Ascend Digital Strategies

About Us

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Our History

Since we launched Ascend in 2019, what began as a two-person startup has grown into a team of dedicated professionals delivering success for clients at the highest levels. Working with political campaigns, leading nonprofits, innovative businesses, and government agencies, we’ve combined data-driven best practices with cutting-edge creative to raise millions of dollars, mobilize supporters, and drive positive change.

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Mission & Vision

Our philosophy is that for digital content to matter, it needs to tell an authentic story.

We deliver results, not just metrics. If the path to victory were as simple as blasting poll-tested content out across the internet, then every campaign would succeed. We work in partnership with our clients to package their unique story into compelling digital content that motivates the right people to read, to listen, and most importantly, to act.

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Our Team

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Partner Craig Frucht

Craig is an experienced communications strategist who has served in high-level positions in local, state, and federal politics. At Ascend, he specializes in messaging and strategy, script and content development, and email marketing. Prior to launching Ascend, Craig was a long-time senior advisor to Governor Jared Polis (D-Colo.), serving as his Congressional Press Secretary and later leading speechwriting and messaging for his successful 2018 gubernatorial campaign. Craig’s experience also includes serving as Communications Director for former Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (D-Conn.) as well as managing digital media campaigns for nonprofits and private sector companies throughout the Western United States.

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Partner Michael Sparks

Michael has eight cycles of campaign experience and digital strategy. At Ascend, he specializes in video production, ad buying, email and SMS deliverability, and targeting. Michael’s experience also includes serving on presidential campaigns, gubernatorial races, managing digital operations for a variety of startup businesses, and working as an organizer on Democratic campaigns across the nation.

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Partner Bailey Mohr

Bailey is an experienced digital strategist who’s raised more than $100 million online for Democratic candidates and causes. As a Principal at Ascend, she specializes in digital fundraising strategy, list-building and email and text message marketing. Before joining Ascend, she served as Senior Advisor for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) campaign, building a first-of-its-kind digital fundraising and persuasion program to reelect Senator Schumer to a historic fifth term and expand Democrats’ majority in the U.S. Senate. She also was Digital Director for Governor Steve Bullock's (D-Mont.) campaigns for president and U.S. Senate. Throughout her career, she’s led innovative online fundraising programs for campaigns at every level, from state legislative races to some of the most competitive Senate and special election campaigns in the country.

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Principal Tori DeGiosio

Tori brings creative and data-driven techniques to the Ascend team as Director of Digital Fundraising. She has extensive experience helping progressive candidates, non-profits, ballot initiatives, and more achieve and surpass their digital fundraising goals. As a native Pennsylvania, Tori served as Digital Director for Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf's re-election in 2018, and Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro's re-election campaign in 2020, surpassing fundraising goals from small-dollar donations and keeping campaigns at the forefront of emerging trends. Previously, she led a creative team overseeing the online fundraising and digital advocacy for a variety of progressive organizations, ballot initiatives, PACs, and non-profits for multiple election cycles, ensuring email list growth and health in addition to raising millions in competitive cycles.

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Digital Fundraising Strategist Eric Maddigan

Eric has created successful fundraising content since 2020. His experience includes writing engaging email, text, and Facebook Ads content for a wide variety of Democratic candidates and organizations — along with other marketing skills, including graphics, press releases, and social media copy.

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Digital Fundraising Strategist Kaden Wilhite

Kaden is a skilled digital strategist with a background in political organizing, social media, and managing digital fundraising programs. He has raised millions of dollars for Red-to-Blue and frontline candidates through his work with the DCCC, and previously organized for key state and federal races with the Virginia Democratic Party. His career has focused on building winning campaigns and advancing progressive change — both on the ground in Virginia and nationally.

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Digital Fundraising Strategist Sophia Tremblay

Sophia has experience working with political campaigns and nonprofits to execute digital strategies. She has collaborated closely with clients to develop content plans aimed at achieving fundraising and engagement goals through email and SMS outreach. Additionally, while at Serve America PAC, Sophia supported efforts to elect service-oriented leaders to Congress by assisting with fundraising and communications initiatives.