Ascend Columbus

ASCEND COLUMBUS

Presented by Ohio MSDC and The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business

OVERVIEW

Ascend, a national program supported by JPMorgan Chase, links business schools, business service-providing organizations, and Community Development Financial Institutions to create local support ecosystems for neighborhood-based, inner-city, and minority-owned businesses in Atlanta, the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. and now within Ohio cities! The program is an evolution of the 3-M Model developed by the University of Washington, Foster School of Business Consulting and Development Center. The basis of the model is that in many cases, minority owned businesses are impacted by three (3) significant business development gaps:

Management education (Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University)
Money – or access to capital, (NMSDC BCF Capital)
Market access – the ability to reach customers and clients.(OMSDC/NMSDC)

THE FACTS ABOUT WHY THIS PROGRAM IS NEEDED:

U.S. middle market firms are defined by companies with annual revenues between $10 million and $1 billion
To continue to grow, operational excellence is a critical driver for all companies; however, middle market firms are less likely to implement operational excellence and continuous improvement protocols than larger corporations
Focusing on operational excellence can produce a sustainable economic base that will change the financial position of employees and their communities

WAS YOUR BUSINESS READY FOR 2020?

Middle market MBEs are surviving the rapid changes of 2020, including the COVID-19 pandemic, with significant business development gaps. Have you invested in future strategies and leadership training to help your business Ascend?

WHAT ASCEND WILL DO FOR MBES

Navigating the new normal associated with COVID-19 makes the Ascend program even more valuable to minority and women owned and operated companies. To this end, Ascend provides critical learning in skill areas highly valued by successful U.S. Corporations. These learning areas include:

Principles of Operational Excellence
Value Streams
PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act)
Continuous Improvement
Introduction to A3 Thinking
Team Building

Countermeasure development
Gemba Walks
Integral Leadership
Project Management
Talent Management
Visual Daily Management Systems

Ascend 2021

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Owners and senior executives of minority-owned companies who have a minimum of 3 to 5 years’ experience running a business and at least $10 Million in annual sales.

LOCATION

All sessions will be held virtually at The Ohio State University’s main campus in Columbus Ohio. Classes meet once a month over a course of 5 months.

CONTACT US

If you’re interested in participating in the 2021 Class or if you’re interested in sponsoring an MBE, please contact:

George R. Simms
OMSDC Program Manager, Ascend Columbus
(513) 884-4937
[email protected]

COST

If selected, the program registration fee is $500/MBE Company.

Apply for Certification /Recertification