Making Space’s Ascend Fellowship Program is Advancing Mid-Career Disabled Professionals
As Disabled professionals, we’re often navigating workplaces that weren’t built with us in mind. Even with years of experience and proven talent, we still face systemic barriers to advancement, like biased promotion decisions, inaccessible leadership development, and exhaustion from constant self-advocacy.
That’s why Making Space is launching the Ascend Fellowship Program, a seven-month professional development and leadership advancement initiative for mid-career Disabled professionals. Building on the success of our inaugural Ascend cohort, the Ascend Fellowship Program will launch in October 2025 in partnership with 2Gether-International and with support from the Truist Foundation.
To equip Ascend fellows with those tools, our program includes Disabled-led courses, monthly themed webinars with industry experts, small peer groups for accountability and community, curated job opportunities with Disability inclusive employers, and apprenticeship opportunities with 2Gether-International.]Ascend's impact is already clear. In the inaugural Ascend cohort, participants reported breakthroughs in confidence, clarity, and career direction.
Ascend's impact is already clear. In the inaugural Ascend cohort, participants reported breakthroughs in confidence, clarity, and career direction.
- “Ascend has equipped me with invaluable skills and a renewed sense of possibility,” said Marissa Hirt (Instagram Handle @Marissa.Hirt), a mid-career professional in the Ascend 2025 Cohort, navigating a sector pivot.
- “Learning alongside such an eclectic group of individuals has underscored the importance of inclusive design,” shared Geoff Cook (LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffreyhcook/), who found empowerment in the collective journey.
Join us and get support pivoting into a new industry, advancing in your current industry, or rejoining the workforce after a Disability related career gap.
Applications for participants are accepted on a rolling basis and close on September 30. To apply or learn more, visit the application link here or contact ascend@making-space.com.
A Call to Employers
In previous cohorts, Ascend has partnered with employers such as Visa, Salesforce, Microsoft, Walmart, and Shutterstock who have committed to building more disability-inclusive pathways. We are now inviting new partners to join us in this effort. By engaging with Ascend, employers gain access to a talented pipeline of Disabled leaders, opportunities for Disability Confidence training, and the chance to model inclusive practices across industries.
If you are a mid-career Disabled professional, this is your opportunity to gain the tools, mentorship, and network to take the next step in your career. And if you are an employer, this is your chance to connect with a community of talented leaders and help shape the future of inclusive workplaces.
Partners interested in getting involved can also reach our team at ascend@making-space.com.
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Photo credit: Salvador Ceja Garcia
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