Ascender

How to have difficult conversations in uncertain times (interactive webinar)
2020-05-21 16:00 - 17:30 (America/New_York) | PA
Learn how to understand different communication styles and practice strong team communication in an evolving virtual landscape

About this Event

Agenda
4:00 – 4:10 PM – Icebreaker
4:10 – 5:15 PM – Interactive webinar
5:15 – 5:30 PM – Q&A and connect with the speaker
Event Description
In this interactive webinar, we’ll address key strategies for good team communications, including:

Tips for giving and receiving feedback
How to structure conversations, especially difficult ones, so that they are empathetic and productive
Best practices for virtual team meetings

Communicating with others is hard enough in-person. In virtual settings, the challenges multiply. Many of us are still adjusting to working remotely, and while the company’s culture and team personalities dictate how people navigate difficult conversations, times of uncertainty can impact team communication dynamics. We invite you to join this interactive webinar to learn and work through strategies that will help you and your organization create a space for open communication where productive conversations and honest feedback can happen even while working remotely.
Featuring:
Trina Leigh Walker, Founder and Lead Consultant, TLW Strategy
With more than 25 years of experience in helping nonprofits to further their missions, Trina Walker’s heart is in making the world a better place. Trina is the Founder and Lead Consultant for TLW Strategy, a Pittsburgh-area consulting firm designed to help purpose-driven organizations succeed. Her leadership and strategy experiences span the fields of healthcare, advertising, consulting, education, and religious and cultural organizations.
Webinar details:
Join Zoom Meeting

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Meeting ID: 969 5144 6362

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Meeting ID: 969 5144 6362

Designing 'Wow-we-did-that' virtual gatherings and meetings (interactive webinar)
2020-05-05 16:00 - 17:30 | PA
Learn simple and effective ways to make your virtual meetings more collaborative, productive, and engaging

About this Event

Agenda
4:00 – 4:10 PM – Icebreaker
4:10 – 5:15 PM – Interactive webinar
5:15 -5:30 PM – Q&A and connect with the speaker
Event Description
Suddenly remote? Already tired of endless virtual meetings? Desperate for ways to make your virtual meetings more collaborative, productive, and engaging? This session is for you!
You’ll walk away with:

An understanding of the Dos & Don’ts for real participation
First-hand experience with 2-3 formats that you can begin applying at your next team/client meetings
Fresh insight into the kind of gathering you can offer through online platforms like Zoom

With the current mandates to “stay at home,” many of us have rapidly transitioned our face-to-face interactions into the virtual space with mixed results. The reality is that facilitating virtual meetings can be challenging. It can be hard to include everyone’s voice, foster engagement, and get real work done. During this interactive workshop, Bridget Mullins, Process Design and Facilitation Consultant, will help attendees take a humorous look at our less-than-stimulating virtual gatherings and explore new design options for better results. Together, we will experiment with Liberating Structures as a way to unleash creative adaptability and collective wisdom.
Webinar details:
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Meeting ID: 600 119 371

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Meeting ID: 600 119 371

How to market and do business online (interactive webinar)
2020-04-23 17:30 - 18:30 | PA
Learn how to get your message out to different audiences in a timely, relevant, and engaging manner

About this Event

Agenda
5:30 – 5:40 PM – Icebreaker
5:40 – 6:30 PM – Interactive presentation
6:30 -6:45 PM – Q&A and connect with the speaker
Event Description
At this interactive webinar, you will learn about the following:

How to get a message out that is timely, relevant, and engaging to people
Free tools you can use to get the word out
How to stay creative and engaging while going virtual
Honeycomb Credit’s Relief Loan Program for Small Businesses affected by COVID-19

COVID-19 has affected every level of our lives and the way we do business. Businesses and nonprofits, more than ever, have to transition from in-person to virtual engagement. For our upcoming Ascender event, we will be focusing on learning how to do business online effectively, how we can learn from creatives leading marketing and digital efforts to run effective campaigns, and increase our digital footprint to expand services and reach broad audiences. We will be hearing from Sophia Fang, Head of Marketing at Honeycomb Credit, as she shares how she applies creative strategies to engage new audiences and expand her company’s reach in new cities, and how she engages different types of audiences in the financing world. In addition, Honeycomb Credit has an ongoing relief fund campaign for local businesses that you can learn more about at this webinar.
Webinar details:
Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/991666024?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 991 666 024

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+1 253 215 8782 US
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+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)

Meeting ID: 991 666 024

Ascender Bootcamp | Office Hours
2019-01-29 08:00 - 10:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Ascender Bootcamp | Office Hours
Have a question about Bootcamp application? Stop by our office hours to meet one on one with an Ascender team member.
Please RSVP below if you plan to stop by.

