Ascend Fellowship
Infant and parent brains and bodies undergo rapid growth and transformation during the transition to parenting, presenting a unique opportunity to positively impact two generations. In the 2015 report Two Open Windows: Infant and Parent Biologic Change, Drs. Pilyoung Kim and Sarah Watamura (also an Ascend Fellow) of the University of Denver highlighted research supporting …
New Research Shows Parenting Brain Changes in All Caregivers Read More »
In 2018, the Center for Effective Philanthropy found that 55 percent of nonprofit CEOs believe that it is ‘very’ or ‘extremely important’ for senior leadership teams to reflect their organizations’ target populations. Yet still, studies indicate that the percentage of people of color in executive leadership positions in the industry has remined under 20 percent for the …
Kwame AnkuChairman and CEOBlack Star Fund Sacramento, CAMy Vision – The problem I am focusing on solving is breaking the economic disparity cycle afflicting people of the African diaspora. I call my bold vision 100X100. It is a vision of 100 Black investment managers who will each manage $100M innovation funds by 2025. I believe we …
Ascend at the Aspen Institute and GOOD+ Foundation convened fathers, researchers, thought leaders, policymakers, and social service program leaders to explore the father factor – a critical link in building strong families and communities – at the end of November 2018. Reverend Dr. Raphael Gamaliel Warnock, Ascend Fellow, and senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church …
This summer, author Carrie Morgridge, Vice President and Chief Disruptor of the Morgridge Family Foundation, released her newest book, The Spirit of the Trail: A Journey to Fulfillment Along the Continental Divide, chronicling the 46-day, 2,774 mile-long bike trip of a lifetime that she and her husband, John, completed in the summer of 2016. It …
Q&A with Philanthropist and Author Carrie Morgridge Read More »
Up until last year, I was President & COO of the apparel company, American MoJo, a for-profit social enterprise (FPSE) based in Lowell, Massachusetts. My brothers and I co-founded the business in 2010 to provide mobility opportunities to single mothers in the US. We were raised by a single mother and were very familiar with the pitfalls and struggles that a family with one parent faces. As a result, I spent three years at American MoJo honing stitching, education, and life skills training programs to better enable American MoJo personnel to pursue their dream career paths ultimately outside of apparel manufacturing. It was critical that American MoJo be a stepping stone for its employees – not just a job, but a new start and a new career path with a 360 degree support network.