Stay Connected with Forté Foundation in the Future

2009 Forté MBA Women’s Conference
Reinvent. Reinvest. Realize.
Read about highlights from the MBA Women's Conference!

Thank you to those who participated in the recent 2009 Forté MBA Women’s Conference! This year’s conference brought together some of the most talented and inspiring women business leaders from around the world. Not only did the conference facilitate networking amongst the MBA Women attending, but provided you with exposure to a progressive network of companies and an unrivaled agenda of speakers and sessions.

We hope that your experience at the conference inspires you to reinvent your success, reinvest in yourself, and realize your vision!

Read more below to learn about conference highlights and
how to stay involved with the Forté Foundation post-conference.

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Tell Us What You Think
If you haven’t done so already, please take a few minutes and fill out the Conference Feedback Questionnaire. Your opinion is important to us—your feedback helps us with programming and logistics planning for next year’s conference! Click here to get started: MBA Women's Conference Questionnaire. If you were unable to attend the MBA Women's Conference, please answer the questions that apply to you.

Upcoming Events
Meet & Greet with Intel Online
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 - 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
Join Intel for a 1-hour online Meet & Greet webinar. Learn about Intel Finance Opportunities and ask questions to a panel of Intel Finance women. They will discuss a typical career path at Intel, the corporate culture, and share day-in-the-life insights and benefits. Get a head start on your job search and meet Intel this summer!
Click here to sign up!

Sign Up for the MBA Women's Conference Blog
Continue to stay connected with fellow attendees by participating in the MBA Women's Conference blog. Receive regular post-conference updates from Forté, hear from other MBA Women on their experience at the conference, and share your experiences and learnings from the event. Click here to subscribe by email.


Click here to view the most recent blog entries.

Give Us a Call
We want to hear from you! Tell us what you thought of the MBA Women’s Conference. Please give us your constructive criticism and compliments. Call the Forté Feedback line at (512) 961-7077. Please note this is a message system only your call will not be answered or returned.

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View pictures captured at the MBA Women's Conference! Interested in sharing your own pictures taken while at the conference? Email them to jessica@fortefoundation.org
Thank you!

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Presenter Publications

It’s Not A Glass Ceiling, It’s A Sticky Floor: Free Yourself from the Hidden Behaviors Sabotaging your Career Success
by Rebecca Shambaugh, Shambaugh Leadership (MBA Women's Conference participants receive free shipping. Contact Paul Trinidad at 212.697.3249. Shipping courtesy of Barnes & Noble)

Lessons from a Recovering Worker Bee
by Dustin Dumas Weeks

Collaborative Competition™: A Woman’s Guide to
Succeeding by Competing
by Kathryn Mayer,
KC Mayer Consulting

Double Outsiders: How Women of Color can Succeed in Corporate America
by Jessica Faye Carter of
Women Suite

Conference Reminders - See You This Week

We look forward to seeing you at the Forté MBA Women's Conference this Friday in New York City. To help make your experience at the conference a success, please review the information below.

Click here to see the Schedule of Events.

What to Bring
Please bring business cards and your resume to share with company representatives and attendees.

Cell Phones Welcomed
Please remember to bring your cell phone. You will have the opportunity to take part in real-time surveys related to conference sessions on Saturday. The results of these polls will be used to guide the lunchtime discussion.

Location:
Kimmel Center
60 Washington Square South
New York, New York 10012 (Map)
Note: Registration and Check-in will be in the first floor lobby.

Attire
Dress for the MBA Women's Conference is business attire.

A Look Inside the Other MBA - My Big Apple

The beauty of this year’s 2009 Forté MBA Women’s Conference is that I don’t even need to leave home to meet all of you! A heartfelt welcome to New York City from a 3-year New York “veteran” and soon-to-be Ann Arbor resident at the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business (GO BLUE!)

As a “foodie,” random experience seeker, and pizza fanatic, I’ve explored the city quite a bit since moving here in 2006. Since it’s a known fact that New Yorkers love voicing their opinions, I thought I’d share some of my favorite places and resources in case you have some free time to explore the city.

A few notes:

1) I have included noteworthy spots within or close to the East Village area (since the conference is at NYU), as well as other attractions that are worth the trip outside our immediate proximity.

2) Given my tendency to go overboard when providing recommendations, I’ve narrowed this list down to five to ten of my favorites in several categories. Please send me an email if you would like further recommendations!

3) An additional list at the bottom includes several New York City visitor’s guides and resources if you would like to explore other attractions.

4) Lastly, I have created a custom Google Map, which plots out all of the places on this list.

Please feel free to email me with any questions at alvh@umich.edu. Enjoy – looking forward to seeing you all at the end of June!

Best,

Allison Van Houten
University of Michigan, Ross School of Business
2011 MBA Candidate and Forté Fellow

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My Big Apple (MBA) List

1) How do I get around NYC?

• Take the subway.
  
• Get easy subway and bus directions.
  
• Find out the difference between the East Village and TriBeCa with a neighborhood map of NYC.
  
• How much is a cab from here to there? (FYI - You can’t call for a yellow cab – you have to hail one. If the light on top of the cab is on, that means it is available.)
  
• Find a clean public restroom.
  
  

2) Where can I find a good meal?

• Two international favorites include Venezuelan arepas at Caracas Arepa Bar (East Village) and the pork buns at Momofuku Ssam Bar (East Village).
  