Ascender Bootcamp | Info Session
2019-01-24 12:00 - 13:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Ascender Bootcamp | Info Session

Interested in applying to the Ascender Bootcamp? Want to learn more about how to nail your application? Join us for a lunch session to learn more about the Bootcamp and application process.

12:00 to 6:15 PM – Meet our team and other applicants.
12:15 to 12:45 PM – Learn about how our Bootcamp works to move your business towards success. We’ll be discussing the different lenses and tools you can use to analyze your current concept and the tips and tricks to filling out any business application.

12:45 to 1:00 PM – Open for questions.

Ascender Bootcamp | Info Session
2019-01-08 18:00 - 19:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Ascender Bootcamp | Info Session

Interested in applying to the Ascender Bootcamp? Want to learn more about how to nail your application? Join us for an evening session to learn more about the Bootcamp and application process.

6:00 to 6:15 PM – Meet our team and other applicants.
6:15 to 6:45 PM – Learn about how our Bootcamp works to move your business towards success. We’ll be discussing the different lenses and tools you can use to analyze your current concept and the tips and tricks to filling out any business application.

6:45 to 7:00 PM – Open for questions.

Ascender Bootcamp | Office Hours
2018-12-18 16:00 - 18:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Ascender Bootcamp | Office Hours
Have a question about Bootcamp application? Stop by our office hours to meet one on one with an Ascender team member.
Please RSVP if you plan to stop by.

Ascender Bootcamp | Info Session
2018-12-12 08:30 - 09:30 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Ascender Bootcamp | Info Session

Interested in applying to the Ascender Bootcamp? Want to learn more about how to nail your application? Join us for a morning session to learn more about the Bootcamp and application process.

8:30 to 8:45 AM – Meet our team and other applicants.
8:45 to 9:15 AM – Learn about how our Bootcamp works to move your business towards success. We’ll be discussing the different lenses and tools you can use to analyze your current concept and the tips and tricks to filling out any business application.

9:15 to 9:30 AM – Open for questions.

End of the Year Celebration
2018-11-28 17:30 - 19:30 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Ascender Starters and Builders Series Presents:
End of the Year Celebration
Thank you to all who have attended and supported our Starter and Builder Series over the last two years. Join us in celebrating the end of our second year with free drinks, appetizers, and a sneak peak into our 2019 programs. Haven’t attended our series before? Come out and meet our ever growing ecosystem of entrepreneurs.
Doors: 5:30PM
Brief Words: 6:15PM
Celebration Ends: 7:30PM

Pivoting: When? Why? & How?
2018-10-25 17:30 - 19:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
ASCENDER BUILDERS SERIES – FOR ANYONE GROWING A BUSINESS, NON-PROFIT, SIDE-PROJECT, OR INITIATIVE.
Pivoting: When? Why? & How?
Pivoting a business model can be challenging for any organization. Netflix, for example, went from mailing out DVDs to being a world-wide powerhouse for digital streaming. In a small or midsize organization, the decision to pivot can be complicated. Do you listen to a potential investor who sees your business going in a different direction? Do you listen when a handful of customers keep asking for a new widget? Join us for this session discussing when, why and how businesses choose to and survive pivots.
Featuring:
Joe Ferrara
General Manager, Wombat Security
Joining Wombat in 2011, Joe brings 20 years of experience in technology marketing, operations and management to his role as General Manager. Recently Joe was a finalist for EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia and received a CEO of the Year award from CEO World. Joe has provided expert commentary and has spoken at numerous information security industry events including RSA Europe, the CISO Executive Network forum, ISSA International and information security regional conferences. His previous roles include President, CEO and Chairman of Tollgrade Communications, CEO of Marconi Communications North America and General Manager of Ericsson’s Wireless Software & Services and Routing & Switching Divisions. Joe holds an MBA from the University of Maryland and a B.S. from Penn State University.

