.

Mike serves as a fiduciary to every client. That means one thing: his legal and ethical obligation is to act in your best interest. Not to sell you products. Not to generate commissions. Not to push proprietary funds. Your interests — period.

All client assets are held at Charles Schwab, one of the largest and most trusted custodians in the United States. Propulsion Capital never takes custody of client funds — Schwab holds them, you can see them anytime, and they're protected by Schwab's infrastructure and SIPC coverage.

VICE PRESIDENT & HEAD OF MARKETING

M. Elena Germain

Elena Germain is a seasoned professional with a unique blend of expertise in the financial and digital sectors. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and Government from Claremont McKenna College, which laid the foundation for her critical thinking, and a Certificate of Advanced Accounting Proficiency from Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business, providing the technical backbone for her financial career.

With a strong background in personal tax for high-net-worth individuals, Elena honed her analytical skills at prestigious firms such as EY, Alvarez & Marsal, and Crowe. These experiences have given her an unparalleled understanding of complex financial landscapes.

Beyond her tax expertise, Elena is a highly skilled digital strategist specializing in SEO maximization, website creation, and management. As an accomplished writer and blogger, she has a proven track record of creating compelling content that drives organic traffic and enhances online visibility. Her ability to bridge the gap between technical financial topics and accessible digital content makes her a versatile asset in any endeavor.

OUR MISSION

Institutional-Grade Investment Management, Personally Delivered

The wealth management industry has a problem: the best investment talent works at hedge funds and endowments managing billions. Individual investors — even those with seven- and eight-figure portfolios — often get handed off to junior advisors or stuffed into model portfolios.

Propulsion Capital exists to close that gap. Every client works directly with a CFA charterholder. Every portfolio is individually constructed. Every recommendation is backed by the same depth of analysis that institutional investors demand.

We specialize in tech professionals because that's where our expertise runs deepest — but the investment principles are universal: diversification, risk management, tax efficiency, and a long-term orientation that ignores the noise.

HOW WE THINK

Investment Philosophy

Evidence Over Narrative

Markets are noisy. We filter signal from noise using quantitative analysis, not gut feelings or CNBC headlines. Every allocation decision has a thesis backed by data.

Long-Term Orientation

We build portfolios designed to compound over decades, not to chase quarterly performance. Patience and discipline are the most underrated edges in investing.

Diversification Is Non-Negotiable

Tech professionals already have concentrated exposure through their employer equity. Our job is to build a portfolio that complements — not amplifies — that concentration risk.

Real Assets, Real Returns

We believe real estate is a core portfolio component — not an alternative. Our direct development experience gives us an edge in evaluating opportunities that most advisors lack.

Tax Alpha Is Real Alpha

The return that matters is after-tax return. We integrate tax planning into every investment decision — from asset location to harvest timing to equity comp strategy.

Transparency Always

You'll understand every position in your portfolio and why it's there. No black boxes, no complex structures you can't explain. Clarity is a feature, not a limitation.