Ascend adheres to a disciplined approach to sourcing, executing and monitoring its investments. This approach involves: Sourcing deals by mining our proprietary minority and women entrepreneurial networks, along with leveraging our network of limited partners, portfolio management teams, investment banks, accountants, lawyers, consultants, and other industry participants. Performing rigorous due diligence, paying particular attention to getting to know the management team and allowing the team to become familiar with Ascend. We ask you tough questions and hope you will do the same of us. We often work in conjunction with law firms, accounting firms, actuarial firms, and consulting firms on evaluating potential investments. Structuring the transaction to determine what type of financing and valuation is appropriate in order to enhance returns while minimizing downside risk. Ascend’s financial expertise is particularly useful in creating optimal capital structures that allow for substantial returns while maintaining operating flexibility for the company and aligning the incentives of investors and management teams. Ascend prefers to lead or co-lead investments and typically requires at least one board seat and standard shareholder protections. Monitoring the investment through active participation on the board, and guidance on strategy, corporate governance, and follow-on financings and mergers and acquisitions.