Withum, a top advisory and accounting firm, is joining The Ascend Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit Pan-Asian organization primarily engaged in research with a mission to advocate, enable and assist Pan-Asians in North America to become the leaders of today and tomorrow.
The fabric of Withum’s unique corporate culture is rooted in its team members and the unique perspectives and experiences they bring to work every day.
“By embracing the power of the intersections of our team members’ identities and diverse backgrounds, we achieve greater understanding, respect and strength. We are proud to make this pledge and support inclusion, standing with the Pan-Asian community against all forms of hate and prejudice.”
Bill Hagaman
Managing Partner and CEO, Withum
Deepening its commitment to upholding these beliefs and values, Withum joined the movement to #AscendTogether on a 5-Point Action Agenda to promote inclusion and stand together to address the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable groups.
“Becoming a signatory of Ascend’s 5 Point Action Agenda affirms Withum’s commitment to Inclusion & Diversity and the firm’s value-driven culture. This statement is a call to action for each of us, everywhere, every day, to be an upstander to end hate and act with empathy and understanding.”
Bill Bradshaw
Director of Inclusion and Diversity, Withum
Ascend is the largest, non-profit Pan-Asian organization for business professionals in North America. Its mission is to enable its members, corporate partners, and the professional Pan-Asian community to leverage the leadership and global business potential of Pan-Asian professionals worldwide. In response to the rise of anti-Asian sentiment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ascend, along with an assembly of nine partnering organizations, joined forces to establish an action response that calls upon businesses to stand together and denounce hatred, discrimination and xenophobia against the Pan-Asian community.
As stated on Ascend’s pledge page, “We are all in this together; now more than ever, we need to ascend to the challenges before us and rebuild a whole post-crisis world. Together, our organizations and Supporting Companies will act to catalyze progress for our resilient future.”
Withum stands among over 100 supporting businesses who pledge to uphold the 5-Point Action Agenda conceived by Ascend, Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), Catalyst, The Conference Board, Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), National Organization on Disability (NOD), Out & Equal and Tanenbaum.
