Harsh Mariwala's ASCENT Foundation guides entrepreneurs through challenges

It’s four years since Harsh Mariwala, chairman, Marico Ltd, started the ASCENT Foundation. The idea was to give entrepreneurs a platform to learn from each others’ experiences. “I have gone through all the phases of building a business and I understand the challenges that an entrepreneur goes through. ASCENT has created an ecosystem of entrepreneurs through trust groups and it has worked very well, says Mariwala whose Marico Ltd, an FMCG company, enjoys a sales turnover of Rs 6,132 crore.

ASCENT believes that sharing collective knowledge enables entrepreneurs to address challenges and gain deeper insights on common yet essential tools such as cost accountancy advisory, strategic analysis of the marketplace, emerging trends within global markets, etc.

Today there are 24 trust groups comprising 300 entrepreneurs spread across diverse industries. ASCENT helps its members with exclusive access to network and engage with thought leaders and domain experts in the corporate/entrepreneur ecosystem through various formats, including workshops, huddles, mixers and annual retreats.

ASCENT is now organising an ASCENT Conclave on Saturday, November 26, at St Regis, Mumbai, from 10 am to 7 pm. Its objective is to create a platform for entrepreneurs (based in Mumbai, Pune and Nashik) of enterprises with growth size ranging from Rs 5 crore to Rs 1,500 crore for a day-long intense engagement and networking opportunity. The conclave will give them the opportunity to learn from the best thought leaders, change makers and innovators in the industry, who will share their experiences and provide insights on how entrepreneurs can grow their business.

The keynote speaker for the event is Uday Kotak. Other speakers include Ronnie Screwvala, Ashish Hemrajani, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Falguni Nayar, Neeraj Kakkar, Ameera Shah, Devita Saraf and Sasha Mirchandani.