Ascent Strategy is composed of experienced professionals in entrepreneurship, market research, design, and marketing. Depending on the project, we bring in different professionals to optimize project deliverables. We’ve collected an arsenal of the best practitioners in their respective fields so that we can deliver comprehensive and high-value deliverables for every client.
Sophia Sunwoo
Principal
I'm the Founder and Principal at Ascent Strategy. I'm a realist and an expert bootstrapper who aims to set rational expectations, provide honest advice, and help you execute your ideas through the most cost-efficient avenues as possible. Although I've worked on businesses from a wide gamut of industries, my specialty is in businesses that target Millennial consumers, possess a social impact angle, or sell consumer products or wellness products.
I understand that when clients entrust me with their startup, that they're investing their life's work, savings, and/or long-held aspirations with me. I don't take that responsibility lightly. I pour 100% into all the projects I work on, and if I don't know something, I tap into my extensive network of entrepreneurial colleagues to ensure that I'm giving you the most competitive knowledge available. I'm constantly working on improving my services and processes so that my clients are ecstatic at the end of our work together. As long as you are communicative with me — if a deliverable does not exceed your expectations, I will make it right.
Sophia is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in Social Entrepreneurship, a Forbes 30U30 All-Star Alumni, an ELLE Magazine Impact2 Awards Pitch finalist, and a Fred Alger Finance Award winner. Through Ascent Strategy, Sophia has helped large nonprofits open offices in new countries, increased sales by 50% within 3 months of diagnosing a client’s blocks, raised millions in funding, and has helped launch countless startups in the social impact, product, and tech industries.
Sophia built her first company when she was 19 years old and sold it before her 23rd birthday. Before her exit, she helped grow the business to 250 major retailers worldwide, and designed a brand that would attract celebrity clientele, as well national coverage in press outlets such as People Magazine. In 2011, Sophia co-founded Water Collective, a non-profit founded to fix and prevent broken water projects in the developing world by building community ecosystems of water maintenance care. Since 2012, the organization has secured clean water for over 76,000 people in West Africa and has been recognized by Forbes, DevEx, African Business Review, and ELLE Magazine.
Sophia holds a BBA in Business and Design Strategy from Parsons School of Design and the New School, and her Masters in International Economic Policy at Columbia University. You can view more of her work here, and view her LinkedIn here for her full resume.
Sophia is an Advisory Board Member at the HIV League and is a Mentor at Watson Institute. Born in NYC, she now lives in Boulder, Colorado and is an avid hiker, climber, and lover of the outdoors.
