About Ascension
Vision. Integrity. Expertise.
Ascension Real Estate was founded by Kellena L.W. Kane, a seasoned real estate developer with two decades of experience leading complex, impactful, and community-focused real estate projects. As the former head of real estate development at a regional, vertically integrated firm, Kellena brings expertise in every facet of the process - concept and ideation, development, construction, design, regulatory approvals, finance, marketing and leasing, and asset management.
​​Ascension Real Estate offers the comprehensive capabilities and deep industry knowledge necessary to solve the most complex real estate issues, as lead developer or as an advisor to your organization. We’re proud to represent our clients in each stage of the real estate process, from analyzing your needs and creating a strategy, to building and managing a team of professionals in design, construction, and capital procurement that brings your dream physical space to reality. Our expertise spans the entire spectrum of product types including traditional office, coworking, retail, restaurants, hospitality, residential, and industrial.
We pride ourselves on fully aligning our objectives with the goals of your business and keeping your best interest at heart. We represent our clients in property site searches, lease or purchase agreement negotiation, contract negotiations, project financial feasibility and financing, development team selection and coordination, design collaboration, owner's representation during construction, and more.
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Want to experience the expertise of Ascension Real Estate for yourself? Contact us today and let’s discuss what we can do for you.
​What sets Ascension apart is our commitment to authenticity and alignment. We approach every project with a clear vision and a deep respect for place, people, and possibility. Our mission is to create spaces that are not only functional but soulful — spaces that promote wellness and connection.
Expertise
As Founder and Owner of Ascension Real Estate, Kellena Kane is the chief visionary and strategist leading all real estate advisory services and development projects.
Kellena is a real estate development professional with 20 years of experience creating innovative places and introducing creative solutions to advance projects in the development process for a variety of real estate product types.
Kellena is an experienced leader and collaborator who infuses her passion for authentic placemaking and joy of experiences into her projects. Her strengths include formulating a high-level vision and strategy, overseeing stress-testing it through market and financial analyses, and then dialing the plan into a tactical approach for implementation.
Kellena's real estate concept ideation leverages her broad range of experience in all product types including but not limited to mixed-use, residential, office, coworking, hospitality, retail, industrial, institutional, and public-private partnerships.
Kellena is well-versed in every stage of the development process including idea inception and concept, acquisition and due diligence, design, financial feasibility, construction, and financing.
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Throughout her career, Kellena has led many development project teams and synthesized the expertise from a multitude of professions including, attorneys, architects, interior designers, construction professionals and contractors, real estate brokers, lenders, equity investors, appraisers, environmental consultants, tax credit consultants, economic development agencies, communities and stakeholders, local and state governments, and the media.
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Experience
A strategic partner, offering clear-eyed insight, creative solutions, and grounded leadership.
Prior to founding Ascension Real Estate, Kellena was the head of Real Estate Development for one of Western New York’s largest real estate companies. In this role, she created, grew and led the real estate development division and oversaw all new development opportunities, acquisitions, and dispositions. She played an integral part in many award-winning projects including earning accolades for Excellence in Mixed-Use Development, Adaptive Re-Use Project of the Year, and Best New Construction Project. Kellena also served on the senior staff team leading intracompany initiatives.
Additionally, Kellena was the co-founder and president of HANSA workspace, a coworking and flex office space in downtown Buffalo. For this venture, she executed a wide range of start-up business tasks including market research, feasibility analysis, business concept, business naming and branding, space design, financing and incentives, construction oversight, staffing, operational procedures, and community programming.
Kellena is a former adjunct professor for University at Buffalo's (UB) Master’s Degree Program in Real Estate Development (RED).
Kellena was selected to join other industry leaders as a member of the Urban Land Institute's (ULI) national Placemaking Council with the mission to advance best practices for placemaking to positively impact communities and promote the creation and activation of inclusive, resilient places. She is also active in the local ULI organization in Buffalo, most recently co-founding a local presence for the Women’s Leadership Initiative (WLI). Other organizations Kellena has had involvement with include: Western New York Women's Foundation Women in Leadership Committee, Advisory Board for the Women's Business Center, Board of Directors of the Chippewa Alliance (a neighborhood improvement organization), and the advisory committee for UB's MSc RED program. She has participated as a member of several regional initiatives including WNY Industrial Real Estate Development Strategy's Incentive Working Group and One Region Forward’s Land Use and Development Working Team.
Kellena holds a MSc in Real Estate Development from Columbia University, and a BA in Economics and a BA in Philosophy from University of Rochester. She has enjoyed living throughout the region - raised in Niagara County and growing up on both Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, a resident of the City of Buffalo for nearly 20 years, and now living in the Southtowns with her family and making summer memories in Chautauqua. Her love for Western New York runs deep, and through her work she is committed to giving back by creating impactful, meaningful places that contribute to the vitality and spirit of the region.
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