UpSpring is a boutique management-consulting firm supporting the design, growth and measurement of values based, market leveraging, and sustainable ventures across New Mexico, throughout the U.S. and around the world.
Our Story
We serve the start-up and social enterprise community with effective and sustainable consulting services.
UpSpring, previously Social Enterprise Associates, was formed by a collaboration of consultants who recognized a need for market leveraging and values driven expertise to generate ‘triple bottom line’ returns enhancing people, profit, and place. This certified HubZone small business is New Mexico’s first ‘B Corporation’.
Today, UpSpring – a networked, virtual learning organization – brings a circle of colleagues, seasoned experts covering many sectors to work with young professionals constituting the next generation of leaders – to affordably solve your problems.
Our Values
Our mission is to ‘do well by doing good,’ leveraging the power of the marketplace for social, community, environmental and cultural benefit. Firm activities extend beyond the triple bottom line to the quadruple bottom line to advance people, profit, planet, and place.
We are a mission-driven business, whereby (from the B Corp Declaration of Interdependence): • We must be the change we seek in the world. • It is not enough to advise clients on social, environmental and economic responsibility. We practice what we preach.
We are a registered HubZone Small Business, certified as a socially responsible ‘B Corp’ since 2011, recognized as ‘Best for the World Small Businesses’ in 2019, 2018, 2017, 2015, 2014, and 2011, and a ‘Sustainable Business of the Year Honoree’ in 2012.
Our Team
Drew Tulchin, Founder, defines his career making new ideas reality. Drew brings 25 years plus of experience overcoming “The Doubting Thomases” to build lasting organizations and achieve successful results.
Drew is active with New Mexico start-ups and is President of The New Mexico Angels. He is General Partner of New Mexico Vintage Fund. He has served as ‘Fractional Executive’ / Part-Time CFO at start-ups including: Dash LX (formerly PwrLab), New Way Homes, and Build with Robots. His efforts with the immersive entertainment B Corp Electric Playhouse led to opening their flagship location in ABQ.
Drew served as Meow Wolf‘s first CFO, a B Corp that creates immersive arts experiences to wow. His efforts there led to raising more than $125 million in investment over three years, purchase of a new headquarters, and growth from 50 people to more than 400 – with expansion to Las Vegas & Denver.
He helped launch more than 15 start-ups using a variety of legal structures. His work has generated more than $300 million for triple bottom line efforts. And, his Angel investing in start-ups has created more than 100 jobs.
Consulting has taken him across New Mexico, the U.S., to Native American nations, and more than 40 countries.
He has contributed to 100+ triple bottom line and socially entrepreneurial business plans. Prisma Microfinance’s co-written plan was a Global Social Venture Competition award winner, published, and used to raise $1.2 million in private equity capital.
He was Director of a U.S. microfinance organization, the CDFI called ECDC/Enterprise Development Group, serving immigrants and low-income people in Greater Washington, DC. He served as Program Officer for Grameen Foundation as its founding staff person of the Capital Markets Group.
Previous experience includes a Bluetooth wireless firm, socially responsible businesses, and an environmental NGO. He began his career in National Community Service, as a VISTA (US domestic equivalent of the Peace Corps) and an AmeriCorps Team Leader in Oakland, California.
Drew completed his MBA from the University of Washington in Seattle. He finished his BA, Cum Laude, in History and International Relations from Washington University in St. Louis. His studies included a year abroad at Sussex University, UK.
Drew values community engagement. He served on the Board of WESST, Serve New Mexico Commission, Pueblo of Acoma’s Business Enterprises and Pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh’s CDFI. He is a member of American Social Business Network’s Investor Circle (ASBN) and Lifetime Member of Net Impact.
In his free time, Drew plays ultimate Frisbee anywhere he can, is learning tennis, hikes to get lost, eats food he doesn’t recognize, and enjoys bad puns more than he should.
Bryan Hill, Fellow, has extensive experience in financial consulting, data analysis, and research. He is passionate about impact investing and social entrepreneurship, and is excited to assist UpSpring’s clients to overcome challenges of all kinds.
Past projects include the quantitative analysis of grant request data for Enterprise Community Partners, the development of marketing materials for a South American impact venture capital fund, and the revision of Save the Children’s labor market assessment (LMA) guidebook.
Bryan obtained his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Maryland. He lives in San Diego and enjoys hiking, listening to good jazz, and playing slightly lesser jazz.
Circle of Advisors
Ben Katz, President & CEO at Browsium, Inc. He is experienced in leadership, sales, operations, and team building to meet key business results. BA, University of Maryland.
Brian Poger, Executive in Residence & Operating Partner at Frazier Healthcare Partners. Benefitter, Senior Educators, McKinsey and Company, Ell Lilly & Company MBA with distinction, Kellogg Northwestern University. BS Engineering magna cum laude Washington University.
Diana Yousef-Martinek, Founder & CEO at Change: WATER Labs Inc. Columbia University, Columbia Business School.
Erica Mills, Founder & CEO at Claxon. Mills Communications Group, NPower Seattle, Washington C.A.S.H. Business Accelerator. MPA, University of Washington.
Mark Fisher is the Principal at Park Five Capital, an advisory and investment fund that is based in Santa Fe, NM, as well as a General Partner at New Mexico Vintage Fund. Mark is an Engineer and Entrepreneur that has experience in building leaders, developing brands and scaling businesses. He helped lead James Hardie to become the premium exterior siding brand in the US and grew revenues from $30 Million to $1.6 Billion during his time there. He has a BSME and MBA from The University of Southern California.
Joe Tulchin, Senior Fellow at Harvard University. Regional Expert: Latin America, Geopolitical Information Services, Boston, MA. Former Director, Latin American Program, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Center for International Programs, UNC, Yale University, PhD History, Harvard BA summa cum laude Amherst.
Strategic Partnerships
Baastel
baastel.com
Canadian-based international development consulting firm.
Capnexus
www.capnexus.org
Searchable online database matching money and partners to community development finance opportunities.
David Breecker Associates
www.breeckerassociates.com
Strategy, business formation, and renewable energy, Santa Fe, NM.
Mentor Capital Network
Mentor Capital Network
mentorcapitalnet.org
Supports social entrepreneurs who are building companies where mission drives margin.
NM Angels
nmangels.com
The only New Mexico based group of individual accredited angel investors focused on investing in early-stage companies in the Southwest.
Social Venture Technology (SVT) Group
www.svtgroup.net/advisory/overview
SVT Group excels in impact measurement tools and performance management services. We collaborate through projects in public health, microfinance and sustainable development.
