Growing up, our founder Meghana Mantravadi watched the small businesses in her neighborhood—the corner deli, the family-run bookstore, the cozy café—slowly disappear, replaced by towering chain stores and impersonal franchises. These weren’t just businesses; they were the heartbeat of the community, places where people knew your name and your order before you even said it. Seeing them struggle and shut down wasn’t just frustrating—it was personal. That’s why she founded Ascent to Progress, to give small businesses the tools they need to survive, adapt, and keep their doors open in a world that too often pushes them out.