Ascender

Members Event: Pi Day Pie Contest
2026-03-10 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
We’re hosting our annual Pi Day Pie Contest! 🥧 Bring your best pie to the kitchen, sample the entries, and cast your vote for a favorite. The winning pie (and baker!) will take home a trophy and some serious bragging rights.
Let us know if you’re coming by emailing info@ascenderpgh.com.

Monthly Workshop Series: Getting your Finances in Order
2026-03-10 18:00 - 19:30 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Join us for a conversation about essential bookkeeping principles with Ascender, Jessica Minkus, and Melanie Rutan

Join Ascender and the Bookminders team: Jessica Minkus and Melanie Rutan for a one-hour seminar to help you take control of your business finances. You’ll learn the core principles of bookkeeping and how to put them into practice—so you can make smarter decisions, stay compliant, and feel confident about your numbers.
We’ll cover how to set up your bookkeeping system, record and categorize transactions properly, and understand key financial statements. You’ll also learn how to account for different types of funding—whether it’s grants, founder contributions, or investments from friends, angels, or venture capitalists. Plus, we’ll share practical tips for staying organized and maintaining accurate records as your business grows.
Who Should Attend:

Founders and small business owners managing their own finances
Early-stage entrepreneurs preparing for funding or growth
Startup teams building financial systems from the ground up
Anyone looking to strengthen their financial literacy and bookkeeping confidence

🍢🥂 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

Legal Office Hours with Eryn Correa
2026-03-11 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.

Executive Coaching & Business Strategy Office Hours with Erin Bestic
2026-03-11 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

Founder Feelings Office Hours with Liana Maneese
2026-03-12 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

Tech & Law Office Hours with Wei Yu
2026-03-12 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.

People and Culture Office Hours with Ginny Nemchick
2026-03-17 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.

Problem Solving Sessions at Ascender
2026-03-17 12:00 - 13:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Building a business comes with real challenges, and you don’t have to tackle them alone. Our Problem Solving Sessions create a collaborative space where Ascender members can bring a real business challenge and receive thoughtful feedback and fresh perspectives from fellow founders and the Ascender community.

Held every 3rd Tuesday of each month, come ready to share, listen, and solve together.

Sales Strategy & Growth Office Hours With John Rodella
2026-03-24 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-04-07 10:00 - 12:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Sales don’t happen by accident and whether you’re trying to land your first customer or scale your revenue, clarity and structure make all the difference. Join John Rodella for Office Hours focused on helping founders sharpen their sales approach, strengthen their pipeline, and remove the obstacles holding back growth.
With more than 40 years of experience from growing his own company to $10M in annual revenue, to leading a growth sector at Cisco Systems, to investing as an angel John brings practical, real-world insight into what actually drives sales.
During office hours, John can help you:

Clarify what you’re really selling and how to position it
Identify the right customers and how to reach them
Strengthen your sales pipeline and process
Think through sales hiring or team structure
Remove barriers that are slowing your revenue growth
Map clear next steps to move from talking to closing

If you want honest feedback, practical strategy, and a clearer path to revenue, this session is for you.
REGISTER HERE

Product Strategy Office Hours with Mike Capsambelis
2026-03-24 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.

Brown Bag Lunch at Ascender
2026-03-25 12:00 - 13:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Bring your lunch and join us for a casual, interactive learning experience designed for founders who are actively building. Each session focuses on a practical business topic, broken down at a foundational level so you can learn, ask questions, and walk away with insights you can immediately implement. Along the way, you’ll connect with fellow Ascender members, meet new founders, and share real experiences from your entrepreneurial journey.
Happening the last Wednesday of every month, come grow, learn, and build community with us.

Marketing & Brand Strategy Office Hours with Madeline Farina
2026-03-26 12:00 - 14:00 | PA
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

Member Event: Cornhole Tournament
2026-04-08 16:00 - 18:00 | Ascender, 6401 Penn Ave 3rd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, United States
Game on, Ascenders! Join us for Ascender’s Cornhole Tournament where bragging rights are on the line and friendly competition is highly encouraged. Team up, test your aim, and battle it out in a high-energy showdown filled with laughs, trash talk (the friendly kind), and community connection. Whether you’re a seasoned cornhole champ or a confident rookie, this tournament is your chance to rep your skills, meet fellow members, and claim ultimate Ascender glory. Bags fly, scores rise, may the best team win! 🏆
