At critical moments of growth, transformation, or transaction, the companies that win are not just the ones with the strongest assets—they are the ones whose value is clearly understood by the right audiences.
We help organizations define and own their strategic narrative, then activate it through executive visibility, thought leadership, and high-impact market engagement.
This work ensures that when investors, partners, media, or acquirers are paying attention, your story is clear, credible, and compelling—showing up consistently across the channels that shape perception and decision-making.
What we do
We partner with founders, CEOs, and leadership teams to:
Built for Impact:
We prioritize reputation, real-world traction, and lead generation—not vanity metrics.
Led by Experts:
You’ll work with a senior team senior team with deep experience across PR, brand, and executive visibility.
AI-Enabled, Human-Led:
Smart AI tools speed us up—without replacing creativity or relationships.
Relationship-Powered:
We accelerate access to top media and event sponsorships, often at preferred rates.
We partner with founders, CEOs, and leadership teams to:
-
Designing effective prompts and asking better questions
-
Using AI to research and synthesize information
-
Testing ideas and challenging assumptions
-
Organizing projects, writing, and study workflows
-
Breaking down complex topics and ideas
-
Exploring subjects more deeply through guided AI interaction
Strategy-first.
Relationship-powered.
At critical moments of growth, transformation, or transaction, the companies that win are not just the ones with the strongest assets—they are the ones whose value is clearly understood by the right audiences.
We help organizations define and own their strategic narrative, then activate it through executive visibility, thought leadership, and high-impact market engagement.
This work ensures that when investors, partners, media, or acquirers are paying attention, your story is clear, credible, and compelling—showing up consistently across the channels that shape perception and decision-making.
About Us
Built by Ascendancy Events. Powered by Experience.
FRACTIONAL CMO.AI is an offering from Ascendancy Events, a boutique consultancy led by longtime strategist and event expert Stephanie Agresta. With deep experience across agencies, media, tech, healthcare, and CPG, Stephanie helps companies show up in the right rooms with the right story—and drive meaningful results. She taps a trusted network to build tailored teams that blend senior insight with agile support, scaled to your needs.
Stephanie Agresta
Stephanie Agresta is the Founder of Ascendancy Events, a consultancy specializing in thought leadership, events, and reputation marketing. A pioneer in social media communications and former senior agency executive, she also offers fractional and agency CMO services that connect strategy to execution through a trusted industry network. Stephanie has been recognized by PRWeek, Business Insider, and co-authored Perspectives on Social Media Marketing.
Our Extended Team of Experts
We collaborate with a trusted bench of senior experts and hands-on specialists—custom-assembled for each client to deliver impact without excess.
Aaron Strout
Aaron Strout is a veteran marketer, author, and podcast host with deep expertise in digital strategy and brand storytelling. Former CMO at Real Chemistry, he’s the author of Location-Based Marketing for Dummies and host of the Reaching Higher Podcast. Aaron also advises mission-driven nonprofits and helps brands stand out with purpose-driven marketing.
Jory Des Jardins
Jory Des Jardins is a GTM strategist and fractional executive with 25+ years of experience building digital media companies and communities. A co-founder of BlogHer and former executive at She Media and ConsenSys, she helps startups scale through brand and go-to-market strategy. Jory is a LinkedIn Top Voice and creator of Pause, This Woman’s Work, and Optionality.
Powered by Ascendancy Events — a boutique marketing consultancy helping brands and agencies grow through executive visibility, thought leadership, and strategic events.