A phrase our founder lived by became a program inside our walls. Today it becomes the Ascend Institute — a separate nonprofit built to carry this work across Genesee County, Michigan, and beyond.
Flint didn't just give NorthGate a place to operate — it gave us purpose. Somewhere along the way that purpose stretched past packaging and supply chain into the lives of the people who show up for us every day.
Our founder Jack Goggins lived by two words. Not a pep talk — a conviction. Be ready for the opportunity in front of you. Be ready for the moment you didn't see coming. Be ready, because life doesn't wait for you to catch up. He said it to his kids, to his team, to anyone who would listen.
Eventually the phrase became a framework. Built inside NorthGate as an employee enrichment initiative, it was designed to meet people where they are and walk alongside them as they grow — grounded in the idea that no one reaches their potential while their basic needs go unmet.
The framework works — not in theory, but with real people right here in Flint. People who came looking for a job have grown into leaders here, moving from the floor to the front of the room. That result belongs to more than one company, so the work is moving outward as its own nonprofit.
People arrive carrying real weight and leave with direction, confidence, and a sense of what's possible. It happens when someone is given the tools, the support, and the belief that they are capable of more.
What ran for years as Be Ready Enrichment Services now stands on its own as the Ascend Institute, a separate nonprofit with its own structure and its own mandate. The pathways are unchanged; what changes is who can walk them.
The Institute begins its work in Genesee County, expands across Michigan, and is built to reach further than that. NorthGate backs the transition in full.
Three stages, taken in order: stabilize what's unsteady, build the capacity to move, then step into leadership. Free to every NorthGate employee, and now available to other organizations through the Ascend Institute.
Meets foundational needs — the practical, immediate things that stabilize a person's life and create the footing to move forward.
A deeper journey — a course that builds self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and professional readiness in a way that genuinely changes how someone thinks and operates.
The final stage — where transformation becomes purpose, and individuals step into leadership, opportunity, and the kind of growth that ripples outward into their families and communities.
Success here is measured by the stories our team tells — not the hours logged.
“This training inspired me to change how I operate in both my professional and personal life. I’ve been encouraged to address difficult situations head on and always be looking for ways to be the thermostat and not the thermometer.”
“I have the ability to set the tone for every scenario in my life and I’m capable of changing the atmosphere with my attitude and approach, no matter the circumstance.”
“I feel like I have another family here, and that makes coming to work much more comfortable. Knowing that my team has my back and supports me just as much as they want my support.”
The Ascend Institute is open to employers, funders, and neighbors who share its conviction about people. Four ways to take part.
