Trailblazers: Shivani Berry, CEO And Founder Of Ascend
Originally published on Forbes.com
This Trailblazers series takes a look at the pivotal milestones that make up the life trails of inspiring women from a diverse array of backgrounds and experiences. We all know what social media profiles display about the end results women have achieved. This series is intended to take a deeper, more authentic look at the journeys they have taken to get there.
Shivani Berry is the CEO and Founder of Ascend, which offers online professional development programs to help women excel in their careers. Prior to founding Ascend, Shivani was a product leader with experience in go-to-market and finance and earned an MBA from Harvard. Shivani is passionate about empowering women to have equal opportunities to advance at work and achieve their dream careers.
After learning more about the trail that Shivani has blazed, I got the chance to ask her some questions.
Rebekah Bastian: What led you to leave your corporate career to start a company?
Shivani Berry: From personal experience and coaching, I’ve seen many of the struggles women face at work. I quit my tech leadership role to found Ascend so I can help women move up in their careers. I’m excited to hear their stories and help them grow. My work experience has taught me that it’s the soft skills that help you move up: your ability to build relationships, influence effectively, and inspire teams. These are the most important skills but, surprisingly, they aren’t taught in a structured way. I had to learn these skills by making a lot of mistakes, and being lucky to have great mentors. For example, early in my career I struggled with getting buy-in. I assumed it was obvious why my idea was the best one and I didn’t consider that others had different context and goals. I was able to get buy-in once I learned how to get people invested in my ideas. As I developed these skills, I felt more confident, was able to accelerate my career growth and make an impact, not just within my teams but also with executives and board directors.
While women are underrepresented at every leadership level, studies show that the biggest obstacle women face on the leadership path is the first step up to manager (the ‘broken rung’). At a manager level, 72 women are promoted and hired per 100 men. To increase the number of women moving into leadership roles at scale, I set out to create leadership programs that I wish I had access to when I was transitioning to leadership.
Ascend offers online professional development programs to empower women with the skills required to accelerate their careers. Each program curriculum is curated for a specific skillset and the focus is on proven, actionable frameworks and playbooks that members can directly apply to their work challenges.
Bastian: How is Ascend helping women successfully move into leadership roles?
Berry: Our flagship program, Influential Leadership, is an online leadership program which teaches a tight-knit community of women the skills, actionable frameworks, and strategies to influence at all levels and successfully advance into leadership.
In the 6-week program, we cover a host of topics, like how to get buy-in (especially from dominant personalities), overcome imposter syndrome, create a brand, and manage up. Members love to connect with others in our community who are facing similar challenges. The curriculum includes a mix of video content, live virtual group sessions, exercises, accountability buddies, and playbooks that members apply directly to their work. In the group sessions, members receive coaching and discuss learnings with peers and experts, helping them to feel more confident and learn how to effectively influence and lead teams. It’s been amazing to see our members successfully drive alignment on projects, have their ideas heard and valued, and motivate their teams — especially in the midst of uncertainty.
Bastian: You shared that all of the promotions and raises that you have received in your career were ones that you explicitly asked for. What advice do you have for women who are intimidated by asking for what they want in their careers?
Berry: First, it’s important to realize that you must own your career development. Often, this means you need to ask for what you want. Request a promotion, make a case for why you should present at an important meeting, and advocate for why you should work on that high-impact project. Great results aren’t enough. If you don’t ask, you’re likely not going to get it because others aren’t proactively thinking about your career development — only you can do that.
Second, if you don’t feel ready or confident to advocate for yourself, then invest in yourself by developing the required skills and confidence. Seek out coaching and push yourself outside of your comfort zone at work. For example, ask to present in a meeting that you typically don’t speak in or push back on a low-priority deadline.
Bastian: As a female founder, do you ever face imposter syndrome?
Berry: All the time. I constantly grapple with thoughts like “I got lucky” or “I’m not ready”. I have to force myself to internalize my own lessons to get out of my head. For example, I reflect why I feel a certain way and look at objective facts, such as the incredible member results or that Ascend’s growth is almost entirely through word of mouth.
Overcoming imposter syndrome is a big focus in Influential Leadership. A common reaction when we discuss the topic is “wow, I thought only I felt this way but I realize now that it’s more common.” Members not only learn strategies to feel more confident, but also the process of reflection is a really impactful shared experience. Personally, coaching women to feel more confident has made a big difference in helping me push past my imposter feelings.
Bastian: Ascend helps women succeed in environments that are often inequitable and biased. How do you strike a balance between navigating a broken system versus working to change that system?
Berry: First, it shouldn’t only be on women — we’re all responsible for creating equitable systems. Second, I believe systemic change requires more women leaders. A diverse leadership team will lead to a more inclusive culture where everyone can thrive. I want to elevate women by empowering them with the skills and support required to get promoted and excel as new leaders. After completing Ascend’s leadership program, our members are more confident and have the skills and strategies to have their ideas heard and valued at all levels and grow in their careers.