Seasoned Entrepreneurs & Consultants

Brian W. Acord is a founding partner of Ascend Six. His background is concentrated mainly in strategy and new venture creation. Mr. Acord has significant experience in new business development in the corporate environment and has gained a strong reputation for adding value to start-up organizations. Over the past dozen years, he has been involved in strategic partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, and various forms of equity infusion including venture capital, venture debt, and private equity. Mr. Acord’s industry experience includes high tech (computer hardware, software and distribution), travel, entertainment, professional services, education, agriculture, communications, manufacturing, and biotech.

Prior to starting Ascend Six in 2000, Mr. Acord worked with several Fortune 500 companies including Disney, Tech Data, and United Airlines. However, his chosen area of expertise lies in new venture creation and he has been the driving force of six successful companies since 1990. He serves on the Board of Directors for several companies and entrepreneurial related organizations and teaches entrepreneurship at both Brigham Young University and the University of Utah. He is the Founder of Young Entrepreneurs of America, a non-profit dedicated to teaching business skills and entrepreneurial concepts to Jr. High and High School Students throughout the United States. Mr. Acord has a B.S. from Brigham Young University and earned his M.B.A. from the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia.

Carey Van Orden is an expert in marketing strategy and communications. She has run the marketing for several high-growth, early stage ventures and various well established, small to medium sized companies. Typical projects include marketing strategy, corporate and product identity, websites, media kits, interactive demos, photo shoots, public relations and direct mail campaigns. She works closely with company management to determine objectives then oversees graphic designers and production staff for timely project implementation. Her specific expertise is in developing strong corporate messaging and out-of-the-box, creative marketing deliverables.

Ms. Van Orden's background is focused primarily on advertising and marketing. She holds a B.A. in advertising and an M.B.A. from the Marriot School at Brigham Young University. She started her career at an ad agency in New York City as part of the Bell South account management team. Shortly thereafter, she took a job with a marketing consulting firm in Salt Lake City, where she spent the next six and half years consulting to large national firms like Simplot, KPMG, and Northern Indiana Public Service Company, as well as, working as an outsource VP of Marketing for local high tech and manufacturing firms. For a short period of time Ms. Van Orden worked as a marketing manager for a software firm called, TimeShareWare, where she helped them develop their corporate positioning and their emerging presence as the leading software company in their industry. Her most recent experience prior to Ascend Six was as Chief Marketing Officer for GH Peterson Holdings where she directed the marketing efforts of various companies within their portfolio.

In her spare time, Ms. Van Orden enjoys reading, dancing, water skiing, and weekend trips.

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