Ascend WV

What Ascend WV does

Ascend WV is a non-profit talent attraction program that pays remote workers $12,000 to relocate to designated West Virginia communities. The program was established with a $25 million gift from Brad D. and Alys Smith and operates in partnership with West Virginia University, which provides administrative infrastructure. Its product is a bundled relocation incentive package that includes the cash payment, co-working space access, free moving services, community ambassadorship, a Discovery Pass connecting participants to the state's outdoor recreation economy, and home-buying support through a Rocket Mortgage partnership. A parallel Ascend Heroes track extends eligibility to frontline workers with an additional $2,000 incentive.

The program currently operates across six West Virginia communities: Morgantown, New River Gorge, Elkins, Charleston, Greenbrier Valley, and Eastern Panhandle. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis with periodic application windows. To date, more than 600 participants have relocated through the program, originating from 38 states and five countries. The organization runs with approximately nine employees.

Ascend WV is entirely grant-funded and does not generate commercial revenue. Its economics are driven by the Smith family endowment, with per-participant incentive cost of $12,000 (plus $2,000 for Heroes participants) representing the dominant variable expense. The program competes in the broader landscape of state- and city-led remote worker attraction initiatives, including Tulsa Remote and Shovel Ready, and differentiates itself through the institutional backing of West Virginia University and the donor profile of its founder, the former CEO of Intuit. No AI/ML capabilities are evident in program design or delivery.

Name

Ascend WV

Legal name

Ascend WV

Website

https://ascendwv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ascend WV is a non-profit talent attraction program that pays remote workers $12,000 to relocate to designated West Virginia communities, funded by a $25 million gift and administered with West Virginia University.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Remote Worker Talent Attraction Program

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Adult Skill-Building Expeditions & Courses (Leadership, Survival, Navigation) (THAAAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

College & Career Transition Services (Bridge Programs, Dual Enrollment Pathways) (EDAAABAK)

Keywords

• Remote worker relocation
• Talent attraction program
• Economic development incentives
• Outdoor recreation benefits
• Community relocation program

Headquarters

HQ city

Morgantown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government/Philanthropic Funding: Ascend WV is funded through a $25 million donation from Brad D. and Alys Smith to West Virginia University, creating the Brad & Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative. Additional funding from the State of West Virginia supports the program. The program does not generate revenue from participants - it is a talent attraction incentive program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ascend WV is a non-profit talent attraction program that pays remote workers $12,000 over 24 months to relocate to designated mountain communities in West Virginia. The program bundles the cash incentive with free outdoor recreation experiences, free coworking space access, free gear rentals, social programming, professional development through WVU certifications, and a Homeownership Incentive that converts remaining payments into a lump sum when participants purchase a home. Ascend Heroes is a Veterans-focused sub-brand offering the same incentive package with Veteran-specific resources.

