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ABOUT US

DeVon Hankins and the Ascension Strategies Team look forward

to doing business with you.

Own Your Evolution™

Let's Get Started

Meet DeVon

DeVon Hankins,
CEO, Coach, Consultant

DeVon Hankins, the CEO of Ascension Strategies, is a multifaceted professional adept at guiding individuals, companies, and organizations toward their goals.

With a background as a business and professional strategist, she seamlessly transitions between roles as a speaker, journey guide, storyteller, group facilitator, trainer, consultant, and coach.

Her diverse experiences, including military training, a master's in AgEcon, and work across various levels of government, equip her with a unique ability to navigate between strategic and tactical, macro and micro, as well as government and private sectors.

DeVon's expertise is validated by performance management certifications and a track record of tangible accomplishments, including publications in disciplines such as international trade, legislative affairs, and performance management.

DeVon is also the Chairwoman of the Louisville Girls' Leadership Board of Directors and a trustee for the Bernheim Forest and Arboretum.

DeVon Hankins CEO Ascension Strategies

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DeVon Hankins is –
The Universal Strategist™

"Because of my breadth of experience in many and diverse disciplines, my moniker is The Universal Strategist."

– DeVon Hankins

As CEO of Ascension Strategies, the Universal Strategist, DeVon Hankins, is an accomplished and credible professional with a strong commitment to integrity. She is self-aware, self-possessed, and discerning, navigating her work with mindfulness and emotional intelligence. As a leader, DeVon is approachable, collaborative, and compassionate, fostering an environment of growth and improvement with her advancement mindset. Her bold and courageous approach, combined with her artful creativity and adaptability, sets her apart in guiding individuals and organizations. DeVon brings balance and composure to every situation, skillfully blending diplomacy with frank honesty and impartiality. Known for her reliability, sagacity, and engaging leadership style, she inspires confidence and decisiveness in those with which she works. With a keen focus on bringing order to chaos and advancing with determination, DeVon is a persuasive and diligent leader, driving success through charismatic empathy and confident leadership.

Meet the Team

MEET THE ASCENSION STRATEGIES TEAM

Emily Karem Ascension Strategies Consultant

Emily Karem

Strategy & Planning Consultant

Emily has served nonprofit organizations globally for more than 20 years. With specific expertise in education and globally focused operations, Emily brings her business perspective to help nonprofits dream big and build the infrastructure to make those dreams come true. Emily earned an MBA with concentrations in international business, marketing, and entrepreneurship/innovation from Northwestern University’s University Kellogg School of Management in Chicago, an international business development certificate from Thunderbird University in Phoenix, AZ, and a certificate in Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship from Kellogg’s Center for Non-Profit Management.

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Chris Stevenson

Strategy & Planning Consultant

Chris is a highly accomplished executive with more than 25 years of progressive leadership experience in the nonprofit sector. Chris uses his engaging and charismatic style to create compelling internal cultures that connect all stakeholders to the organization’s mission. He has a track record of success working with board members and senior-level staff to create uniquely tailored strategic plans with specific goals that focus on innovation and quality. Chris recently served as President and CEO of Cedar Lake for 10 years. During his tenure, he and his team successfully created and completed a multi-year, multimillion-dollar comprehensive campaign to transform the organization's culture by creating opportunities to further engage its various stakeholders, strengthen its business infrastructures, and professionalize employee training and accountability measures.

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Jan Walther

Strategy & Planning Consultant

Jan’s career has focused on a diverse range of brand, marketing, and communication strategies emphasizing the essential connection of brand and mission in the nonprofit sector. Jan has led strategy development and implementation for large national organizations such as the YMCA of the USA as well as at a local, grassroots level including serving as Kentucky’s Executive Director of the American Cancer Society. With an education degree from Purdue University and a Master of Arts in Communications Management from Webster University, Jan also holds a certificate in brand strategy from Northwestern University and a certificate from the Institute for Crisis Management.

Lauren Libert

Strategy & Planning Consultant

After 18 years in healthcare industry, Lauren is now using her strategy planning and execution skills to serve nonprofits. Her last couple roles in healthcare include being an executive for homecare innovation and chief of staff for a service operations organization with a $1 billion admin budget and 15,000 employees. In every role, her focus is always on the people side of the business, by creating connections, building relationships, and influencing others to ultimately transform cultures to optimize business success. Lauren has her MBA from Indiana University Southeast, Bachelor’s degree in Management from Purdue University, and a project management certification.

