Stephanie Wade, Founder and CEO, is a global leader in innovation, bringing expertise as a human-centered designer, government expert, strategist, and change-maker. With a track record that includes directing the U.S. Federal Government's first design-based Innovation Lab, and building and implementing a $65M innovation portfolio for governments around the world at Bloomberg Philanthropies, Stephanie is committed to fostering cultures of innovation and delivering impactful innovation projects around the world.

She is a keynote speaker, adjunct professor, and has a Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and an BA from Boston College in Sociology and Studio Arts.  She is an expert human-centered designer, strategist, keynote speaker, teacher, and change-maker working to build a better world.

Jon Kolko is a world renowned designer, researcher, and author, whose magic power is to make sense out of ambiguity and build products that people love to use. He has built, and sold, successful design-led companies, and founded the non-profit educational institution Austin Center for Design. He was previously the Vice President of Design at Blackboard, the largest ed-tech software company in the world.

Currently, Jon works with startups, governments, and Fortune 500 companies in order to humanize technology and generate improved outcomes for society.

Alexa King is an experienced UX design strategist and researcher specializing in user-centered design, enterprise design thinking, and digital product innovation. She has spent over a decade leading UX design, research, and product strategy for government, financial technology, gaming, and enterprise solutions. Alexa helps organizations modernize legacy systems, streamline workflows, and enhance user experiences through research-driven design methodologies. 
 

P Her expertise spans enterprise design systems, user research, accessibility compliance, and product innovation, making her a sought-after leader in UX strategy and digital transformation. 

Dominic Campbell is a public service entrepreneur with a background in design and technology-led organizational change, strategy and leadership. With senior leadership experience in government, Dominic has delivered large change initiatives within government, initially heading up change in the London Borough of Barnet and more recently leading transformation at Homes England as their first Chief Digital Officer.

Dominic is also the former founder and CEO of FutureGov, a UK-based consultancy that helped to bring digital and design into the heart of government transformation since 2008 that was acquired by TPXImpact in 2019. During that time, he featured in the Local Government Chronicle's Top 100 most influential people in local government in the UK.

Teri  has more than 25 years of experience leading and consulting to nonprofit and mission-driven organizations in a variety of fields, including health and human services, education, government, philanthropy, and social research. She founded the strategic communications consulting practice Mission + Message to help mission-driven organizations develop and implement strategies that build their visibility and influence. Other roles include serving as Director of Communications and Influence at The Rippel Foundation, and as the Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Amida Care, a nonprofit Medicaid health plan specializing in comprehensive coverage and coordinated care for New Yorkers affected by HIV and other chronic conditions. 

Rae brings her architecture background and interest in complex systems to life through her work leading transformative co-design processes. At Daylight, she has worked with partners to navigate complexity and co-define emergent strategies. With the Forest Preserves of Cook County, she helped drive transformation within the organization to unite staff in their mission to connect people to nature.

Rae has also conducted impact evaluation and designed strategic pilots for multiple organizations.

Currently, she lends her expertise to the Chicago Tool Library as a valued board member. Rae is driven by the belief that co-creative processes can cultivate more just futures.

Luce James is a UK-born designer with a Master of Design degree from the Institute of Design in Chicago. With a background in UX and Visual Communication, they  specialize in social innovation, civic design, and anti-oppressive design, actively challenging systemic barriers and promoting inclusivity. Luce applies a comprehensive lens everything they do, including UI/UX design, user research, curriculum design, strategy and facilitation roles, to create engaging sessions that generate successful experiences and results.

They have a Masters in Design Management from IIT's Institute of Design. Together, Stephanie and Luce embody Ascendant's dedication to visionary leadership, innovative solutions, and positive change on a global scale, shaping a future where design principles catalyze equitable and compassionate transformations.

Joshua Fredette brings extensive expertise in product management, digital transformation, and strategic planning across both public and private sectors. With a deep understanding of end-to-end product lifecycle management. He has a proven track record of driving innovation—from conceptualization and design through engineering, development, and large-scale deployment. 

His expertise spans across operational change management, greenfield development, and digital transformation, consistently helping organizations navigate change, optimize processes, and implement sustainable solutions.He has successfully led highly visible, mission-critical programs for major governmental and defense organizations

Jason Safro is a triple certified Drupal application architect who has 25 years of experience developing web applications and brings a breadth of technical expertise to Ascendant’s projects.

He specializes in Drupal CMS and has earned accolades as an Acquia triple-certified developer. Jason’s professional experience has made him equally capable of leading a development team or tackling programming challenges himself. 

Dani (Chandani) Punia has over 15 years of international work experience. She harnesses human-centered design and innovative methodologies to co-create impactful programs and services. Most recently, Dani served as the Deputy Director of Innovation at the International Rescue Committee, where she led innovation initiatives in Latin America. She has worked in both public and private sectors, working with organizations such as Merrill Lynch, the U.N. World Food Programme.

Throughout her diverse career, Dani has been deeply committed to inclusive design, amplifying marginalized voices, and inspiring meaningful action. Dani holds a Master’s degree in International Development from Columbia University, where she also serves as

an adjunct faculty member, teaching innovation and entrepreneurship.

Susan Maly is a Fractional Chief Strategy Officer  who helps executives focus on the 30,000 foot view of the business, create the strategy to achieve their vision, and partner on the journey of growth. Whether it's a 10-year vision, 3–year strategy, or 90-day action plan – she excels at partnering with organizations to achieve their goals.

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Her breadth and depth of experience as an Air Force officer and corporate executive uniquely position me to help leaders solve the toughest challenges.

She has developed strategies for big business and small business across industries - from technology, cybersecurity, and oil and gas to retail, automotive, non-profits, military, and the government.