Ascend was started to address the shortage of Asian leaders in Corporate America and broadened its horizons to Canada in 2012, with a mission to be the premier professional organization dedicated to enabling its members, business partners and the community to leverage the leadership and global business potential of Pan-Asians.

With the support of 18 corporate sponsors such as TD, Deloitte, Manulife, Ascend looks to develop pan-Asian leadership potential across North America starting with when members are in school to provide career long relevance. Ascend will help set students up for long-term career success through mentoring and guidance, offering a platform to build connections with senior leaders across multiple industries and functions.

Membership spans across various industries and multi-national companies and is open to individuals of all ethnic and business backgrounds.