Matthias Helfen

Director of Operations + Partnerships at Ascendant

Brooklyn, New York, United States

About

Communities will cultivate sustainability when there is a holistic understanding of how to bring together a multitude of diverse players under a shared vision. Through mediation and community engagement best practices, we can encourage common goals and facilitate community-led empowerment and growth.

Experience

  • Ascendant Neighborhood Development (Full-time · 6 yrs 4 mos)
    • Director of Operations & Partnerships
      Feb 2025 - Present · 1 yr 6 mos

    • Director of Communications + Partnerships
      Oct 2023 - Jul 2025 · 1 yr 10 mos

      • Leading website development and management, including interactive resident services portals and virtual neighborhood resource libraries • Orchestrating community press briefs, newsletter publications, fundraising campaigns, and social media initiatives • Spearheading fundraising campaigns and gala events, ensuring seamless coordination of community partnerships, corporate donor relations, and resource distribution to neighborhood stakeholders • Extending expertise to the Landmark East Harlem coalition (LEH), enhancing its digital presence to offer interactive heritage conservation resources to East Harlem residents • Amplifying Ascendant's commitment to transparency and community engagement through strategic initiatives • Building upon a background in community advocacy for affordable housing and equitable systems creation • Crafting transparent and inclusive narratives that foster robust relationships with residents and community stakeholders in Northern Manhattan

    • Communications & Neighborhood Engagement Manager
      Apr 2020 - Nov 2023 · 3 yrs 8 mos

      • Leading digital and print communication and media outreach strategies • Website development and management, community press briefs, fundraising campaigns, media outreach • Producing transparent and inclusive narratives to cultivate AND’s relationships with the residents and community stakeholders of Northern Manhattan

  • Community Development Consultant at Cultivate Community Connections
    May 2012 - Present · 14 yrs 3 mos

    • Mediator and facilitator of mulit-sector relationships to increase community input and communications with municipal agencies, NGOs, and for-profit development firms. • Digital outreach specialist, incorporating inclusive UX design and participatory interfacing for community service providers.

  • Urban Garden Manager, Community Liaison at Crema Coffeehouse
    Aug 2018 - Oct 2019 · 1 yr 3 mos

    • Re-purposing vacant urban lot for high-intensity, low-input farming • Designing, planning & implementing restaurant’s garden programming • Coordinating, supporting & training garden workers & volunteers • Running seasonal workshops: composting, vertical gardens, irrigation • Creating DIY project-base curriculum for holistic permiculture

  • Research Coordinator at ELGL
    Dec 2017 - Feb 2019 · 1 yr 3 mos

    • Engaging municipal leaders while spreading awareness of diversity in local government leadership through development of the Diversity Dashboard, an open source platform to encourage transparency within local government leadership roles • Pitching, researching & writing blog posts to translate demography narratives • Data analyst and content creator for Open Gov database portal

  • The Guest House Colorado (Carbondale, Colorado)
    • Sustainable Policy & Engagement Consultant
      Jan 2018 - Sep 2018 · 9 mos

      • Incorporating regional economic policies & sustainable agriculture development for local ranchers diversifying economic outputs • Community project coordinator and policy educator to Roaring Fork Valley residents • Establishing and incorporating 501c3 for educational/research + regional resources for artisans & producers • Initiating relationship-building to internal and external parties for resource allocation

    • Project Manager
      Nov 2017 - Aug 2018 · 10 mos

      • Providing support for day-to-day administrative tasks, key initiatives and projects • Initiating Collective Impact strategic development to internal and external parties • Organizing meetings and presentations for Guest House workers, ranchers, farmers, and external community stakeholders • Performing all related administrative duties, including: developing agendas and meeting materials organizing conference calls, planning events and visits, note taking, and copy-editing