How First Ascent Group Unified Operations and Drove Leadership Excellence with Kinabase

Handling dozens of bespoke leadership programmes without a central hub was draining time and risking dropped details across teams and clients.

First Ascent Group rolled every workflow - programme delivery, finance, marketing and more - into Kinabase, using automations and reporting to streamline tasks and keep data in one place.

Based in Cambridge, First Ascent Group is a science-led consultancy group offering bespoke-designed solutions that tackle individual, team, and organisational challenges. With their unique focus on contemporary brain science, psychology, and social analytics, First Ascent Group are a pioneering force for credible research driving leadership change.

First Ascent Group bring a fresh perspective to leadership training; there's a real emphasis on bridging the gap between contemporary learning and lasting organisational change. Programs - designed to deliver measurable outcomes - are curated through a rigorous process of analysis, design, and effective delivery.

For a company whose mission is to help others operate at their best, First Ascent Group knew they needed the same for their own processes.

Balancing the ongoing curation and delivery of bespoke programs also meant delegating multiple tasks, communicating with clients, and maintaining a rigorous attention to detail across the team.

And without a centralised system to bring cohesion to their operations, the strain was beginning to show.

First Ascent Group needed a solution that would centralise and streamline their operations, capable of handling a constant flow of collaboration, development, and delivery. We wanted to empower the team to focus on what mattered most to them: empowering their clients.

First Ascent Group's partnership with our parent company, Cambridge Kinetics, began back in 2017 with the implementation of a bespoke CRM. This was the first step taken by the company towards digitising their systems, and quickly became referred to as an "operational bible".

When Kinabase launched, First Ascent Group recognised an opportunity to take things further. We've designed Kinabase with digital evolution in mind, and First Ascent Group testified that its flexibility, intuitiveness, and powerful features have allowed them to curate a system that suits them.

Of all the features Kinabase offers, First Ascent Group have found automations to be the most transformative for their operations, streamlining their planning processes and freeing up valuable time across the organisation.

Reporting features have also brought clarity into their operations, allowing them to continue making data-driven decisions, with even more confidence. "Efficiency and productivity have not only been maintained but improved," Kylie noted.

The platform has also made it straightforward to onboard new staff, with Kylie noting that "upskilling new team members has been straightforward."

Today, the Kinabase platform is used across every aspect of First Ascent Group, from programme delivery and task management to marketing, invoicing, and KPI tracking. Our platform brings together each process and piece of data into a singular, cohesive system.

Every department relies on Kinabase - Operations, Project Management, Marketing, Finance, and Business Development - providing better cohesiveness across the organisation.

When we asked if they would recommend Kinabase, First Ascent Group didn’t hesitate:

We're proud to have built such a collaborative relationship with this unique organisation - one that goes beyond delivering software, and provides empowering solutions that solve genuine business needs.

As First Ascent Group looks to the future, we’re delighted they feel they’re in safe hands with Kinabase, and we’re equally proud to support their growth and success as part of their journey.