Product overview

Ascend WV is a remote work talent attraction program operated by West Virginia University's Brad & Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative in partnership with the West Virginia Department of Tourism. The program offers a single unified incentive package centered on the Ascend WV Program (which pays participants $12,000 over two years to relocate to designated West Virginia communities), with several integrated benefit modules including the Ascend Heroes Veteran-specific sub-brand, free outdoor recreation experiences, coworking space access, social programming, professional development courses, and a homeownership acceleration incentive. The program spans six mountain communities: Morgantown Area, Greenbrier Valley, Eastern Panhandle, New River Gorge, Greater Elkins, and Charleston Area. No technology platform, API, or SaaS product is offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ascend WV Program Talent attraction program that pays remote workers $12,000 over 24 months to relocate to designated mountain communities in West Virginia. The package includes free outdoor recreation experiences, coworking space access, free gear rentals, social programming, and professional development through WVU certifications. Applicants must currently reside outside West Virginia, work for a company outside the state, verify remote employment, and relocate within six months of acceptance.
• Ascend Heroes Veterans-focused sub-brand of Ascend WV serving U.S. military Veterans of any branch, including National Guard and Reserves, with the same $12,000 relocation incentive plus Veteran-specific resources and community connections. Targets Veterans seeking purpose, community, outdoor recreation, and accessible healthcare in West Virginia.
• Homeownership Incentive Accelerated payment option within Ascend WV that converts remaining cash incentive installments into a lump sum when a participant purchases a home in a Featured Community during the program. Combined with the Rocket Mortgage exclusive 1% loan savings up to $10,000, this incentivizes homeownership for relocating remote workers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 600 participants have joined the program
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rocket MortgagecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRocket Mortgage offers an exclusive 1% loan savings (up to $10,000) for Ascend WV participants purchasing homes. This partnership helps facilitate homeownership for program participants relocating to West Virginia, accelerating the lump-sum payment option for the $12,000 incentive.
• West Virginia UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWVU administers the Ascend WV program through the Brad & Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative. The university provides professional development certifications (Remote Worker/Remote Manager Certification) through the John Chambers College of Business and Economics.
• West Virginia Department of TourismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Department of Tourism collaborates on program development and promotion, bringing the state's beloved #AlmostHeaven brand to attract remote workers.
• Central Van LinesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCentral Van Lines offers moving services with extra care protection, full packing/unpacking services, long and short term storage options, auto transport, and special discounts for Ascend WV participants.
• WV Housing Development FundminorOthersProvides homeownership programs and resources for first-time homebuyers in West Virginia to help Ascend WV participants find their dream home.
• Local CommunitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSix featured communities (Morgantown, Greenbrier Valley, Eastern Panhandle, Greater Elkins, New River Gorge, Charleston Area) partner with Ascend WV to attract and support remote workers through local coordinators, ambassadors, and community events.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Tulsa Remote: Oklahoma-based state-level talent attraction program that pays remote workers to relocate to Tulsa. Most directly comparable to Ascend WV in incentive structure, applicant funnel, and economic-development mission.
• MakeMyMove: Aggregator platform that markets multiple state and city relocation-incentive programs (including Tulsa Remote and others) to remote workers. Directly competes for the same applicant pool Ascend WV targets.
• Choose Topeka: Greater Topeka Partnership program offering cash incentives and relocation support to remote workers moving to Topeka, Kansas. Closely mirrors Ascend WV's incentive-and-community-support model.
• Live + Work in Maine: State of Maine-led talent attraction initiative marketing Maine's lifestyle and remote-work opportunities to out-of-state remote workers. Competes with Ascend WV for the same demographic segment.
• Northwest Arkansas Council (NWA Remote): Northwest Arkansas Council's remote worker attraction program offering relocation incentives and community onboarding in the Bentonville/Fayetteville/Rogers region. Closely comparable lifestyle-and-incentive pitch.
• The Shoals (Alabama Mountain Lakes): Shoals-area economic-development program in northwestern Alabama marketing outdoor recreation, low cost of living, and community support to remote workers — very similar lifestyle-and-incentive value proposition to Ascend WV.
• Find Your Place Vermont: Vermont state program attracting remote workers and relocating professionals with incentives and lifestyle positioning. Competes head-to-head with Ascend WV in the lifestyle-relocation incentive category.

Emerging players

• Outsite: Coliving and coworking network for remote workers, offering curated stays in nature-oriented locations. Partial overlap with Ascend WV's outdoor/coworking proposition, though operating on a paid-stay model rather than incentive model.

Broad incumbents

• WeWork: Global coworking and flexible-office incumbent. Overlaps with Ascend WV only on the free coworking component but operates at vastly larger scale and as a commercial subscription model rather than a relocation incentive.

Others

• West Virginia Department of Tourism: Strategic ecosystem partner that co-promotes Ascend WV via the #AlmostHeaven brand and tourism assets. Not a competitor but a closely adjacent state organization whose funding/promotion is integral to Ascend WV's funnel.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgO87pmdhkdJierzZA1DSTQ

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ascend WV