Ascender

Product Strategy Office Hours with Mike Capsambelis
2025-10-07 11:00 - 13:00, 2025-10-21 11:00 - 13:00, 2025-11-18 11:00 - 13:00, 2025-12-02 11:00 - 13:00, 2025-12-16 11:00 - 13:00, 2025-12-30 11:00 - 13:00, 2026-01-13 11:00 - 13:00, 2026-01-27 11:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Book a FREE 30-minute session with Mike, Director, Product Management, Google.

Monthly Workshop Series: The Art of Pricing Strategies
2025-10-14 18:00 - 19:30 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Join Ascender for a deep dive into the art and science of pricing with an all star cast: Ascender’s Board Members, Jim Gibbs, Founder and CEO of Meter Feeder, and Jeanette Thomas, former CTO of Govenda and Ascender’s Entrepreneur Success Manager, Donald Robinson, and Lara Huber, former Chief Revenue Officer at Govenda.
This session will explain how to set the right price for your product or service, navigate discounting and negotiations, and test what works in both B2C and B2B markets. Whether you’re launching something new or refining an existing model, you’ll walk away with practical strategies to boost adoption, revenue, and long-term success.
Who Should Attend:

Startup founders and small business owners setting or revisiting their pricing model
Product leaders preparing to launch new offerings
B2C entrepreneurs exploring competitive pricing approaches
B2B teams navigating complex sales cycles and stakeholder negotiations
Service providers seeking to balance value delivery with profitability
Business advisors or support organizations helping clients strengthen pricing strategies

🍢🥂 FREE FOOD & DRINKS
Enjoy refreshing beverages and bites while learning and connecting with other business owners, coworking members, and community leaders.
REGISTER HERE

Executive Coaching & Business Strategy Office Hours with Erin Bestic
2025-10-15 10:00 - 13:00, 2025-11-12 10:00 - 13:00, 2025-12-11 13:00 - 16:00, 2026-01-07 10:00 - 14:00, 2026-01-14 13:00 - 16:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Bring your toughest business challenges, half-baked ideas, and “we need this done yesterday” problems. In these candid, action-focused sessions, you’ll get practical, no-fluff guidance from Erin Bestic, a strategist who’s led billion-dollar sales portfolios, overhauled operations, and coached leaders at every stage of growth.
Book your Free 30-Minutes

Strategic Planning Office Hours with Coach Donald
2025-10-16 10:30 - 12:30, 2025-10-23 10:30 - 12:30, 2025-10-30 10:30 - 12:30 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Whether you’re preparing for a big decision, rethinking your business model, or just trying to get unstuck, these office hours are designed to meet you where you are. Bring your business challenges—big or small—and walk away with clarity, a sharper path forward, and tools you can reuse.
Register Here!

¡Avanza! Pittsburgh: Ascender's Annual Latine Mini-Grant Celebration
2025-10-18 15:00 - 21:00 | Trace Brewing, 4312 Main St, Pittsburgh, PA, 15224, United States
Event Details

Avanza Pittsburgh is Ascender’s annual celebration of Latine entrepreneurship, culture, and community. Hosted at Trace Brewing in Pittsburgh, this vibrant event raises funds for Ascender’s Latine Mini-Grant Program, which awards grants to multiple Latine-owned small businesses each year.
Open to the public, Avanza brings together Latine entrepreneurs, artists, civic leaders, and community members for an unforgettable afternoon of connection and celebration. Guests will enjoy a curated vendor market featuring Latine-owned businesses, a taco bar from El Sabor, and desserts from past grant winner Panadería Jazmín.
The event will be emceed by Melanie Boyer, CEO of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, whose mission is to develop, promote, and advocate on behalf of Hispanic businesses and professionals in our region.
With live music from DJ Bamboo and the inspiring check presentation to this year’s grant recipients, Avanza is more than an event—it’s a movement toward economic equity, powered by community. Trace is generously donating $1 from all drink purchases from 5-9 PM to Ascender. Guests are welcome to come for part of all of this event.

