INTENTIONAL ASCENTBY DESIGN
Mentoring and coaching for women in tech and beyond

Advancement has rules. Most were never written down.

Practical, personal mentoring from a technology executive, for women who want to advance their careers, communicate their value, and make difficult decisions with confidence.

Book a complimentary intro call Request the brochure
CAREER/PRESENCE/CHOICES/WEALTH
If this sounds familiar

You know you're capable of more.

Much of what drives advancement is learned informally, through experience, access, or the right people in your corner: how workplace dynamics operate, how to negotiate, how to build long-term financial independence. That knowledge should not depend on who happens to be in your network. Intentional Ascent makes it practical, personal, and accessible.

Make the invisible visible.
Turn insight into action.

You do excellent work, and it isn't recognized the way it should be.
You sense the unwritten rules, but no one has explained them.
You're ready for more, and not sure what the next move is.

Mentoring, not generic coaching.

Perspective from the inside

Twenty-six years as a technology executive, not advice from outside the rooms where decisions are made.

Structured preparation

A clear method, talking points, and rehearsal, so you walk into the real moment ready.

Tools you keep

Frameworks you can use again, so you build your own judgment instead of relying on a mentor.

The four pillars

Where we work together.

Each pillar starts with a challenge you may recognize and ends with something practical you can use.

01CAREER

Make your experience count.

Navigate transitions, advancement, and organizational dynamics. Build a narrative that makes your experience compelling, and advocate for the role you want.

02PRESENCE

Make your value visible.

Strengthen executive communication, influence, and visibility. Prepare for high-stakes moments, from interviews to promotion conversations.

03CHOICES

Stop operating on autopilot.

Step back, weigh tradeoffs, and set boundaries, so your choices reflect your values and priorities rather than pressure or expectation.

04WEALTH

Turn earnings into options.

Build financial literacy and understand compensation, tradeoffs, and long-term planning, so your decisions support flexibility and the life you want.

Wealth topics are educational mentoring, not individualized financial or investment advice.

A method you can use

From insight to meaningful progress.

Not every barrier is internal. Some are structural, and we treat them that way. The part within your control is how you prepare, communicate, and decide, and that is where deliberate practice pays off.

01Identify

Name the real challenge. What do you want, what does it require, and what do you not yet know?

Example: preparing for a promotion conversation.

02Reframe

Separate facts from fear. Distinguish facts from fear-driven beliefs, and explore other interpretations and options.

Are you unprepared, or unsure how to show the value you already bring?

03Practice

Prepare for the real moment. Develop talking points, gather evidence of impact, anticipate objections, and rehearse.

Example: rehearsing the promotion conversation.

04Compound

Build on what works. Reflect on what you learned, capture takeaways, and build on them through practice over time.

Example: deciding what to do after the conversation.

The value is not simply talking through a problem. It is turning the conversation into preparation, action, and learning you can use again.

Meet your mentor

Sumaya Shakir

Technology executive, mentor, and advocate for women's growth and leadership

I've spent 26 years in technology, product, and digital transformation, building teams, leading large programs, and navigating complex organizations. I've learned firsthand that doing excellent work is only part of advancing a career. How you communicate your value, navigate relationships, and make intentional choices matters too.

WHY I MENTOR

Many of the lessons that shaped my career took years of trial and error to learn. I want women to learn them sooner, with intention and support. I combine practical executive perspective with structured questions, preparation, and real-world practice, tailored to you.

The goal is not to become someone else. It is to build the skills, perspective, and self-trust to navigate your own challenges authentically.

A closer look

From overlooked to promoted.

She had a doctorate and four years at a Fortune 100 company. She was good at her job, and she was known mainly as the person who got tasks done. No promotion. No raise.

01 IDENTIFY

We named what she wanted plainly: the promotion she had earned, and the evidence required to make the case for it.

