ASCÉNNA INITIATIVES

Ascénna Initiatives was born from the belief that every person carries an innate capacity to rise not only in performance, but in purpose, identity, and wholeness. “Ascénna” reflects this upward movement – the inward awakening that occurs when individuals are given space to reflect, feel seen, and connect their work to what truly matters.

Across healthcare, nonprofit, and faith-based environments, organizations have long invested in systems, strategies and outcomes, but often lacked a human-centered bridge that supports employees and high-performance volunteers through the emotional, relational, and developmental challenges inherent in meaningful work. Ascénna was created to fill that space.

Through guided individual check-ins, reflective dialogue, and supportive development pathways, Ascénna Initiatives helps people rise with clarity and grounding, while strengthening organizational culture from the inside out.

Ascénna is not about fixing people, it is about elevating them. It is growth with dignity, leadership with presence, and transformation grounded in authenticity.

Founder

For more than 30 years, Gary Yonek has served at the intersection of leadership, purpose, and human development. His journey spans healthcare systems, nonprofit organizations, and church leadership – three environments where clarity, compassion, and resilience are essential.

Across decades of guiding teams, mentoring emerging leaders, and navigating complex organizational landscapes, Gary discovered a consistent truth: people don’t grow their best through pressure, they grow through presence.

Again and again, he witnessed employees and volunteers flourish when someone made space for them to speak honestly, reflect deeply, and reconnect with why they do the work they do. Gary became that steady presence, combining emotional intelligence, organizational insight, and a grounded, relational posture that invites genuine transformation.

Ascénna Initiatives is the culmination of his life’s work – a way to extend that presence to organizations who want their people to rise, not merely perform. His commitment is simple: to walk with individuals as they grow toward clarity, confidence, and purpose, strengthening every team and leader connected to them.

Ascenna Initiatives helps organizations elevate their people by providing reflective, relational, and purpose-centered growth pathways. Through individualized check-ins and transformational conversations, we support employees and emerging leaders as they rise with clarity, confidence, and alignment — so your mission thrives through the people who carry it.