Grow Your Community
in Our Forest
Our Story
We formed Ascendant Communities after years of experience helping to build and grow successful business enterprises and brand communities, as well as advising top business and political leadership to help create policy and prosperity.
Our passion and commitment is helping to reverse the trends affecting nearly every Vermont community by revitalizing the downtown areas, growing residency and attracting new business investment and growth. We are skilled in facilitation of committee-based and volunteer organizational projects and development.
Our Team
Jim Giberti
Jim is a brilliant strategist, tactician and an accomplished writer, filmmaker and producer. As president and creative director of The Imagination Company, he helps create the vision and build the brands of communities, corporations and organizations, big and small. Jim has acted as an trusted advisor to political and business leaders and created the messaging for political campaigns from state senate to governor. As a writer, director and producer in digital and traditional media, Jim’s work has won numerous awards from over a dozen national Silver Microphones for best radio, to Print Annual’s Best In American Design, to a shelf full of Tellys for best TV in several categories. Jim also owns and operates Imagination Farm.
Kristen Smith
Kristen graduated magna cum laude from Connecticut College and London School of Economics with a degree in international relations. Rather than pursue a career in government, she became a founding partner in what would become one of New England’s most unique communications firms – The Imagination Company. In over 25 years as vice president, media and web director, Kristen has developed and managed communications strategies for some of the most prominent brands in the region as well as for regional and statewide political campaigns. She’s also owns Imagination Farm, a 200-acre Morgan Horse farm in Central Vermont that’s home to the Imagination Company offices, and studios.