02 REFRAME

The gap was not her capability. It was how her contribution was being understood: as tasks completed, rather than ownership and business impact.

03 PRACTICE

We worked on how she communicated recommendations, claimed ownership of outcomes, and gathered evidence for the next level.

04 COMPOUND

She carried the new approach into her day-to-day work, and into the conversation that mattered.

She was promoted within three months.After four years without a promotion or a raise.
Real progress. Real stories.

More ways women have made progress.

From data science manager to director

CHALLENGEShe had strong strategic instincts, but held back her ideas, afraid they were not good enough. She wanted to be more visible and confident.

WHAT WE WORKED ONWe identified the behaviors keeping her expertise out of view, practiced how she presented and networked, developed a signature presentation style, and built a roadmap for her next level.

She secured her first director opportunity.

From project management to product management

CHALLENGEShe wanted to move into product management, which meant repositioning her experience for a different career path.

WHAT WE WORKED ONWe bridged her experience to the expectations of product management and prepared her to present herself for the roles she wanted.

She moved into product management and doubled her salary within six months.

From project manager to director of PMO

CHALLENGEA highly capable technology project manager who was ready to grow into a more senior role.

WHAT WE WORKED ONWe identified the skills and credentials that would strengthen her readiness and built a practical development plan.

She earned a relevant certification and moved into a director of PMO role.

From entrepreneur to corporate positioning

CHALLENGEAfter a decade as a serial entrepreneur, she wanted to move into corporate roles and describe that experience in terms hiring teams recognize.

WHAT WE WORKED ONWorking remotely by text, we reframed her entrepreneurial work in corporate language and connected her experience to the roles she wanted.

She left with a clear framework for positioning her background.

From burnout to intentional priorities

CHALLENGEShe was struggling to manage competing priorities and often felt burned out.

WHAT WE WORKED ONPrioritization: distinguishing what mattered most, streamlining commitments, and learning to say no respectfully.

She gained practical tools for setting boundaries and making deliberate choices.

From strong earnings to financial independence

CHALLENGEAlready earning well, she wanted long-term financial freedom but had limited knowledge of saving, investing, and compounding.

WHAT WE WORKED ONEducational mentoring on how compounding works, why intentional saving matters, and general savings and investing concepts.

Within two years she bought her first home, and she is working toward early financial independence.

Names and identifying details have been changed. Outcomes reflect many factors beyond mentoring, are individual, and are not guaranteed.

Working together

Support when you need it.

Start with what you need right now. You don't need to commit to a package or have your career figured out. We work together for as long as our sessions provide value, and the goal is to strengthen your judgment so you can navigate on your own.

FOCUS SESSION
60minutes

One topic, worked through together, with clear next steps.

BEST FOR
  • A decision you are weighing
  • A conversation you are preparing for
  • A problem that needs a second set of eyes
YOU LEAVE WITH

A focused view of your options, a decision framework, and a clear next step.

DEEP DIVE
90minutes

Room to practice, not just talk.

BEST FOR
  • Interview preparation
  • Rehearsing your career story
  • A negotiation plan
  • A bigger reframe of where you're headed
YOU LEAVE WITH

Practiced talking points, a clear negotiating position, and a career story told with confidence.

PricingSession pricing is included in the brochure. Email to request the latest copy.
Follow-up supportEach session includes up to two follow-up emails within seven days for brief questions.
Growing over timeGrowth works best before a setback forces it. Ask about returning-client options on your intro call.
Get started

A simple first step.

A complimentary 30-minute conversation to explore your goals, your challenges, and whether there is a good fit. No pressure, just an honest conversation.

01

Share your goal, challenge, or decision.

02

Explore where mentoring could help.

03

Decide the next step together.

You don't have to figure out the next move alone.

Email me a sentence or two about what you're working on. I'll reply with times for your intro call, and the brochure with current pricing.

EMAIL
[email protected]
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LINKEDIN linkedin.com/in/sumayashakir