Vendor Market | 3-7 PM
Happy Hour, Networking, Taco Bar, and Dessert Station 4-6 PM
Winner Presentations | 4:30-5 PM
DJ Bamboo | 5 -9 PM

GET YOUR TICKETS

People and Culture Office Hours with Ginny Nemchick
2025-10-21 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-11-11 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-12-16 10:00 - 12:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Need help with job descriptions, equitable hiring, or management tips? Ginny’s got you. Use this link to schedule a session with Ginny.

Legal Office Hours with Eryn Correa
2025-10-22 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-11-19 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-12-17 13:00 - 15:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Got questions about formation, equity, or fundraising? Eryn’s your person. Use this link to schedule a session with Eryn.

Tech & Law Office Hours with Wei Yu
2025-10-23 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-11-20 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-18 13:00 - 16:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Navigating legal stuff in the AI era Book a FREE 30-minute session with Wei, an Intellectual Property Attorney. Use this link to schedule a session with Wei.

Snack & Test with The Mosaic Institute
2025-12-09 18:00 - 20:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Help Test the CurioCity Play Symposium
Dec. 9th | 6-8 PM
The Mosaic Institute is testing its new program MVP, the CurioCity Play Symposium a creative experience for Teaching Artists and Creatives working with justice-involved youth. Participants will walk through the program and share quick feedback on what’s most valuable.
Incentive:
All participants will receive a thank-you gift for taking part.
REGISTER HERE

Monthly Workshop Series: Marketing Strategy Implementation
2026-01-13 18:00 - 19:30 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Join us for a conversation about branding and marketing channels for startups with Maddi Love

Join Ascender and Maddi Love for a one-hour workshop designed to help founders, creative leads, and early-stage teams develop a marketing strategy that resonates with your audience and drives meaningful results.
What we’ll cover:

🧩 Branding 101: More Than Just a Logo – Learn to craft a clear and compelling Brand Statement.
📣 Marketing 101: Messaging & Storytelling – Create messaging briefs tailored to different audiences or customer segments.
🚀 Marketing Channels for Startups: B2C & B2B -Learn how to craft messaging that connects with consumers’ feelings, lifestyle, and identity, and evaluate channels that work best for B2B: LinkedIn, content marketing, email, partnerships, warm intros, networking, etc.

Who Should Attend:

Founders and early-stage entrepreneurs working to shape their brand identity
Small business owners or service providers launching or refining their marketing strategy
Startup teams ready to get clear on messaging, positioning, and channel strategy

🍢🥂 FOOD & DRINKS INCLUDED WITH YOUR TICKET
Enjoy refreshing beverages and bites while learning and connecting with other business owners, coworking members, and community leaders.

REGISTER HERE

Founder Feelings Office Hours with Liana Maneese
2026-01-15 13:00 - 15:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Join Liana Maneese for a supportive and grounding space designed to help founders, creatives, and leaders navigate the emotional, relational, and identity-centered challenges that come with building something meaningful. Drawing from Liberation Psychotherapy, somatic abolitionism, intersectional theory, and a wide range of clinical and creative practices, Liana offers guidance that connects big-picture systemic realities to your everyday lived experience.
As a clinician, historian, writer, and identity navigation specialist, Liana brings a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, and deeply human approach to each conversation. Expect a space rooted in radical acceptance, curiosity, and care—one that centers people of the global majority, LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, adoptees, and those seeking justice-oriented, relationally aware support.
Topics you can explore during office hours include:

Emotional Resilience & Nervous System Grounding
Imposter Syndrome, Self-Doubt & Self-Trust
Boundaries, Burnout Prevention & Work–Life Balance
Identity, Leadership & Personal Evolution
Purpose Alignment & Meaningful Work
The Emotional Life of Money & Scarcity Patterns
Decision Fatigue, Overwhelm & Reflective Clarity
People, Power & Relational Dynamics in Business and Creative Communities

Whether you’re navigating uncertainty, redefining your identity as your work grows, or seeking more intentional and equitable relationships within your business or creative ecosystem, Liana’s office hours provide a compassionate space to pause, reflect, and reconnect with yourself.
REGISTER HERE
