When most founders scale their companies, conventional wisdom pushes them to hire seasoned professionals, ideally with long resumes and C-suite pedigrees. But for Vasanthan Ramakrishnan, founder of Ascend HSI Advisory Partners, building a 60+ member organization from the ground up meant doing the opposite, betting on freshers.
In early 2023, Ascend was a four-person operation. Today, it serves hundreds of high-skilled immigrants from over ten countries, including multiple Fortune 100 and 500 professionals. And remarkably, over 90% of the company’s foundational team members were hired as their first job out of college.
“I didn’t want people coming in with rigid ideas of how this work should be done,” says Vasanthan. “I wanted people who were mission-driven, teachable, and willing to build something meaningful from scratch.”
The Case for Freshers
Immigration consulting isn’t just paperwork. It’s a delicate process where legal precision meets emotional weight. Clients often come to Ascend at make-or-break moments in their careers and lives. Building a team that could handle this responsibly required something more than experience, it required heart.
“Our field isn’t like SaaS,” Vasanthan says. “It has real consequences. Every email, every document, every timeline could change someone’s life.”
That’s why he built a rigorous onboarding and internal mentorship system. Team members are trained not just in the legal mechanics of EB1A or O-1A visas, but in empathy, communication, and client care. Each team member owns their process, is empowered to make decisions, and is never treated like a cog in the wheel.
Leadership from Within
What makes Ascend unique is not just who they hire, but how they grow them. Instead of layering in managers from the outside, Vasanthan actively promoted team leads from within. Today, nearly 15% of Ascend’s workforce manages direct reports, all having started with no prior industry experience.
“Leadership isn’t just a skillset, it’s a mindset,” Vasanthan explains. “I believed our people could lead if they were taught to care deeply, think critically, and communicate clearly.”
The bet paid off. Ascend has grown at 50% quarter-over-quarter for the past several quarters. With zero dollars spent on client acquisition, the company runs entirely on referrals and word of mouth, a rarity in today’s market.
Creating a Culture of Ownership
What makes the model work isn’t just training, it’s trust. Team members are given end-to-end ownership of the client journey. “They don’t need to wait for a manager’s sign-off to do the right thing,” says Vasanthan. “They’re empowered to act in the client’s best interest.”
This culture has allowed Ascend to stay agile even as it scaled. Processes that once took 5x the time of traditional firms have now been streamlined without sacrificing quality, thanks to institutional knowledge that’s been built slowly and intentionally.
Lessons from the Journey
Of course, this approach isn’t without its challenges. Freshers need a high-touch training environment. Mistakes are inevitable. But for Vasanthan, the long-term gain is worth the short-term lift.
“There were moments where I was personally helping team members navigate not just work challenges, but even life and family decisions,” he recalls. “That’s how close-knit we were, and still are.” This bond has become part of the company’s DNA. It’s what clients feel. It’s what fuels referrals. And it’s what sustains Ascend’s growth.
A Vision That’s Scaling
Now with global expansion plans into Canada and parts of Europe, Vasanthan continues to invest in his people-first model. “As we scale, I don’t want to become a company that forgets where it started. Every new team we build, every new service line, has to carry the same soul.”
Vasanthan expands on these principles in his new book, “Success DNA: Mastering Persistence in Leadership and Life,” which topped Amazon bestseller charts in June 2025. The book is a playbook not just for founders, but for anyone building something from values, not vanity. Readers can find the book on Amazon, or connect with Vasanthan on LinkedIn. He is also listed on Crunchbase where he is actively ranked among global startup founders.
For Vasanthan, it’s clear: experience is important, but conviction is priceless. “Freshers reminded me of what belief looks like. And when belief is trained, mentored, and empowered, it becomes unstoppable.”
