Founder and Principal at Ascent Strategy

Today on Purse Strings we are joined by Sophia Sunwoo of Ascent-Strategy. Sophia is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in Social Entrepreneurship, a Forbes 30U30 All-Star Alumni, an ELLE Magazine Impact2 Awards Pitch finalist, and a Fred Alger Finance Award winner. Through Ascent Strategy, Sophia has helped large nonprofits open offices in new countries, increased sales by 50% within 3 months of diagnosing a client’s blocks, raised millions in funding, and has helped launch countless startups in the social impact, product, and tech industries. Sophia built her first company when she was 19 years old and sold it before her 23rd birthday. Before her exit, she helped grow the business to 250 major retailers worldwide, and designed a brand that would attract celebrity clientele, as well national coverage in press outlets such as People Magazine. In 2011, Sophia co-founded Water Collective, a non-profit founded to fix and prevent broken water projects in the developing world by building community ecosystems of water maintenance care. Since 2012, the organization has secured clean water for over 76,000 people in West Africa and has been recognized by Forbes, DevEx, African Business Review, and ELLE Magazine. Sophia holds a BBA in Business and Design Strategy from Parsons School of Design and the New School, and her Masters in International Economic Policy at Columbia University.