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:

Drive targeted visibility

Ensure the narrative reaches the stakeholders who matter most—through media, events, and curated engagements

Create sustained momentum

Reinforce the story over time through consistent content, conversations, and market presence

Translate complexity into clarity

Turn differentiated assets, data, or innovation into a story that resonates externally

Activate executive voice

Build thought leadership platforms that elevate credibility and visibility

Define the narrative

Clarify how the company is described, positioned, and understood in the market

This is not traditional PR or marketing. It is a focused, senior-led effort to align narrative and visibility directly with business outcomes.

What’s Included

Explore our range of services designed to help you move forward with confidence, wherever you're headed next.

    • Strategic narrative development

    • Positioning and messaging framework

    • CEO / executive narrative and pitch materials

    • Audit of current visibility and narrative gaps

    • Executive thought leadership strategy and content

    • Media strategy and targeted outreach

    • Conference and speaking strategy

    • Channel strategy (beyond press—LinkedIn, partnerships, owned platforms)

    • Curated introductions to media, analysts, and key stakeholders

    • Executive dinners and small-group engagements

    • High-impact visibility moments (events, editorial, partnerships)

    • Ongoing narrative refinement

    • Content and announcement strategy

    • Targeted follow-up with priority audiences

    • Measurement tied to visibility, engagement, and business outcomes

Work With Us
Work With Us

“We connect narrative and visibility directly to business outcomes—so the right people not only hear your story, but act on it.” - Stephanie Agresta

About Us

Stephanie Agresta

Stephanie Agresta is the Founder and Managing Director of Ascendancy Events and a strategic marketing and communications leader with 20+ years of experience advising C-suite executives across healthcare, innovation, media, B2B and consumer sectors.

She specializes in leveraging thought leadership, events, and content partnerships to shape narrative, elevate executive visibility, and drive business outcomes—particularly at key inflection points. Her healthcare experience spans leading organizations, including Pfizer, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Medtronic, and eMed.

Most recently, as SVP of Marketing at Real Chemistry, she led integrated marketing and thought leadership, delivering a 20X return on marketing investment through high-impact programs and industry platforms.

Kelsey Merkel Leibel

Kelsey Merkel Leibel is a strategic communications advisor and former Global Head of Communications with 15 years of experience guiding C-suite leaders through moments of growth, scrutiny, and transformation across consumer technology, health & wellness, lifestyle, and B2B brands.

Most recently, as Head of Global Communications & PR at Weight Watchers, she led enterprise communications through high-profile moments—including a landmark telehealth acquisition, Oprah Winfrey’s board departure, major partnerships with Amazon Pharmacy, Eli Lilly, and Novo Nordisk, and a complex debt restructuring culminating in Chapter 11. She partnered closely with executive leadership to bring clarity to complex narratives, protect brand equity, and reinforce stakeholder trust.

Kelsey combines the strategic depth of in-house leadership with the agility of an advisor, providing senior-level partnership to founders and executive teams during reputation-defining moments.

How we work

Stephanie and Kelsey have been longtime collaborators, previously working together at DiGennaro Communications. The duo complement each other’s strengths, bringing a shared, proven cadence to how they operate:

  • High-touch and fast-moving

  • Operate on parallel tracks to maintain momentum

  • Continuous refinement as we learn and adapt

  • Senior-led, hands-on throughout

  • Action-oriented, with 30-minute weekly calls and clear trackers

Powered by Ascendancy Events — a boutique marketing consultancy helping brands and agencies grow through executive visibility, thought leadership, and strategic events.