CHENNAI: The environment for entrepreneurs has gotten far more complex,” said Harsh Mariwala, chairman, Marico and the founder of the Ascent Foundation, as the organisation marked the completion of a year in the city.While the competition and the role of technology had increased significantly, the opportunities too were a lot more than when he started, he said.
“We live in a VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) world,” Harsh said. “There are a lot of disruptions happening, but the ecosystem for entrepreneurs too has evolved. There are a lot more opportunities available. The ecosystem has helped entrepreneurs, but the war for talent has increased which is making things far more challenging.”
Ascent Foundation is a not-for-profit peer-to-peer learning platform that is meant for growth-ready entrepreneurs. The foundation was operational as a Mumbai chapter in 2012 and then embarked on its journey to advance entrepreneurs in Chennai in August 2018.While the Mumbai chapter has 450 members from Mumbai, Pune and Nashik, the Chennai chapter currently has 50 members not only from Chennai but also from neighbouring cities like Erode, Madurai, Coimbatore and Mamallapuram.
The foundation leverages the ‘power of collective’ philosophy and creates a close-knit Trust Group of 10-12 non-competing entrepreneurs who believe in learning from the others.“ASCENT Foundation follows a ‘non-transactional business model’ which discourages any sort of financial or business transactions among the same Trust Group members,” he said. “Entrepreneurs applying to ASCENT Foundation undergo a rigorous selection process which includes orientation, group interactions and personal interviews.”
ASCENT Foundation charges an annual membership fee of Rs 10,000 that encompasses the benefit of access to the curated Trust Groups, six to eight exclusive events, and an overall learning platform. One such event is the Ascent Conclave and the fourth edition is scheduled on November 21, 2019 at the Grand Hyatt, Mumbai. It is known for its exclusively curated sessions encompassing ideas and insights from prominent thought leaders. This year’s theme ‘Rewiring for Resilience’ will focus on the importance of moulding resilient leaders who are crucial in ensuring their business, among the disruptors, is not disrupted.
Since its launch in 2012, ASCENT has selected over 500 entrepreneurs as members who are part of 40 operational Trust Groups. The composition of these members is quite diverse with a 47:53 split between Manufacturing and Services Industries; 44 per cent family businesses; 10 per cent women entrepreneurs and in all over 65 diverse industries have been represented. For more details, visit:www.ascentfoundation.in