The Ascend Austin Series is a private, invitation-only retreat held at the Renaissance Austin Arboretum in Austin, Texas. Over three carefully designed days, a curated cohort of eight founders, executives, creators, and curious minds steps out of the noise of daily life and into an experience built for clarity, mastery, and genuine connection.
This retreat was created for high-performing people who are often the most under-served when it comes to unstructured reflection and peer-level accountability, the operators, builders, and quiet powerhouses who carry enormous responsibility and rarely get the space to step back, be honest, and think deeply alongside people who understand the weight they hold.
Each cohort moves through a structured arc: arrival and grounding on Friday, depth and mastery on Saturday, and integration on Sunday. Mornings begin with movement and breathwork; days unfold with facilitated sessions on clarity, habituations, and craft; evenings open into curated Austin dining and fireside conversation. Every detail, from lodging to meals, wellness, and nightlife, is fully hosted.
The experience is co-led by Stephan K Thieringer and Spencer Schwab. Stephan is a founder and operator who has spent two decades studying what separates those who merely succeed from those who ascend. Spencer is a coach and Holographic Sound Healer who works at the intersection of consciousness, sound, and transformation. Together they hold the room so guests can do the real work, the kind that rarely happens alone.