About Allie

A 2x exited founder, Allie has dedicated her career to upskilling, empowering, and mentoring early career professionals and students. To help close the skills gap from higher education to employment, Allie created Ampersand, a web-based professional development and training platform, which was acquired by Ascent Funding in 2023. The platform was relaunched as AscentUP, and now serves thousands of learners, corporations, nonprofits, and schools to help the next generation of the workforce build the skills and confidence to thrive.

Allie’s passion for improving accessibility to internships, career skills and mentorship, and increasing the pipeline of talented, diverse candidates in corporations through expanded access to education are the driving forces behind AscentUP. She and her Ascent colleagues share a mission of increasing income for students by $10 billion in five years.

Über Karen

Karen Plotkin is a 25-year veteran of Dell who is currently responsible for Client Solutions Strategy. She joined the strategy team after leading the Americas CSG Sales team for five years. Over the course of her career, Karen has also held multiple roles in sales and marketing including COC leadership, Small Business Sales, Consumer Merchandising and Small Business Marketing.

Karen is happiest at work when she is building winning teams and solving tough problems. She is also passionate about children and giving back to the community. Karen is on the board of Thinkery in Austin and an Executive Sponsor for the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Central and South Texas.

Karen has an MBA from McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin and a BA in Economics from Washington & Lee University.

Über Janine

Janine Wegner ist eine internationale Marketingleiterin, die für die globale Thought-Leadership-Strategie von Dell Technologies verantwortlich ist, um das Unternehmen als Technologievisionär und Innovator zu positionieren. Im letzten Jahrzehnt hat sie die Vision, Strategie und operative Ausrichtung für viele wirkungsvolle Marketingprogramme in lokalen, regionalen und globalen Teams festgelegt. Ihre Erfahrung reicht von digitalem, sozialem, Marken- und Thought-Leadership-Marketing und Kommunikation. Sie leitete außerdem die Strategie für die Unternehmerprogramme von Dell und fungierte als Stabschefin für das Entrepreneur-in-Residence Office. Vor Dell war sie in Marketingfunktionen bei eBay, Philips International und Start-ups tätig.

Janine ist Branchenrednerin und Gastdozentin zu Themen wie Social Media, Influencer Relations, Multi-Channel-Marketing und Thought Leadership. In den Jahren 2020 und 2023 wurde sie von TopRank Marketing zu einer der 20 besten Influencer-Marketing-Experten ernannt, denen man folgen sollte. Janine verfügt über zwei Bachelor- und drei Master-Abschlüsse von Universitäten in vier Ländern. Sie kommt ursprünglich aus Deutschland und lebt derzeit in Austin, Texas, USA.