Ascent Club Free Community is premier community dedicated to helping mid-senior level female executives across Africa and globally build visibility, thought leadership, and the leadership skills needed to attract top tier board and leadership roles.
Joining Ascent Club, the most powerful network of female executives across Africa and beyond. This isn’t just a community—it’s a movement designed to position women like you for the leadership opportunities you deserve. We understand the challenges of climbing the leadership ladder. But what if you had the right tools, strategies, and a community of powerhouse women to elevate you to the C-suite and global boardrooms? At Ascent, our mission is clear: To help mid-senior level African women amplify their voices, become thought leaders, and secure leadership opportunities that drive lasting impact on a global scale.
With the Ascent Free Community, you will gain the confidence, influence, and visibility to shatter glass ceilings—and inspire others to follow. Here’s how Ascent can transform your career…
Build a personal brand that commands respect and recognition.
Access strategies and mentorship to land coveted leadership opportunities.
Overcome systemic barriers holding women back from top-tier roles through a supportive network
Gain practical tools and insights to lead with confidence and vision.
Expand Your Network Connect with a dynamic community of like-minded executives across Africa.
Learn how to attract speaking engagements, media features, and more.
Contribute to reshaping the future of female leadership in Africa by being part of a community that strives to elevate and redefine the role of women in the corporate world.
Ascent Club, the movement that is shaping the future of women in C-suite and boardroom roles. Together, we rise!
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Chief Executive-Business Engage
Colleen Larsen is the Chief Executive of Business Engage, with a career spanning 28 years in the financial services market. She is widely recognized for her pioneering work in gender mainstreaming and is considered one of the leading voices for the sustainable advancement of women in the corporate and entrepreneurial sectors in South Africa. She advocates for using the business case as a foundation for transformation. One day however a small line of blind text by the name of Lorem Ipsum decided to leave for the far World of Grammar. The Big Oxmox advised her not to do so, because
Founder – CVPeople Tanzania
Dr. Naike’s journey, with over 15 years of experience as a serial entrepreneur, businesswoman, and gender consultant, is one of resilience, vision, and dedication to empowering others. Her career has focused on advancing business growth, leadership, and gender diversity across Africa. As the founder of CVPeople Tanzania, she established a trusted HR consulting firm that prioritizes people-centered solutions. Her dedication to addressing gender gaps led her to create Women in Management Africa (WIMA), a platform to elevate African women into C-suite roles. WIMA provides mentorship, career development resources, and networking opportunities that empower women across the continent to break barriers and reach new heights.
Africa Regions Executive Head, Marketing Corporate Communications & CSI- Standard Bank Group.
Nkiru is currently the Africa Regions Executive Head, Marketing Corporate Communications & CSI at Standard Bank Group. She leads a diverse team across African countries to deliver business objectives through Brand Marketing, Corporate Communications, and Corporate Social Investment. Over the course of her 20 years across career, she has gotten several recognitions such as Leading Woman in Marketing and Communications 2016, Marketing Personality of the year among others. She is also a published author of the ‘Pressure Cooker-Lessons from a woman at work’ and is a female enthusiast.
CEO of Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation
Osayi is the CEO of Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation and has over 25 years of experience across different sectors. She is an experienced Council Member with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit organisation management industry. She has also been named one of the African Women of the Year in 2015.
Chief Talent Officer at YT Talent
Yemi is a business leader with over 30 years of multi-sector, multi-function experience. He is currently the Chief Talent Officer at YT Talent Officer and was a two-term elected council member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM). He has received a number of global recognitions such as Top 8 HR Thought Leader in Africa, Top 50 Personality on LinkedIn, 2022 Top 200 Global Thought Leader among others.
Founder/CEO of Exquisite Magazine Services Ltd
Tewa Onasanya is a British-Nigerian publisher, philanthropist, Author and Mindset Stylist. She is the Founder/CEO of Exquisite Magazine Services Ltd, the publishers of Exquisite Magazine and the organizers of EMAC Walk and ELOY Awards. Tewa has been featured in numerous international and Nigerian media which include the CNN, BBC, New York Times, Wikipedia, Punch, Guardian, Thisday, Vanguard and more newspapers, Television and Radio station