Hacking Together Solutions: From Idea to Product
2018-10-09 17:30 - 19:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
ASCENDER STARTERS SERIES – FOR ANYONE STARTING A BUSINESS, NON-PROFIT, SIDE-PROJECT, OR INITIATIVE
Hacking Together Solutions: From Idea to Product
Do you have an idea for a new product? Perhaps you’re starting a new venture or launching a product through an existing business. Getting from idea to product can be a long and grueling journey. This session will focus on the process of creating an MVP or Minimal Viable Product. We will be discussing the assumptions you’ve made about your idea and how you can go about testing different conceptions as cheaply and quickly as possible.
Featuring:
Cameron Scott, Web Developer and Product Manager

Unmasking Investors: What They're Really Thinking
2018-08-30 17:30 - 19:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
ASCENDER BUILDERS SERIES – FOR ANYONE GROWING A BUSINESS, NON-PROFIT, SIDE-PROJECT, OR INITIATIVE.
Unmasking Investors: What They’re Really Thinking
Ever wonder what factors into an investor’s decision? Is it purely based on the return? For this Builders Series, we’re putting investors in the hot seat and asking them the tough questions you’ve always wanted to know the answers to. We’ll be discussing the do’s and don’ts of contacting, pitching to, and working with local investors.
Featuring:
Zach Malone, Principal at Draper Triangle Ventures
Christopher Moehle, Managing Director at Coal Hill ventures
Bobby Zappala, Cofounder & CEO at Ascender
Moderator: Stephan Mueller, COO at Ascender

Biggest Employment Law Mistakes for Start-Ups and How to Avoid Them
2018-08-28 08:00 - 09:30 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Biggest Employment Law Mistakes for Start-Ups and How to Avoid Them
A company’s employment law obligations start with employee Number One. Learn what employment and human resources liabilities you can’t afford to get wrong and what you can do now to start preparing for compliance with federal and state laws as your business grows.
This event is free and open to the public.
8:00 – 8:30AM | Breakfast & Networking
8:30 – 9:30AM | Session
Featuring:
Jill Weimer, Shareholder and Robotics, AI and Automation Industry Group Core Team Member at Littler Mendelson, P.C., International Labor and Employment Law Firm
Jill M. Weimer’s practice focuses on advising companies on employment law compliance issues and defending businesses in litigation of employment-related claims.
She advises companies of all sizes, from start-ups to global corporations with a particular focus on counseling clients regarding emerging issues related to the influx of technology in the workplace.
Jill’s practice specifically includes wage and hour litigation, defending discrimination and harassment actions, and counseling clients on litigation avoidance, including best practices for discipline, termination, compliance, training and other workplace issues. Jill is a member the firm’s Robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation industry group. This industry group is focused on providing representation and compliance assistance to employers in the robotics industry and employers integrating automation, AI, telepresence and robotics into their workplaces. She is also a core member
of the firm’s Employment Practices Audit practice group, through which she regularly audits clients’ employment practices in an effort to proactively identify issues before they become lawsuits.

Preparing for the Ask: An Investment Readiness Workshop
2018-08-14 17:30 - 19:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
ASCENDER STARTERS SERIES – FOR ANYONE STARTING A BUSINESS, NON-PROFIT, SIDE-PROJECT, OR INITIATIVE
Preparing for the Ask: An Investment Readiness Workshop
Asking for investment can be an overwhelming task. Whether it’s $10,000 from a relative or a $1.5 million seed round, preparing for the ask takes patience, perseverance, and a lot of pre-work. What financial documents should you include? How do you determine if an investor is the right fit for your business? Join us in August to improve your investment readiness and gain confidence in making the ask.
Featuring:
Phil Marzolf
CEO and Director at pHase2 Microtechnologies
Phil has been involved in building successful commercial ventures and introducing emerging technologies for the past 2 decades. Educated as an electrical engineer, he was CTO for a start-up that was acquired by Intel, and subsequently held various engineering, marketing and general management roles at Intel and National Semiconductor. He spent 4 years in Germany managing operations and building sales and marketing organizations for Telefunken, and Micronas. Since 2013 Phil has focused on creating and deploying sales and marketing strategies for early-stage companies in Pittsburgh, and was an entrepreneur in residence (EIR) at the University of Pittsburgh focusing on Internet of Things (IoT) commercialization. He holds a BSEE from the University of Notre Dame, an MSEE degree from Santa Clara University, and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. His desire is to contribute to a 21st century America that is entrepreneurial, innovative, inclusive, and intrepid.

