Given the difficulty making the climb and the shared responsibility, deciding to partner is an important and involved process. The time it takes to develop a shared desire to work together and to become comfortable trusting one another varies greatly. At Ascend, while we can move relatively quickly, we have found that the best approach is to spend the time necessary to ensure a common vision and approach. We conduct a rigorous due diligence process that involves multiple members of our team, leveraging our various experiences. Upon completion of due diligence, all investment professionals come to a general consensus before Ascend proceeds in the investment process. It is also important to us that our operating partners understand and buy in to Ascend’s needs and objectives.

In the table below, we summarize an illustrative timetable which, as discussed above, varies greatly.