Packing Potential

Ascend and First Ascent programs aim to attract, cultivate and retain talent in West Virginia

This story was originally published in the August 2024 issue of Wonderful West Virginia. To subscribe, visit wonderfulwv.com.

Written By Wendy Holdren

Photographed by Nick Morales

For many, the Mountain State is an easy sell. It is nicknamed “Almost Heaven” after all. But for some folks outside the state’s borders, they may not understand everything West Virginia has to offer. The Ascend program, launched in 2021, aims to change that. Founded by West Virginia native Brad D. Smith and his wife Alys, Ascend was created not only to recruit outdoor enthusiasts to relocate and work remotely, but also to amplify the state’s assets — highlighting West Virginia’s world-class outdoor recreational opportunities, low cost of living, communities, and natural beauty in remote settings. 

“The idea behind Ascend was to leverage a strategic competitive advantage,” says Danny Twilley, Assistant Vice President of Economic, Community and Asset Development for the Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative. Selected Ascend applicants are provided $12,000 ($10,000 the first year, and an additional $2,000 the second year); a year’s worth of free outdoor recreation including free outdoor gear rentals for the Ascender, their family and friends; free co-working space to interact with neighbors and other Ascenders; an outdoor-focused welcome trip and other events like group bike rides, paddleboard yoga and farm-to-table dinners; as well as professional and entrepreneurial programs, like a Remote Worker or Remote Manager Certification through the John Chambers College of Business and Economics at West Virginia University. 

The program, a collaboration between WVU, the state of West Virginia and the Wing 2 Wing Foundation, rolled out first in Morgantown, then the Eastern Panhandle, Greenbrier Valley, Greater Elkins and the New River Gorge. As of May 2024, the program had recruited 295 Ascenders, along with 272 of their family members, from 38 states and five countries. Nine babies have been born to Ascenders in West Virginia, and 43% of these families have purchased a home. In all, the program boasts a 96% retention rate. 

Building Bright Futures 

While the initial response to the Ascend program was overwhelmingly positive, one of the questions often posed was, “But what are you doing to help current West Virginians?” The investment from the Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative helps improve trail systems, waterways and outdoor recreation infrastructure, which benefits new residents as well as current ones. But Twilley says his team knew those efforts weren’t a direct response to the question so many residents were asking. 

The idea for First Ascent was initially sparked during the West Virginia Business Summit. It was further fleshed out during the West Virginia University Academic Innovation Summit, an incubator program to help the University advance its land-grant mission, where Twilley and a team outlined and successfully pitched the plan. With a small seed gift from WVU to pilot the program and work through the process, they eagerly launched the sister program to Ascend in partnership with Marshall University in September 2023, offering similar support for graduating students at WVU and Marshall University. 

Graduates can work for companies inside or outside of West Virginia as a fully remote or hybrid employee or as an entrepreneur planning to start their own business. In addition to the Ascend communities, Huntington is also a partnering community for First Ascent. While the financial incentive is not part of the student program, participants do have access to all the other perks, as well as success coaching and a professional mentorship network. 

Twilley explains that students can technically apply at any point in their education, but those who have secured hybrid or remote jobs are especially encouraged to apply. Many interested applicants haven’t landed on a career path or secured a job yet, but they want to stay in West Virginia. For these students, Program and Career Specialists and the WVU and MU Career Offices can help. Once they’ve landed a job, they can apply to First Ascent to access all the benefits. Applicants can also be considered for up to two years post-graduation. 

According to the data available at the time, the team had discovered that 62% of WVU and Marshall students leave the state after they graduate. “Even with a margin of error, we saw this as a compelling challenge that should be addressed,” Twilley says. Brad Smith had recently become president at Marshall, so together with WVU President Gordon Gee, they launched Universities United to work together to advance the state. “For students graduating from WVU or Marshall, we want to give them the most powerful thing we can give them — a choice,” Twilley says. “If they want to stay here and be here, let’s create pathways for them to stay. Or if they’ve left, let’s create a path home.”

Flipping the Script

In the early phases of First Ascent, Twilley says he heard a common theme: People thought they had to leave the state to be successful. “Countering that narrative is no small task,” he says. “We can do it, but we have to educate students, parents and professors about the power of remote and hybrid work — that you can stay, serve your community and have a viable and vibrant career.”

As both programs have gained traction, many residents have been encouraged to see West Virginia framed in a positive light. The Mountain State is no stranger to poor statistics around opioid use, labor force participation, brain drain, etc., but the messaging around the program provided the perfect platform to help highlight the state’s assets. “We tried to package up the potential,” Twilley says. “Once you began packaging and telling the story, people had reactions like, ‘I never knew that,’ or on the flip side, ‘I’ve always known that.’”

Whether an artsy region in the southern part of the state or an area close in proximity to D.C., Twilley says the communities involved in these programs have tremendous momentum. “We’re the only state in the U.S. completely covered by the Appalachian Mountains. Every county in the state is considered mountainous. We also have the greatest density of white water rivers in the country and some of the best rock climbing in the Eastern U.S. We have more than two dozen flat water trails, 1,000 miles of off-road trails with the Hatfield-McCoy Trails, 35 state parks and nine forests and five winter ski resorts. We are, by all accounts, the outdoor capital of the eastern U.S. And it’s all at our fingertips.”

One Ascender, Azfar Rizvi of New York, has traveled across four continents as a journalist, but now calls Greenbrier Valley his home. He leads the Chatbot Artificial Intelligence team at ADP, and is also lining up investments to open a fusion restaurant in Lewisburg. In his testimonial, he shares, “Just this past year, I cooked and served butter chicken to over 300 West Virginians for the first time. I spoke about Al and Ethics at a local church. I jumped off a cliff into the Greenbrier River. I bought my first kayak. I walked into my first waterfall.”

On the Horizon 

Since its launch, the Ascend program has received nearly 50,000 applications from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. “The ideal applicant is someone who wants to be in West Virginia, who values community service, who values the idea of community and who values the outdoors,” Twilley says. “What continues to inspire me is the diversity of the individuals and talents they bring to the table. These individuals show up, and they care deeply. They are inspired by making a difference. None of that fully surprises me, but it continues to inspire me.”

Another Ascender, Jennie Smith-Peers of Washington, D.C., chose Morgantown as her home base. Through the program, she met leaders of Morgantown’s Board of Parks and Recreations Commissioners (BOPARC), who are helping her develop a first-of-its-kind multi-disciplinary arts program for people living with early memory loss and Parkinson’s Disease at the Wiles Hill Community Center. Smith-Peers, who works remotely for the non-profit sector, said she hopes her work in the Morgantown community will be the beginning of a long-term partnership to positively impact older adults and those living with cognitive challenges. 

“Talented individuals have the power of choice more so now than ever,” Twilley says. “They can choose where they live and work. That’s the power of remote and hybrid work. It gives people a location of their choosing. You give them the power of time back by not spending it in a car. It gives people a sense of well-being and quality of life that is hard to imitate. I believe this is the type of program that can attract former West Virginians and future West Virginians.” 

Though the programs have seen tremendous success thus far, Twilley says they are still in the beginning stages. “Our goal is to work ourselves out of a job. We want to have so many people interested in West Virginia that we don’t need to encourage people to move here. But we need business and community leaders to continue buying into the program, too.”

In addition to outdoor enthusiasts, the team soon hopes to focus on other individuals. They hope to explore how the program can apply to veterans after their military service and how to better recruit and retain teachers. They are also trying to figure out how to incentivize homeownership. “With the vision, the love and the care of Brad and Alys, they’re showing the power of investment when West Virginians invest in West Virginia.”