Ascendant’s team supporting the U.S. Department of Commerce once again rose to the occasion in May by delivering a memorable 2026 SelectUSA Investment Summit. The Investment Summit catalyzed more than $56 billion in new and planned investment commitments in the United States and brought together 5,500+ attendees, including 2,700 international delegates from more than 100 international markets.  

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Ten years ago, Ascendant’s support for SelectUSA began with their Investment Research team. Since then, our team of analysts has delivered hundreds of tailored research reports for foreign companies supporting over $12 billion in investments into the United States.  In 2020, our work expanded to support their Investment Services team where we play an integral role in developing and managing SelectUSA’s pipeline of foreign investment opportunities across markets and critical industries.  Since 2022, Ascendant has also played a critical role supporting SelectUSA’s Programs and Events and Communications teams, providing project management for all aspects of the Investment Summit and year-round programming, as well as graphic design, website, social media, and e-communications to engage SelectUSA’s stakeholders.   

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The Ascendant team played an integral role in the delivery of the Investment Summit, from recruiting hundreds of speakers and drafting dozens of briefing papers to developing signage and social media packages, organizing the exhibition hall, coordinating match-making, and even arranging for the star of the show – a bald eagle named Lincoln – to make an appearance at the SelectUSA Celebrates America’s 250 reception. Ascendant delivered anything and everything for this year’s Investment Summit. 

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“The Ascendant team provided a structure to deliver through the chaos” said Ascendant Partner Christina Avgerinos.  “The work across research, investment services, events, and communications was more integrated than ever before. Together, this team delivers to a higher standard every year.” 

 

Under Secretary for International Trade William Kimmitt commended the work that goes into putting on the Investment Summit, “It’s also worth underscoring again an important point from my remarks: SelectUSA is not a four-day event. It’s a year-round effort.” He went on to give specific shoutouts to Ascendant Senior Project Managers Haley Beckett and Hannah Pryor for their outstanding work in support of the Investment Summit.  

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Another SelectUSA Investment Summit in the books, and Ascendant once again demonstrated creativity, expertise, and calm reliability under pressure in helping to promote foreign direct investment in the United States.