Our Vision

We will establish Ascent Solutions as the world leader in cybersecurity, leveraging and uniting forces toward one common goal of defeating threats.
2014
Recreating Ascent Solutions
Ascent Solutions was founded as a private cloud hosting company in 2008 but solidified its direction in 2014 when CEO JD Harris joined the firm, purchasing it from its founders one year later. The hosting portion of the business was divested in favor of an aggressive growth plan to become the best professional services company in the world. To build its foundation, Ascent attracted and hired top-tier leaders from high-growth services organizations.
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2014
Moving into Marquette Plaza
Rapid team expansion led to an office space in Marquette Plaza (former Federal Reserve and FBI) in Downtown Minneapolis. Fast growth required a significantly larger space, and the Marquette Building fit the bill. Ascent’s suite, again formerly housing the Minneapolis FBI headquarters, foreshadowed the firm’s security prowess and desire to protect people everywhere.
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2015
Developing A Top-Tier Microsoft Relationship
Ascent believes in the power of Microsoft’s Security tools. In 2015, Ascent set a goal to become the world’s best Microsoft partner. The firm sought the advice of Microsoft executives to better understand the landscape of strengths and gaps in their current partner ecosystem. In less than 30 days, Ascent’s leadership team responded with a relationship program unlike anything Microsoft had seen before. The plan inspired the Microsoft community, sparking an elevated level of trust and relationships that continue to grow today.
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2015
Winning Our First Cybersecurity Engagement
Capitalizing on prior executive relationships, the acquisition of high-caliber consultants, a powerful Microsoft relationship, and a commitment to excellence in service, Ascent won its first cybersecurity engagement with a Fortune 50 company.
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2016
Earning Recognition as Microsoft’s Go-To Partner
By early 2016, Ascent made a significant impression throughout Microsoft’s multiple business units and teams. Between the corporate office, product teams, and field personnel, Ascent's high-end service and consistent results created a strong reputation across divisions. Ascent offered a level of talent previously seen only within Microsoft itself to proactively optimize partner programs and execute against the Microsoft vision. Ascent quickly became Microsoft’s go-to partner for cybersecurity strategy, implementation, and integration.
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2017
Solidifying Our Military Tactics as Ascent’s Cy:lent Approach
Ascent has the honor of attracting one-of-a-kind talent from all branches of the U.S. Military. The special forces intellect our consultants bring to customers stands on its own. Ascent’s differentiated tactics, formalized as the Cy:lent methodology, compounded the rate the firm attracted like-minded professionals passionate about tackling the most challenging cybersecurity problems.
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2018
Evolving Into Managed Services
Ascent launched into managed services as an early Cloud Solution Provider (CSP). What started as a single engagement in healthcare grew to fill a gap for managed services across a range of verticals. The firm quickly evolved to become a comprehensive Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP). Ascent’s Managed Security Services immediately stood out with Microsoft and customers alike by using an operations model based on proven military command center tactics.
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2018
Moving Into The T3 Building
Sustained growth required Ascent’s headquarters to move into a larger space in 2018. This time it was the Minneapolis T3 Building. The space was thoughtfully designed for the most sensitive security initiatives, collaborative advisory services, and best-in-class technology modernization. In just under one year, the space would need to expand once again.
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2018
Replatforming for Hypergrowth
From day one, Ascent planned to hire a team of fast-growth executives who would ignite a wave of new capabilities. The assembled team took the firm to the next level, both in technical prowess and strategic business planning for hypergrowth.
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2018
Involving Our First Institutional Investor
Two firms came together to support Ascent Solutions as a fast-growing company. Oxbow Industries and ExMarq Capital backed Ascent with a second round of funding. This enabled the firm to expand offerings, grow the team more aggressively, and continue to evolve the stellar standard of service vital to becoming the world’s best professional services partner.
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2019
Ascent Formulates Project Bengal
Saving the world from a cybersecurity perspective is our CEO’s ultimate objective for Ascent. In 2019 Ascent formulated an initiative under the project codename “Bengal” in response to the increasing severity of cybercrime damage around the world. What was dreamt of as the “Silicon Valley” of cybersecurity innovation would begin to take shape.
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2021
Securing Investment from RunTide Capital
RunTide Capital provided the Series C round of investment to support Ascent’s explosive growth in the cybersecurity services sector. Both Ascent Solutions and RunTide believe cybersecurity is a mission-critical initiative requiring proactive planning. The RunTide team both felt and understood the vision and passion ingrained in Ascent’s culture and leadership team.
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2022
Opening A San Diego Office
Ascent expanded to the Sunshine State of California in early Spring 2022 with an office in San Diego. This sales, services, and recruiting office anchors Ascent’s West Coast arm and solidified the firm as a nationwide, and soon-to-be international, company. The new regional presence continued the firm’s commitment to creating raving fans through convenient access to key customers and Microsoft partners.
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2022
Creating the Global Cybersecurity Center of Excellence

In the Spring of 2022, Ascent revealed the location where Project Bengal would come to life-- the Cypress Waters Community in Coppell, Texas. Ascent’s initial 33,000-square-foot space will serve as the core of Ascent’s cybersecurity campus.

Ascent’s Cypress Waters campus will employ a first-of-its-kind design optimized for discreet, modern security operations while simultaneously functioning as an education center for apprentices and the cybersecurity industry at large. The space will house secure areas designated for cyber investigation, automation, and intelligence. In addition, a stadium-seated auditorium will host seminars and innovation workshops with the nation’s foremost thought leaders, developing solutions for the most pressing cybersecurity problems.

Ascent anticipates a celebratory ribbon cutting ceremony at Cypress Waters in early 2023.

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