Financial Strategy
2018-07-26 17:30 - 19:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
ASCENDER BUILDERS SERIES – FOR ANYONE GROWING A BUSINESS, NON-PROFIT, SIDE-PROJECT, OR INITIATIVE.
Financial Strategy: Aligning Financial Models
Having a financial model can only get you so far as an entrepreneur. What makes your model impressive is correlating non-financial and financial data in way that makes sense to outside parties. Join us in July to learn about 1) key operating metrics 2) characteristics of investment and 3) financial modeling with a purpose. This talk will explore VC capital as a source of funding for cross-industry entrepreneurs.
Featuring
Joseph Donnelly
Chief Financial Officer
Velocity Fund Partners

Financial Planning for Startups
2018-07-10 17:30 - 19:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
ASCENDER STARTERS SERIES – FOR ANYONE STARTING A BUSINESS, NON-PROFIT, SIDE-PROJECT, OR INITIATIVE.
Financial Planning
Financial planning for an early stage business can be a daunting task. Join us in July to learn some of the crucial components to early stage planning. We will be talking about 1) establishing financial goals 2) forecasting startup costs and 3) cash flow management.
Featuring:
Stephan Mueller
COO, Ascender
Babs Carryer
Director, Education & Outreach, Innovation Institute
University of Pittsburgh

The Art of Negotiations
2018-06-26 17:30 - 19:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
ASCENDER BUILDERS SERIES – FOR ANYONE GROWING A BUSINESS, NON-PROFIT, SIDE-PROJECT, OR INITIATIVE.
The Art of Negotiations
We negotiate daily in a variety of contexts: business, family, and social. Negotiations serve several purposes: (1) establishing new or renewing old relationships; (2) changing behaviors and expectations; and (3) resolving conflict and disputes. How effectively we negotiate exerts important effects on the quality of life we live and how successful we are as entrepreneurs. Although negotiations are a ubiquitous part of our everyday lives, many of us know little about the strategy and psychology of effective negotiations. Why do we sometimes get our way, while other times we walk away feeling frustrated by our inability to achieve the agreement we desire? This talk will describe strategies for claiming and creating value through effective negotiation and conflict management.
Featuring
Taya R. Cohen, PhD
Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior & Theory
Carnegie Mellon University, Tepper School of Business

Buchanan LABS - GDPR
2018-06-21 12:00 - 13:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Buchanan LABS Presents
Thinking Globally: What Startups Should Know about the New EU General Data Protection Regulations
Topics:

What is the EU General Data Protection Regulation?
Why is it getting so much publicity and generating so much anxiety in the U.S.?
How do U.S. companies get “caught” by the GDPR?
Why should startups pay any attention to the GDPR?

Presenter:
Sue Friedberg, Shareholder and Co-chair of Buchanan’s Cybersecurity & Data Protection Group
Lunch provided.
REGISTER HERE

Leveraging Today's Tech for B2B Sales
2018-06-20 08:30 - 10:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Leveraging Today’s Tech for B2B Sales
Is the sales process overwhelming you? Looking to simplify and grow your sales funnel? Join us for a special breakfast session on how you can leverage current technology to increase your sales. The goal of the session is to provide participants with an understanding of tools and technologies available to help B2B companies build awareness, generate new opportunities and close business.
Topics Covered

How do we build a contact list? – Sales Intelligence Software
How do we keep track of our database? – CRM
How do we reach prospective customers? – Email Marketing and Marketing Automation
What else can we do to be effective? – Sales Enablement and Sales Acceleration Technology

Featured Speakers
Dan Hersh, Founder of Engaged Prospect
Sam Stein, Vice President of Engaged Prospect
Event Schedule
8:30AM – Doors (breakfast provided)
9:00-10:00AM – Program
Please note: This event is designed to serve Ascender’s mission of providing entrepreneurial learning opportunities to the Pittsburgh community.

Sales Cures All
2018-06-12 17:30 - 19:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
ASCENDER STARTERS SERIES – FOR ANYONE STARTING A BUSINESS, NON-PROFIT, SIDE-PROJECT, OR INITIATIVE.
Sales Cures All: Mastering Sales Prospecting
Sales prospecting is the first vital step in the sales process. Acing sales prospecting can be very challenging for founders with a history of producing hero sales during the first stages of a startup. During this session, we will discuss how to create effective business scripts for cold calling/emailing, as well as other tactics useful for widening the top of the sales funnel.
Featuring:
Brandon Takacs
Account Executive, Cox Media Group

