Ask any alumnus to describe their Leadership Austin experience, and you’ll frequently hear words like “game-changing”, “transformative” or “life-altering”. That was certainly the case for Ashland Viscosi (Emerge 8 – 2014).
Ashland came to Emerge with a background in the creative arts, specifically the film industry. During her cohort year, she was inspired to create a business model that mirrored the experience she was having – one that bridged the gap between “creative” and “business”. After Emerge she left her job and, 18 months later, founded her company.
© David Brendan Hall / davidhallphotog.com
Ashland says, “Leadership Austin Emerge helped me discover my values, a discovery that changed my life. After the program ended, I found a way to apply my values to my professional life and changed the trajectory of my career. All of my values funneled together created my company, Creatives Meet Business – offering professional development for artists and creatives. What are my values you may be asking? Authenticity, Collaboration, and Community. Thanks, Leadership Austin!”
Follow Ashland via the Creatives Meet Business podcast (she features lots of Leadership Austin alumni as guests!) and save the date for the Creatives Meet Business Experience, a three-day event with workshops on business, marketing, skills development and storytelling for artists, creatives, freelancers and small business owners.
Interested in Emerge? Applications are accepted every year from April 1 through June 30. Learn more about the program and review the application (tip: get a head start on collecting letters of recommendation and writing your essays now). Subscribe to our newsletter to learn about upcoming information events, writing workshops and application review sessions.
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