Ascent Strategy

rope team & studio

Conventional approaches
solve conventional problems.

We’ve spent years developing an approach built for the new reality of business. Ascent helps companies innovate profitably by harnessing the power of the abstract and analytical minds.

The abstract mind drives creativity, new ideas, and a deeper understanding of your customer.

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The analytical mind moves these ideas and insights towards feasibility and profitability.

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The result is growth.

about us

Meet our rope team

We are explorers driven by a passion for making new discoveries. Creative and curious, our world-class team of innovative thinkers spans a wide range of backgrounds. At Ascent, the worlds of art, science, and business collide in the pursuit of new insights to deliver our clients new capabilities and new competitive advantages.


Jeffrey Boutilier

Jeffrey Boutilier

President & Chief Strategist

Nicole Shepherd

Nicole Shepherd

Director, Service Delivery

Anselmo Lourenço

Anselmo Lourenço

Senior Graphic
Designer

Tanya Zinkewich

Tanya Zinkewich

Studio Operations &
Administrative Support

James Spaleta

James Spaleta

Systems Analyst

Gideon Belete

Gideon Belete

Interactive Experience
Developer

Lucas Howlett

Lucas Howlett

Graphic Designer

Teanna Morgan

Teanna Morgan

Graphic Designer

Jeffrey Boutilier

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Jeffrey
Boutilier

President & Chief Strategist

Jeff has been reaching new heights for more than a decade – literally. As an experienced mountaineer, Jeff has scaled high-altitude peaks and he’s recently found a second home in the sky as a recreational pilot. His passion for adventure led him to the greatest journey on earth: entrepreneurship.

As Ascent Strategy’s Founder & Chief Strategist, Jeff’s task is to channel a client’s passion, creativity, and know-how into a business that can win. Jeff created Ascent to change the game and his approach is unabashedly unique. His honesty is incisive and his charisma invites candor from everyone he meets. While seemingly unconventional, Jeff designed Ascent around the leading science in management theory and he is constantly adapting Ascent’s methods to remain firmly based in the science of strategy.

Nicole Shepherd

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Nicole
Shepherd

Director, Service Delivery

Nicole is a community builder and a people connector. A true believer in local businesses and champion towards a collective voice, she’s worked through major community challenges ranging from critical advocacy during the pandemic to integral policy development in strengthening the provincial economy. She is known to champion the ‘little guy’ so it’s no surprise her heroes aren't from the Marvel Universe, they're savvy war-time women who pulled up their sleeves, alerted the troops and took risks to do what needed to get done.

Once an aspiring FBI profiler, she’s not afraid to ask the tough questions to get to the truth. Nicole listens, learns, and connects, while balancing the bigger picture and solving the finer details. For over 15 years, she’s been helping organizations craft clear visions and achieve their goals as she masterfully brings people, process, and delivery together - resulting in solutions that stick and people that stick around.

Anselmo Lourenço

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Anselmo
Lourenço

Senior Graphic Designed

Anselmo’s passion for design was sparked at a young age, when he began tracing the characters printed on the packaging of his very first super-hero action figurine. Born and raised in the concrete jungle of São Paulo, Brazil, Anselmo developed a deep appreciation for unconventional designs found painted in tunnels, alleyways and on the sides of buildings.

From his father’s tire shop as a young boy, to night trade school as a teenager, to arriving in Canada as a young man without a word of English, Anselmo’s road to becoming a graphic designer in some of Canada’s foremost agencies was paved with discipline, duty, and loyalty. Some of the world’s most recognizable brands have benefited from his work. Anselmo believes that effective design has the power to change positions, possibilities, and perceptions of what matter.

Tanya Zinkewich

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Tanya
Zinkewich

Studio Operations &
Administrative Support

The heartbeat of Ascent, Tanya keeps the team moving (and smiling). Her two-steps-ahead approach and impeccable attention to detail keeps us in the right place at the right time. Deemed the task-whisperer, Tanya keeps the books balanced, plans noteworthy event, runs our studio operations and supports the team on 20+ projects at any given time without ever missing a beat.

