Ascend

Early in 2023, PopUP CleanUP was accepted into and completed the Ascend program, which was created with the goal of increasing access to business education, markets and capital for business growth, particularly early stage seed money and broader industry networks and partnerships for minority entrepreneurs. With the intent of creating $5 Billion in contract value for small businesses by 2025, Ascend accepts businesses that have a defined problem and that need structural help scaling.

Underwritten by JP Morgan Chase & Co, the program spans seven months with over 80 hours of business education and coaching, consulting sessions from Ernst & Young, accounting sessions, and culminates in a pitch contest with prize money. During this education, they grant your business access to national networks, teach you how to write Request for Proposals (RFPs) to land government contracts, show you how to put together pitches for Venture Capital Funds (VCFs), and provide access to an MBA-degree coach to help problem solve issues.

Cohort cities include Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Indianapolis, Long Island, Los Angeles, Newark, New Orleans, New York, Oregon Phoenix. Seattle, and the Twin Cities. Part of the curriculum is in person and part of it occurs virtually.

As a result of the program, PopUP CleanUP was able to restructure and create avenues for both scaling and transforming our business model. (We also earned second place out of 42 in the pitch contest!). If you are a minority owned business looking for growth and to expand your insight and education, we cannot recommend the program highly enough.

PopUP CleanUP is a minority-owned janitorial business headquartered in Los Angeles.