PR for Startups: An Awareness Workshop
2018-05-31 17:30 - 19:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
ASCENDER BUILDERS SERIES – FOR ANYONE GROWING A BUSINESS, NON-PROFIT, SIDE-PROJECT, OR INITIATIVE.
PR for Startups: An Awareness Workshop
At it’s core, PR is storytelling. In this workshop, we will be exploring how to find an angle, approach PR as a reporter, and nail press releases on your first try. We’ll also dive into what not to do and common mistakes our speaker, Saul Markowitz, has seen during his 20+ year career running Markowitz Communications. The event will be a chance for the audience to ask questions about their own PR struggles and learn the four golden rules of PR.
Featuring:
Saul Markowitz, President of Markowitz Communications

What you post doesn’t matter if no one’s paying attention – A social media workshop for startups
2018-05-24 19:00 - 20:30 | PA
What you post doesn’t matter if no one’s paying attention – A social media workshop for startups
Join us for an in depth workshop by digital marketing guru, Jordon Rooney. The workshop will include a mix of lecture and discussion time with a focus on the following content areas.
Topics Covered:

Building an engaged online audience
Adding personality to any brand
Diversifying your content
Thought leadership and influencer marketing
Figuring out if an agency is right for you

Meet the Speaker – Jordon Rooney
Jordon Rooney is the Founder/CEO of NFBD, which stands for Never Fear Being Different and the Director of Digital Marketing for Pond Lehocky, one of the largest law firms on the East coast. In the past 2 years, Jordon has had over 110 speaking engagements in 10 states. This past summer, his videos reached 20 million video views with 250,000 shares. He currently has over 160,000 followers on social media. You can see more about Jordon by following @NFBD
*The event is free and open to all with an interest in social media marketing.

Show, Don't Tell: Product Demos
2018-05-07 17:30 - 19:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
ASCENDER STARTER SERIES – FOR ANYONE STARTING A BUSINESS, NON-PROFIT, SIDE-PROJECT, OR INITIATIVE.
Show, Don’t Tell: Product Demos
If you have a product or service then you have to demonstrate it, sometimes at a client site or inside a meeting room but more than ever virtually with a virtual meeting, your website, or displayed out on the internet by your fans (or critics). We’ll use this time to build and practice impactful ways to demonstrate a product or service. Don’t worry if you only have an idea or haven’t thought of a product or service yet, we’ll have an example you can use to work alongside other entrepreneurs. Be prepared for an interactive workshop and make sure to invite others you know to attend – you’ll leave a better sales person, brand manager, product owner, and marketer even if you don’t have any of those titles.
Featuring:
Adam Paulisick, Chief Product Officer at MAYA, a BCG Company

Hiring & Firing & Hiring Again
2018-04-26 17:30 - 19:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
ASCENDER BUILDERS SERIES – FOR ANYONE GROWING A BUSINESS, NON-PROFIT, SIDE-PROJECT, OR INITIATIVE.
Hiring & Firing & Hiring Again
In a startup, you’re often in ‘survival mode’. Your first hire is typically a friend or family member, while your second hire tends to mirror your own ideals and skill sets. The hiring and firing process can be a time to move past the general tendencies of a startup and focus intentionally on your brand, diversity, and culture. Join us in April for an in depth look at applying human resources to the hiring and firing process. Learn first hand how to find the right person to help you create the culture you want, gracefully fire team members, and become self aware of what your team needs.
Featuring:
Christine Rogers-Raetsch, Head of People at Duolingo

Always Beta: Creativity and Its Practice
2018-04-23 17:30 - 19:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
REGISTER HERE
How does creativity contribute to your company’s success?
Ascender invites you to attend a special guest lecture with Israel Stol, a leading management transformation author, lecturer, and corporate business process consultant, who previously worked at Alcoa, Westinghouse, and SpaceX.
With over 35 years of experience as a welding engineer in industrial research and development, his work in manufacturing technologies spans a broad range of industries, including automotive and transportation, oil and gas, marine, and aerospace. He has authored and co-authored 45 U.S. and International patents, including those for advanced torpedo propulsion, welding processes, and even candy dispensers.
As Founder of Always-βeta, Israel draws on his experience as an engineer and inventor to consult clients on organizational creativity. This event will be a very abbreviated version of his Seminar on Organizational Creativity, and will include the following topics:
1. Show how Creativity works.
2. Present examples of innovations stemming from the Creative process
3. Define the difference between Creativity and Innovation
4. Identify principles and factors that affect Creativity
5. Introduce Creativity augmenting techniques for your company

