Ascender

Strategic Planning Office Hours with Coach Donald
2025-10-30 10:30 - 12:30 (America/New_York) | 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!

People and Culture Office Hours with Ginny Nemchick
2025-11-11 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-12-16 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-02-24 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.

Executive Coaching & Business Strategy Office Hours with Erin Bestic
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, 2026-02-11 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

Product Strategy Office Hours with Mike Capsambelis
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, 2026-02-10 11:00 - 13:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Book a FREE 30-minute session with Mike, Director, Product Management, Google.

Legal Office Hours with Eryn Correa
2025-11-19 13:00 - 15:00, 2025-12-17 13:00 - 15:00, 2026-02-18 15:00 - 17:00 | 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
2025-11-20 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-12-18 13:00 - 16:00, 2026-02-05 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, 2026-02-12 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

Ascender's 2026 Bootcamp Virtual Info Session
2026-02-04 18:00 - 19:00 | PA
Connect with the Ascender team and learn more about our 2026 bootcamp program and get all your questions answered.

Join Us for a Virtual Info Session!
Have a business idea, or an early-stage venture, and wondering what your next step should be? Join us for an upcoming virtual info session to learn more about Ascender’s 2026 Bootcamp, a five-day intensive experience equips entrepreneurs with the tools to launch, build, and grow a sustainable business.
This online session is a great opportunity to meet the Ascender team, ask questions, and determine whether Bootcamp is the right fit for you, all from wherever you are.
What You’ll Learn:
🔹 What to expect from Ascender’s Bootcamp 2026
🔹 Who should apply and how to prepare a strong application
🔹 How Bootcamp supports founders through coaching, experts, and hands-on learning
🔹 What happens after Bootcamp and how to stay engaged with Ascender
📅 Virtual Info Session Dates:
• February 4, 2026 | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
• February 20, 2026 | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
💻 Location: Virtual (link provided upon registration)
Don’t miss this opportunity to get your questions answered and take the next step in your entrepreneurial journey with Ascender. We hope to see you there!
REGISTER HERE

Monthly Workshop Series: Sales vs. Marketing and how to harness both for success
2026-02-10 06:00 - 19:30 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
REGISTER HERE

Sales is more than promotion; it’s the structured process of guiding the right customer from interest to long-term loyalty.

Join Ascender for a one-hour hands-on workshop, where we’ll break down what sales really is, how it differs from marketing, and how to build a repeatable sales process for both B2C and B2B businesses. REGISTER HERE
What we’ll cover:

Sales Foundations
Sales Messaging & Pitching
Prospecting & Lead Generation
Customer Success & Retention

Who Should Attend:

Founders and small business owners building a sales process
Early-stage startups selling their first products or services
B2B and B2C entrepreneurs looking to improve conversion and follow-up
Anyone ready to stop “winging it” and build a structured, repeatable sales system

🍢🥂 FOOD & DRINKS INCLUDED WITH YOUR TICKET
Enjoy refreshing beverages and bites while learning and connecting with other entrepreneurs and Ascender members.
💻 🪑SPEND THE WHOLE DAY WITH US!
Join us before the workshop for a Coworking Day from 9:30 AM – 5 PM.
REGISTER HERE

Marketing & Brand Strategy Office Hours with Madeline Farina
2026-02-12 12:00 - 14:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Madeline Farina is a Pittsburgh-based marketing consultant who helps founders and small business owners build authentic brands, clarify their message, and create marketing strategies that attract the right customers while staying true to their values. She brings experience across startups, small businesses, and larger organizations, and loves supporting entrepreneurs with the businesses they’re building.
“What to Expect” Overview

– Clarifying their brand and messaging, including ideal customer, positioning, and how to talk about what they do.
– Practical marketing strategy questions such as what to post on social media, how to improve their website, or how to promote an upcoming launch or event.
– Feedback on existing materials like Instagram accounts, websites, email newsletters, or marketing ideas they want to pressure-test.

REGISTER HERE

Ascender's 2026 Bootcamp Virtual Info Session
2026-02-19 18:00 - 19:00 | PA
Connect with the Ascender team and learn more about our 2026 bootcamp program and get all your questions answered.

Join Us for a Virtual Info Session!
Have a business idea, or an early-stage venture, and wondering what your next step should be? Join us for an upcoming virtual info session to learn more about Ascender’s 2026 Bootcamp, a five-day intensive experience equips entrepreneurs with the tools to launch, build, and grow a sustainable business.
This online session is a great opportunity to meet the Ascender team, ask questions, and determine whether Bootcamp is the right fit for you, all from wherever you are.
What You’ll Learn:
🔹 What to expect from Ascender’s Bootcamp 2026
🔹 Who should apply and how to prepare a strong application
🔹 How Bootcamp supports founders through coaching, experts, and hands-on learning
🔹 What happens after Bootcamp and how to stay engaged with Ascender
📅 Virtual Info Session Dates:
• February 4, 2026 | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
• February 19, 2026 | 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
💻 Location: Virtual (link provided upon registration)
Don’t miss this opportunity to get your questions answered and take the next step in your entrepreneurial journey with Ascender. We hope to see you there!
REGISTER HERE
