Ascend Impact Advisors - AI for Nonprofits, Foundations, Social Enterprises, Visionaries, and Innovators

We work at every level of the social impact ecosystem to help mission-driven organizations bend the AI adoption curve.

2,000+ Leaders Trained | ~100% Increased Confidence with AI | ~100% Reported Operational Efficiencies | 85+ World-Class Net Promoter Score

What We Do: Bend the AI Adoption Curve

We work at every level of the social impact ecosystem — training leaders, building networks of training providers, and driving organizational and cross-sector transformation — to help mission-driven organizations bend the AI adoption curve.

Training AI Innovators and Leaders

Hands-on training that gives leaders the confidence, skills, and mindsets to use AI responsibly and effectively in service of their mission.

  • Build real skills through hands-on, practitioner-led training
  • Lead with responsible, human-centered AI practices
  • Learn alongside a cohort of mission-driven peers
  • Walk away with field-tested tools you can apply immediately

Building a Network of AI Training Providers

A train-the-trainer model that empowers local organizations to deliver AI training across entire communities and sectors.

  • Equip your team to train others with a proven model
  • Adapt a practitioner-designed curriculum to your community's needs
  • Grow local AI capacity without ongoing outside support
  • Multiply impact as your network expands

Driving AI Transformation

Guiding organizations and coalitions through strategic AI adoption that advances equity and amplifies mission impact.

  • Assess where AI can create the most value for your mission
  • Build the policies, culture, and competencies to use AI responsibly
  • Launch signature AI initiatives that deliver real-world impact
  • Join cross-sector coalitions tackling shared challenges
  • Turn isolated wins into collective momentum

Impact by the Numbers

2,000+ Leaders Trained - Social change leaders equipped with AI skills across the US and globally.

~100% Increased Confidence with AI - Participants report greater confidence to harness AI for their mission.

~100% Reported Operational Efficiencies - Participants report AI training leads to real operational and programmatic gains.

85+ World-Class Net Promoter Score - Exceptional participant satisfaction and advocacy across all programs.

The Strategic Context: Mission-Driven Organizations Face an Inflection Point

The question isn't whether mission-driven organizations will need to adapt. It's whether they will do so in ways that advance equity and strengthen outcomes.

AI is moving fast

Every week brings new tools, new capabilities, and new risks. "Move fast and break things" and "wait and see" are both fundamentally flawed approaches.

A lot is at stake

Without intentional action, AI could widen the digital divide, deepen inequities, and remake society in ways that harm people and communities.

Individual action isn't enough

Adapting to the era of AI requires more than one-off trainings and siloed tool development. It takes a movement: leaders, networks, and sector-wide coalitions working in partnership.

That's why mission-driven organizations need a comprehensive, intentional approach.

Our Approach: How We Work

Whether we're training leaders, building networks, or guiding organizational transformations, we follow a consistent, proven methodology rooted in four guiding principles.

Guiding Principles

  • Responsible, Human-Centered AI - Grounded in your values, prioritizing the people and communities you serve.
  • Cutting-Edge Instructional Design - Built by practitioners who understand how adults learn and organizations change.
  • Real-World Applications - Every session is built around the actual work your team does every day.
  • Field-Tested Tools and Templates - Ready-to-use resources your team can apply immediately to drive results.

Three Components of Transformation

  1. AI Opportunity Assessment - A tailored assessment of where AI can create the most value for your organization and your mission.
  2. Enabling Policies, Culture and Competencies - Establishing the policies, culture, and competencies to harness AI strategically and responsibly.
  3. Signature AI Initiatives - Driving a curated set of signature AI initiatives that deliver real-world impact.

What Clients Say

Sam helped us tackle AI in a way that made sense for Compass and stayed true to our mission. What stood out was his thoughtful, systematic approach to both training our staff and developing practical tools, always with a sharp focus on equity and real-world impact.

Markita Morris-Louis, Executive Director, Compass Working Capital

Trusted Partners: Organizations We've Worked With

From national foundations to grassroots nonprofits, we partner with organizations committed to harnessing AI for good.

  • Compass Working Capital
  • Habitat for Humanity of Michigan
  • Listen4Good
  • Pew Charitable Trusts
  • Project Evident
  • Purpose Built Communities
  • Social Enterprise Greenhouse
  • United Way of Rhode Island

Thought Leadership: Shaping the Conversation on AI and Social Impact

AI for Nonprofits: Putting Artificial Intelligence to Work for Your Cause

Expert contributor to the Amazon Bestseller by Darian Rodriguez Heyman and Cheryl Contee. Contributions form the basis of the AI and Strategy chapter.

Podcasts

TogetherRI: How to Use AI for Good - Hosted by David Cicilline, President and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation and former Mayor of Providence and U.S. Congressman. A conversation on how organizations in Rhode Island and beyond can harness AI responsibly.

POV with SEG: AI for Good - Hosted by Julie Owens, CEO of Social Enterprise Greenhouse. Sam discusses how AI can be used responsibly to advance equity and strengthen Rhode Island's small business ecosystem.

Leadership: Sam Azar, Founder and CEO

Deep expertise in strategy, evaluation, human-centered design, and AI for social good. Previously Senior Director at Habitat for Humanity International and Director at Compass Working Capital. Holds an MPA from Syracuse Maxwell School and AB from Brown University.

  • Trained 2,000+ social change leaders in AI
  • Certified AI Engineer and PMP
  • Former roles at Deloitte, United Way Worldwide, Habitat for Humanity, Compass Working Capital

Affiliations and Community Leadership

  • Rhode Island Foundation - AI Advisory Committee
  • Leadership Rhode Island - Technology Committee
  • One Neighborhood Builders - Board of Directors
  • Global Fellows in Courage - Advisor and AI Instructor
  • Social Enterprise Greenhouse - Advisor and Instructor

Get in Touch

Harness AI. Build Capacity. Transform Your Impact.

From creating AI leaders to building train-the-trainer networks to driving organizational and cross-sector change, let's start with a conversation about your mission and where you want to go.