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What We're Thinking

Beers and Breweries with Dennis and Sammie Guy

Dennis and Sammie Guy are the founders of First Sip Brew Box and members of our 2019 Incubator Cohort. I recently met up with Dennis and Sammie to discuss how they came up with the idea for their unique subscription box that is gaining national… Read more »

Blending Old and New Technology with Brian Peters

A trained architect and Pittsburgh entrepreneur, Brian Peters, founder of Building Bytes, is taking the design world by storm with his inventive use of 3D printing. Building Bytes has garnered worldwide praise for its original concept and the brand is continuing to grow. I recently… Read more »

Emily Wazlak

Celebrating Some of the Female Founders at Ascender

Emily Wazlak was accepted into Bootcamp and then the Incubator here at Ascender.  She created Shine Registry, a platform for female founders to ask for what they need in the style of a wedding registry. Because if you can ask for a gravy boat when… Read more »

Nisha Blackwell

Bowties and Business with Nisha Blackwell

I journeyed out to Nisha’s studio in Radiant Hall Homewood to meet up and talk bowties and business. Her studio (as well as the other artist studios) inspires creativity and community. Nisha’s is filled with colorful fabric scraps and samples. It is really fun to… Read more »

kevin kelly

Managing Human Behavior with Kevin Kelly

Rhabit is currently residing in Ascender’s coworking space, so I am lucky to be able to interact with Kevin and his team on a daily basis.  It also helps that Ascender uses Rhabit for talent building and retention. The first thing that strikes you about… Read more »

Talking Textiles with Allison Howard from AURATEK

Allison Howard is part of our 2017 Incubator Class and is Founder and CEO of AURATEK. When talking to Allison, one of the things that struck me most was her passion for trying to solve skincare problems with a different solution. My favorite part: the… Read more »

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It’s Complicated: Relationships Between Humans and Technology

If humans and technology had a Facebook relationship status, it would read: “it’s complicated.” In many respects, the proliferation of technology has improved the human condition. We have less poverty, less hunger, and generally less large-scale human suffering than at any point in human existence…. Read more »

Ascender Blog Attending In-Person Events

In-Person Events: Why You Should Attend

The internet is invaluable. It’s how we do pretty much everything. This should be obvious if you are reading this post on a computer or phone. You are sitting at your desk or at a coffee shop or at home gleaning information in relative isolation…. Read more »

Ascender Professional Events

Choosing the Right Professional Events

At Ascender, we understand how valuable an entrepreneur’s time is. We have compiled a few tips to help the new businessperson navigate the often times overwhelming world of choosing the right professional events.   Is the Professional Event Relevant? The first step toward deciding which… Read more »