Meet the Ascend LA 2026 cohort
40 construction and professional service businesses in Los Angeles County
We received over 250 applications to find stand-out businesses that offer unique professional services and construction support. They are ready to grow their teams, diversify their revenue streams, and take their business to the next level.
HerHealing Community
HerHealing Community is a non-profit organization that provides mental health services to women, children, and families. HerHealing achieves this through therapy services, school-based counseling support, and wellness retreats and workshops.
@HerHealingLA (Instagram)
HerHealing (LinkedIn)
System + Soul AI
System + Soul AI Institute is an AI training and strategy firm that helps leaders and teams integrate artificial intelligence into their businesses while preserving human-centered leadership, culture, and purpose.
https://www.systemandsoulai.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hernandez-emmy/
Nxtmotive LLC
Nxmotive is a Los Angeles-based innovation consultancy helping SMBs, civic organizations, and government-adjacent firms tackle their hardest operational and strategic challenges. Rooted in engineering, design, and AI, we create and implement novel solutions for real-world stakes — from AI org transformations to full platform/product design and delivery. Our team brings a pedigree from Big Tech, MBB Consulting, Tier 1 Automotive, and local transportation & mobility circles.
Website: nxmotive.com
Social Media:
• LinkedIn (Company): linkedin.com/company/nxmotive
Civic Decode Inc.
We are a GovTech company building AI based solutions for local governments. Our products aim to transform how cities provide development services, from AI zoning agents to guided permit applications and automated plan check reviews. We strive to change how cities do business and provide better services to their constituents.
x.com/CivicDecode
BoozDNA Technology
BoozDNA Technology Is A Women-Owned IT Consulting Firm Based in California, Delivering Strategic Technology Solutions to Public And Private Sector Organizations. Our Core Services Include Digital Transformation, Data Analytics, Cloud Solutions, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, IT Strategy, System Integration, Application Development, And Enterprise Technology Consulting, Enabling Organizations to Modernize Operations, Improve Decision-Making, And Drive Sustainable Innovation.
Collectively Joy
Collectively Joy is a modern wellness brand creating luxury candles and home fragrance designed to inspire calm, reflection, and emotional restoration. Each scent is intentionally crafted to help people create peaceful rituals and moments of grounding in the middle of a chaotic world.
Website: https://www.collectivelyjoy.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collectivelyjoy
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/collectively-joy-5ab636233
Fud, Inc.
The All-In-One Mobile & Al Platform for Business Community Management. Empowering entrepreneurship through outreach, training, and 1:1 technical assistance via a single, secure mobile solution.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.joinfud.fud&pli=1
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/small-business-coach-mentor/id1616818001
Lash Destination
Lash Destination is a Los Angeles-based luxury beauty brand specializing in professional eyelash services, premium lash products, and hands-on training through the Lash Destination Academy. Founded by Destiny Will, the company is dedicated to empowering women through beauty, confidence, entrepreneurship, education, and career development in the fast-growing beauty industry. Lash Destination combines luxury services, professional education, and e-commerce retail to create opportunities for aspiring beauty professionals while serving clients in Los Angeles and all its surrounding areas.
https://www.lashdestination.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lashdestination
Limbo AI
Limbo AI LLC is an artificial intelligence services company delivering AI agents, intelligent automation, and workforce training solutions to federal government agencies and commercial organizations. Limbo AI is an agile AI-first firm built to help organizations eliminate operational inefficiencies, reduce administrative costs, and accelerate mission critical outcomes through practical AI deployment. Our solutions are designed specifically for regulated and high accountability environments with a strong focus on compliance, auditability, and security, ensuring that government agencies and enterprise teams can confidently adopt advanced AI while maintaining the governance and oversight their operations require.
Website: https://golimbo.ai/
Create Something Amazing
Create Something Amazing is a women-owned event agency specializing in live event production, creative direction, and the seamless execution of thoughtfully curated experiences. We offer a full spectrum of services, including custom event design, staffing, graphic and spatial design, creative fabrication, content production, furniture and décor, venue sourcing, vendor management, talent coordination, custom gifting, and more. Our work spans corporate gatherings, conferences, brand activations, elevated dinners and social experiences, and influencer-driven events.
createsomethingamazing.com
https:// www.instagram.com/createsomethingamazing
The Miller Group
The Miller Group is an award winning, woman-owned branding and marketing agency. We grow revenue for challenger brands by providing innovative and creative solutions across multiple channels including social media, influencer marketing, experiential, digital advertising, PR, video production and cross cultural activations.
website: https://www.millergroup.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-miller-group-advertising-inc-
https://www.linkedin.com/in/themillergroup/
https://www.instagram.com/themillergroupmarketing/
Estyn Elan Studio
Estyn Elan Studio is an image consulting studio based in Los Angeles, CA. We offer consulting to enhance and refine your brand, define visual value, and create better relationships with target audiences. The program includes professional development training seminars and experiential workshops on professional appearance, behavior, and communication. The results are Transformational. The experiential leadership development training will enhance communication, morale, and Gravitas. Crucial in a time when less than 15% of employees trust senior leaders (TechRadar).
www.estynelan.com
LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/estynelan/
● Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/estynelan
● https://www.espeakers.com/marketplace/profile/48608/simple?
The Differentials
The Differentials is a Los Angeles–based strategic communications firm that helps founders and brands turn important moments into media momentum. The firm works with leadership teams on major announcements, partnerships, and cultural campaigns where visibility and narrative matter most. Its work spans technology, consumer brands, and cultural initiatives, bringing a forward-looking and multicultural perspective to storytelling.
www.thedifferentials.com
Wexley Headache Clinic
My name is Dr. Victoria Wexley, founder of Wexley Headache Clinic. For more than 26 years, I have dedicated my career to the diagnosis, treatment, and research of complex head and neck pain disorders. Alongside my clinical work, I have extensive teaching experience and have helped develop clinical protocols for managing orofacial pain conditions.
While raising five children, I maintained a part-time clinical practice, balancing professional responsibilities with family commitments. As I enter the next phase of my career, I am committed to expanding my impact by establishing a nonprofit clinical and educational center focused on orofacial pain medicine.
The proposed clinic will expand access to specialized care for patients suffering from migraines, chronic headaches, temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ), and sleep apnea—conditions that affect millions of individuals but remain significantly underserved due to a national shortage of clinicians trained in orofacial pain.
This nonprofit clinic will operate as an extension of Wexley Headache Clinic, providing affordable, evidence-based care to patients who currently face barriers to treatment because of cost, limited provider availability, or lack of specialized expertise. In addition to patient care, the center will serve as a training and mentorship site for new graduates of orofacial pain residency programs, strengthening the workforce and expanding long-term access to this critical specialty.
Through this initiative, the clinic aims to improve patient outcomes, reduce reliance on ineffective or high-risk pain management strategies, and create a sustainable model that combines community care, clinical excellence, and professional education in orofacial pain medicine.
By expanding access to specialized care and training the next generation of clinicians, this center will help transform how orofacial pain is treated—reducing suffering, improving quality of life, and strengthening the health of the Los Angeles community.
www.wexleymedical.com
Out West Digital
Out West Digital is a Latino-owned, SBE/DBE certified agency executing cinematic, high-stakes media for Fortune 500 brands and government partners. We specialize in Operational Storytelling, translating complex technical systems into high-impact campaigns that drive workforce mobilization and civic engagement. Our data-driven approach is backed by a recent regional government contract that achieved 97.3% audience saturation.
outwestdigital.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/outwestdigital/ https://www.instagram.com/outwestdigital/