A Year-Long Board Advancement Experience

The Aspiring Directors Academy (ADA) is our premier board readiness experience for senior executives preparing for public and private company board service within the next 1–3 years.

Prepare for Your First Board Seat

September 24-25, 2026 | Yale Club | New York, NY

ADA combines board readiness education, executive visibility, peer mentorship, governance expertise, and year-long engagement opportunities designed to accelerate your board journey.

More than a two-day program, ADA is designed to support executives before, during, and after the academy through ongoing leadership development, board positioning opportunities, executive networking, and exposure to the broader Ascend executive community.

Apply Today

Deadline: September 11, 2026

Why ADA?

Elite cohort of Fortune 1000 and enterprise leaders
Direct access to board directors and governance experts
Exposure to executive recruiters and board opportunities
Peer mentorship and executive networking
1-year complimentary Ascend Executive Network (AEN) membership
Continued engagement within Ascend’s board ecosystem

Who Should Apply?

Senior executives within three levels of the CEO
Fortune 1000 and enterprise leaders
Executives preparing for board service within the next 1–3 years
Leaders seeking greater visibility in the board ecosystem

What's Included?

ADA Academy participation
1-year AEN membership
Invitation to AEN programming at Ascend Engage 2027
Access to executive networking dinners
AEN Leadership Summit
Regional executive events
Ongoing programming and peer engagement
ADA Graduation Gala
Continued visibility within Ascend’s executive and board community

Investment

$4,900

The ADA 1-Year Journey

We are committed to building a culture rooted in inclusiveness as one of our firm’s core values. We respect and support one another, celebrate our successes, tackle challenges together, and are all in for our people, clients and communities. Together with Ascend, we are providing opportunities to help transform the professionals of today into the executive board leaders of tomorrow.