We're making Indiana a better place.
Ascend's vision is for Indiana to be a place of economic opportunity for all.
About Us
Ascend Indiana, the talent initiative of CICP, connects people to careers through three main offerings.
The Ascend Network is our innovative job matching platform that connects job seekers with good and promising careers, while helping Indiana employers find and hire qualified candidates.
Ascend Services provides consulting and capacity building to meet high-demand workforce needs and catalyzes transformative partnerships between employers and talent providers.
Ascend Insights enables systems-level change by conducting labor market research and sharing best practices to positively impact people throughout the state.
CICP History
The Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP),
together with the supporting CICP Foundation, was formed in 1999 to bring together the chief executives of Central Indiana’s prominent corporations, foundations, and universities in a strategic and collaborative effort dedicated to the region’s continued prosperity and growth. Understanding the region’s strengths and opportunities was a critical mission for CICP in its early development, and in 2001, CICP released an ambitious blueprint for economic development in Central Indiana in partnership with the Battelle Memorial Institute. It focused on key industry clusters – including Ascend Indiana’s creation in 2016, which serves as an intermediary between employers, education providers, and talent to address talent and workforce development to better align the labor market.
Our Core Values
Sense of Possibility:
We exist to solve complex problems and pursue transformative solutions that advance the broader good. We remain perpetually optimistic.
Commitment to Quality:
We ground our decision making in data, while valuing the knowledge and experience of others. We deliver exceptional results with purpose.
Generosity of Spirit:
We assume the best of others, seek to understand their perspectives, and see feedback as a gift. We maintain a growth mindset.
Relentless Pursuit of Results:
We accept personal responsibility for measurable outcomes and continuously improve our performance. We persevere through challenges.
One Team:
We value diversity, collaborate to advance our vision, and work hard to help one another succeed. We demonstrate genuine care and concern for each other.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Statement
Ascend’s vision is for Indiana to be a place of economic opportunity for all. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) are integral to this vision, as it requires supporting and enabling individuals from all backgrounds to thrive, including those from a variety of races/ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses, genders, ages, abilities, religions, and more.
Ascend strives to ensure that our team is representative of the individuals and communities that we serve. We integrate DE&I into our organization through strategic goals, planning processes, and work streams to remain focused on ensuring people from all backgrounds are served by our work. Our strategies and goals are informed by a DE&I Advisory Council, which is comprised of a cross-section of staff and executive leadership advancing DE&I as individuals, on behalf of our organization, and alongside our board and partners.
All these efforts support our goal of creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive space for individuals, our organization, and our community.