Robin Seiler

Strategy & Planning Consultant

Robin Seiler has more than 23 years of administrative and consulting experience in nonprofit-independent school education. Serving Louisville Collegiate School from 2000-2015, Robin joined Louisville Collegiate School as Director of Auxiliary Programs and was soon named Associate Director of Admission and ultimately the Director of Enrollment Management and Financial Aid. Robin’s keen sense of understanding of the needs of diverse stakeholders, in addition to her collaborative leadership style, resulted in the development of a large spectrum of programs that contributed to an increase in diversity and net revenue. Examples of these accomplishments include Merit Scholarship Programs, establishing a Junior Kindergarten program, and the restoration of revenue generating an Exchange Student program.

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Jireh Mae Cainhog

Operations Manager

Mae is a versatile Operations Manager with a rich background in contact center management and executive assistance. Leveraging her expertise in customer service and strategic support, Mae now leads operations, optimizing processes and driving team performance. Her journey reflects a commitment to excellence and a proven ability to enhance organizational efficiency and effectiveness.

Our Experience & Reach

Our Experience and Reach

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Diverse Industry Experience

Our team of experienced consultants possesses a unique blend of skills and expertise, allowing us to deliver comprehensive and tailored strategy and planning solutions to companies and organizations across various industries. Leveraging our diverse backgrounds and global experience, we provide a holistic approach to strategy and planning that combines a tried-and-true framework with customized elements tailored to your specific needs and aspirations.

This integrated approach enables us to effectively address the complex challenges faced by companies and organizations, producing actionable plans that drive meaningful impact and sustainable growth. By combining our multidisciplinary expertise with a flexible and adaptable framework, we equip teams to overcome obstacles, capitalize on opportunities, and achieve their missions with greater efficiency and effectiveness.

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National Reach

We pride ourselves on our diverse and experienced team, whose experience spans across the United States, including major cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. Our team members have worked extensively across different regions and industries, providing us with a wealth of knowledge and expertise that we can draw upon to serve you. This depth of experience and broad reach allows us to build a robust contact database, connecting us with experts and industry leaders across the country. Whether you're based in the Midwest, the West Coast, or anywhere else in the U.S., we have the resources and expertise to provide exceptional service and support to your company or organization.

Furthermore, our international experience and global perspective enable us to stay abreast of the latest trends and best practices in our industry. We continually update our knowledge base and refine our approaches to ensure that our clients receive the most advanced and effective solutions available. With our diverse team and extensive experience, we are well-equipped to handle any challenge that comes our way. We are proud to offer you world-class service, no matter where you are located.

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Mission, Vision, Ethos, Values

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Our Vision

At Ascension Strategies, our vision is to ignite a transformative movement dedicated to nurturing legacy leaders, companies, and organizations, driving profound and sustained social impact.

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Our Mission

Ascension Strategies mission is to collaborate with individuals, companies, and organizations to embrace change as opportunities for leadership growth and transformation. Our focus is to be the trusted thought-partner in guiding these journeys, inspiring confidence, and instilling courage as we collectively evolve towards a brighter future.

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Our Ethos

Guided by principles of empathy, truth, and integrity, we empower individuals, companies, and organizations alike through bespoke solutions tailored to their unique needs. With clarity and compassion, we navigate transitions, bringing order to chaos – fostering growth and evolution. Our approach is grounded in authenticity and determination, ensuring that every step of the journey is marked by meaningful progress towards a brighter future. Together, we strive to cultivate a world where leadership excellence and social responsibility intersect to create lasting legacies of positive change.

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Our Core Values

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INTEGRITY: Ascension Strategies upholds the highest standards of honesty and transparency, ensuring that all actions align with ethical principles and values. COLLABORATION: Ascension Strategies values teamwork and partnership, working closely with clients and stakeholders to achieve shared goals and foster mutual success. GROWTH MINDSET: Ascension Strategies embraces challenges as opportunities for learning and development, continuously seeking improvement and innovation in pursuit of excellence. ORDER IN CHAOS: Ascension Strategies brings clarity and structure to complex situations, navigating challenges, and shifting mindsets with composure and strategic thinking to achieve effective outcomes

Book DeVon for Speaking Event

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Devon Hankins speaking engagement

Book DeVon for a Speaking Event

Discover the successful concepts behind DeVonHankins' CorEvolution™ program, the Own Your Evolution™ model, and much more.

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