Why We Exist

Ascend Collective was created to help early career professionals succeed faster and avoid the common mistakes that can derail careers. We focus on what college often leaves out—how to show up strong, build trust quickly, and navigate the real-world dynamics of work.

How It Started

The idea came from three people who’ve seen this gap from every angle:

A group of college students studying together outside.

Sandy Weissinger

A longtime consultative sales professional now dedicated to helping others through coaching, teaching and consulting. Connect with Sandy on LinkedIn.

Jana Reddin, PhD

An executive with deep experience designing intern and early-career programs for large organizations. Connect with Jana on LinkedIn. 

Don Kersting

Who spent 25 years leading learning and development in Fortune 500 companies. Connect with Don on LinkedIn. 

Together, they’ve seen hundreds of early career professionals thrive—and unfortunately, many struggle. Their combined experience shapes a set of services designed to give young professionals the support they need to start strong and stay on track.

A woman explaining something on a video call.

Who We Serve and Support: 

  • Early career professionals navigating internships and first jobs
  • Companies developing new hires and emerging leaders
  • University career centers preparing students for the workplace
  • Leaders building teams that communicate and collaborate more effectively

Why It Matters

Whether you’re just getting started or helping others grow, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Ascend Collective delivers practical development, coaching, and tools that help early professionals start strong and keep growing.

How We Help You

1.

Developing Skills for Your Professional On-Ramp

There are basic skills and a mindset that prepare you to thrive professionally.  Our Professional On-Ramp is a 3-part blended development program that includes brief, engaging e-learning modules, live interactive workshops, practical tools, and personalized coaching.  Topics like Making a Great First Impression, Your Personal Brand, and Your First Week on the Job – often skipped in school – form the foundation. We help you show up with confidence, avoid common missteps, and succeed where it counts.

2.

Coaching with a Mentorship Mindset

We partner with early career professionals by combining personalized coaching with real-world mentorship. Our coaches don’t just ask great questions – we can provide practical insight, honest guidance, and the kind of seasoned perspective that helps bridge experience gaps. As a trusted partner, we help you gain confidence, navigate challenges, and take meaningful steps forward in your career.

3.

Building Self-Awareness: Assessment Services

Growth starts with understanding yourself.  Building self-awareness is possible with information that describes what makes you, uniquely you.  Our range of assessments means we can choose the right one for your unique needs – from personality and communication styles to strengths and leadership tendencies.  We don’t just hand you results but partner with you to understand the meaning, to offer insight and direction and help turn your awareness into meaningful growth.

4.

Helping Organizations with Creative Program Development

If you are part of an organization that would like to ramp-up development for early career professionals, we can provide design and development of engaging, high-impact programs that equip early career professionals. From concept to execution, our creative services blend fresh instructional design, interactive learning experiences, and real-world application to meet your goals and reflect your culture. As a result, you will inspire, develop, and prepare your newest talent to contribute from day one and grow into the leaders of tomorrow.