Her infectious energy radiates throughout Ascent, the people and the space. All who walk through our doors is met with a comfortable, inviting studio experience which makes clients and guests feel right at home. Tanya’s fearless attitude finds her cruising the TransCanada on her 1200cc Harley Sportster and taking on new challenges as our world, the work, and the company evolves every day.

James Spaleta

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James
Spaleta

Analyst

James is a renaissance man, equal parts art and science. He is a photomicrographer, wine collector, musician, computer programmer, and he has recently become a motorcyclist. James is also a trained biochemist as well as being proficient in five languages, including French and C++. His vast skill set allows him to bring a fresh perspective to his job as an Analyst.

At Ascent Strategy it is James’ job to break things down, understand how they work, and put them back together better than they began. His work allows the freedom to creatively combine art & science to solve problems. Whether he is working with his plants to make them flower more often or playing a key role in the design & implementation of a new province-wide program, there is a method and it’s his job is to understand it.

Gideon Belete

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Gideon
Belete

Interactive Experience Developer

A natural dot-connector, Gideon’s relentless curiosity keeps his mind searching for answers to “what is this” and “how does it work.” This curiosity is the source of ambition and creative fuel which motivates Gideon’s unquenchable need to learn. Following the completion of a BA in Economics in 2018, he continues to explore and immerse himself in today’s trending local and global issues.

His affinity for creative problem-solving soon led Gideon into the world of code, data and web development. His ability to synthesize complex information into insightful, meaningful sequences quickly moved his talents into the new era of data visualization. Combining economics and web development, Gideon crafts data-driven story lines worthy of their own sizzle reel. Beyond the numbers, Gideon solves mathematical music problems as he synthesizes sounds to produce his own beats.

Lucas Howlett

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Lucas
Howlett

Graphic Designer

Lucas lives life fully. A self-described explorer, if something out there exists, Lucas will try it—just ask him to show you his unicycle. Lucas applies the ‘try-guy’ philosophy to every design challenge, seeking inspiration from the world around us, and investing time and deep curiosity to solving design challenges.

Art is in his blood and runs in his family. He turned an early interest in fine art and painting into a passionate career that includes illustration, digital art, photo manipulation, and print. With his experience and a nanodegree in front end development he turns client and user needs into functional and attractive UX and UI.

Lucas is a believer in community and is drawn to anything where he can get into a flow state—whether it’s playing video games, skateboarding, basketball or devouring podcasts.

Gideon Belete

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Teanna
Morgan

Graphic Designer

Teanna is all about harmony—precision and focused intent balance out her free-spirited approach to creating. She values mastery of a skill; in art, cooking and baking traditional dishes from around the world, or her 13 years as a competitive Ukrainian dancer.

Whether branding, illustrating, or taking photos, Teanna is motivated by the things that inspire her in life; rich cultural practices, hunting and the wilderness, and cutting edge technology that brings animation and gaming to life. Clients benefit from her high standards and appreciation for purposeful and beautiful design, found everywhere in life. Her unique desire for structure mixes with a curiosity for “why” that brings a fresh perspective to creative challenges.

studio

What better place to create the future than a century-old warehouse?



Our business design studio was shaped from raw space in a still-operational warehouse built over a hundred years ago. It serves as a daily reminder that the best ideas are the ones built to stand the test of time.

Soaring open spaces facilitate the creative collisions and collaboration that defines our process. Local craft brews (both of the roasted and toasted varieties) from the hottest micro-brew industry in the country fuel kinetic project sessions and late-nights. New spins are put on ideas and ping-pong serves. Every aspect of our space has been purposefully designed to support the unique way we work.

From the latest technology to the humble post-it® note, our studio is the perfect basecamp from which to serve our partners across North America.