HR Before You Need It
2018-04-10 17:30 - 19:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
ASCENDER STARTER SERIES – FOR ANYONE STARTING A BUSINESS, NON-PROFIT, SIDE-PROJECT, OR INITIATIVE.
HR Before You Need It
Between finding your first customer and financing your business, human resources tasks can often fall to the waste side for a founder or founding team. Although it may seem like something that can wait, basic human resource operations are vital to the success of early stage companies. With no plan or process in place, on boarding a team member, implementing new policies, or maintaining employee compensation can be daunting tasks. Join us in April to learn easy tips and tricks to nail startup HR without a human resources employee.
Featuring:
Stephan Mueller, COO at Ascender

Inclusive Innovation Week: All-In Silent Disco
2018-04-07 20:00 - 23:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
REGISTER HERE
Come dance the night away with friends and community members! This event is the brainchild of several members of the disability community, who are excited to throw a fun, inclusive party open to all who want to participate. Our silent disco is open to all, with vibrating backpacks and floor panels so that those with hearing impairments can feel the music, and everyone can share in the experience. This is event powered by sponsorships from Thrival and UPMC. We are excited to work closely with amazing organizations like Achieva and YWCA who bring years of experience working for greater inclusion.
This event is at the Ace Hotel, 120 S Whitfield St.

DISRUPTED: The Risks and Opportunities of Emerging Technologies
2018-04-05 18:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
REGISTER HERE
How can we advance innovation without leaving people behind?

A wide range of new technologies are changing our lives, communities, and society faster than ever before. Artificial intelligence, robotics, blockchain, virtual/augmented reality, advanced wearables, and other innovations present powerful opportunities to solve major problems, but also come with considerable risks. It will take all of us to ensure that these developments serve to correct rather than perpetuate inequities.
We invite everyone – from seasoned technologists to people new to all these terms – to join us for an evening of learning, dialogue, and problem-solving. Hear how different voices in our technology community think about what various innovations are bringing to our society, and spend the rest of the evening engaging with others to find ways that we can individually or collectively use these technologies for good.
SCHEDULE:
5:30pm – Doors open; open activities available
6:00pm – Food served (by Choolaah) – vegan options available
6:30pm – Short speaker presentations and brief Q&A
7:30pm – Small group discussions, ideation exercises, & sharing
8:30pm – Discussions conclude
9:00pm – Doors close
SPEAKERS:
Karen Alexander, Director, XRconnectED
Elizabeth LaRue, CEO, Hera Global Tech
Eugene Leventhal, Founder/CEO, eduDAO
Mike Skirpan, Executive Director, Community Forge
Suzy Teele, Head of Marketing & Communications, Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM)

REGISTER HERE

The Power of Tx3
2018-04-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
REGISTER HERE
You will not want to miss this mind-blowing experience led, created, and facilitated by Ingrid Cook, a minority and woman Founder at SHzoom, a tech startup headquartered at Pittsburgh’s Ascender.
Discover the role your thoughts, God given talents, and tenacity (“grit”) plays in living out your life purpose and achieving your goals regardless of your race or gender.
Participants will engage with practical tools and techniques for tapping into their Tx3. Hurry, spaces are limited!
Event registration will close once all seats are filled. Those waitlisted will be granted seats on a first come first serve basis.
REGISTER HERE

Mike Joosse: 500 Designers Walk into a Bar
2018-04-03 18:00 - 20:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
REGISTER HERE
This is a story told in three parts. It’s a story about a giant, perpetual experiment built to disrupt the education industry. It’s a story about teaching humans to design and designers to be more human. And it’s a love story about Chicago—glorious, riotous Chicago, full of adventure and collaboration and donuts and beer.
Doors at 6pm. Lecture begins at 6:30pm.
Designation is the leading immersive UX/UI design program, a startup that helps startups succeed, and a thriving community of alumni and mentors around the world. This is the story of Designation and what we’ve learned over four years and 500 graduates. Come for the highs, stay for the lows, and learn how to inject some of our lessons into your career.
ABOUT MIKE
Mike Joosse creates change within organizations. Since 2001, he’s devoted his career to nurturing and leading design communities and championing the talents and dedication of their designers. Currently, he serves as President at Designation, the leading UX/UI immersive design program, where he helps participants become purposeful, skilled, impassioned design leaders of tomorrow. He has lectured across the country on community and careers in design, at conferences and to a host of organizations. He believes in being hungry, indispensable, and enthralled every day.
REGISTER HERE