• Choose your favorite burger between two of the city’s best: Shake Shack (Gramercy) and Corner Bistro (West Village.)
  
• You can’t go wrong with Spanish tapas at Boqueria (Gramercy) or Tía Pol (Chelsea).
  
• For a more upscale (read: expensive) and amazing dining experience, try Mario Batali’s Babbo (West Village, Italian) and Daniel Boulud’s Daniel (Upper East Side, French).
  
  

2) Where do I grab a great New York slice?

• Get an artichoke or clam slice at Artichoke Pizza (East Village, No Seating)
  
• Meet Domenico De Marco at DiFara’s – he whips up a slice full of fresh basil, tomatoes, and extra-virgin olive oil. (Brooklyn; Relatively far out, but it’s the best pizza in the city and worth the trip!)
  
• Cross the Brooklyn Bridge (or take the subway) to Grimaldi’s (Brooklyn - see section 5); Note: Line on long days, no reservations)
  
• Enjoy a brick-oven pie at Lombardi’s. (Soho)
  
• Try Waldy’s for the best thin crust. (Chelsea)
  
• Enjoy a classic Margherita at John’s on Bleeker (West Village)
  

3) Where should I drink?

• McSorely’s Old Ale House (East Village) – Choose from two varieties of beer (“Light” and “Dark”) at the city’s oldest continuously operated saloon (since 1854), complete with sawdust-covered floors.
  
• Crocodile Lounge (East Village) – Buy a beer, get a free pizza. Enough said.
  
• Terroir – 24-seat wine bar serving Italian small plates.
  
• Spitzer’s Corner (Lower East Side) – 80 international beers and a cool, casual atmosphere
  
• Welcome to the Johnson’s (Lower East Side) – a favorite dive bar. Seventies-inspired plastic-covered couches. Ms. PacMan. $2 PBRs.
• The Frying Pan (Chelsea) – An old lightship converted into a bar/restaurant with fantastic views of the city; Great outdoor spot.
  
• Flatiron Lounge (Flatiron) – Great cocktails in an elegant atmosphere.
  
• The Beer Garden Tour: Try these three for excellent German and Czech beers: Zum Schneider (East Village; Indoor space), Loreley (Lower East Side, Indoor & Outdoor spaces), and Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden (Astoria, Queens; Outdoor space – by far the best!)
  
  

4) Where do I go when I crave dessert?

• Indulge in the famous hot chocolate (and other goodies) at City Bakery. (Flatiron)
  
• Get the “Compost Cookie” and “Marshmallow Cereal Milk” soft serve at Momofuku Bakery & Milk Bar. (East Village)
  
• Order awesome sundaes at The Smith. (East Village)
  
• Choose from over 100 cakes and pies at the French-inspired Café Lalo. (Upper West Side)
  
• Grab one of the city’s best cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery. (West Village)
  
  

5) Where should I go if I want to do something besides eat?

• Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge (then eat pizza at Grimaldi’s and ice cream at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory.)
  
• Go for a run in Central Park.
  
• Buy TKTS discounted Broadway tickets.
  
• Touch a dino egg and see the stars at the Museum of Natural History.
  
• Watch a Mets game and eat a Shake Shack burger at Citi Field.
  
• Seek inspiration at MoMA.
  
• Shop.
  

6) What if I don’t like any of Allison’s suggestions?

• New York Magazine Visitor’s Guide
  
• NYC GO Visitor’s Guide
  
• NYC For Free
  
  

Top Ten Things for You to Noodle on Before the MBA Conference

1) Set a few concrete, specific goals for yourself and work towards it. Come home with X number of new contacts. Talk to Y companies. Come home with Z number of business cards. I find that if you are intentional about your desired end state, you are much more likely to reach it!
2) Know thyself 1: What are the characteristics of work that you have enjoyed or not enjoyed in the past? What trends exist? How do those align/not align with your future opportunities? What should you try to avoid?
3) Know thyself 2: What are you looking for in a career? How do you derive satisfaction? Some vectors to consider are: Daily Challenge, Work Life Effectiveness, Investment in your Continued Development, Social Welfare, Upward Mobility, Stability, Entrepreneurial Spirit. If you had to force rank these what is the order today? What do you foresee the order being in 5 years? How do those align with where you are thinking you want to go?
4) Know thyself 3: People talk about their 30 sec pitch a lot. My test for that is – does your pitch convey your personal style? Does your passion come out? Said another way – if you heard someone give your 30 sec pitch, would you want to learn more?! J
5) Know thyself 4: If you find yourself putting off something or not “getting out there”, ask yourself why. What are you afraid of? Try to get to the root of the issue and address it head on. You might try talking to one of your new friends at the conference about what you are experiencing/ feeling.
6) Network not only with corporate contacts, but also with your peers. Your peers will be a fantastic resource in a few years. Don’t overlook this wonderful opportunity.
7) Network in a way that lays the foundation for a future relationship. Ask for contact information or a business card, write a few things from your conversation on the back of the card. Try to capture personal information like children, hometown, and points of connection. Follow up the conference with an email and use your notes to make the email meaningful.
8) When talking to companies about Work Life Effectiveness programs such as extended maternity leave, flexible work hours or work weeks, inquire not only about the presence of these programs, but also ask about the percentage of people who take advantage of them. Employees’ behavior is the best measure as to whether the program is vibrant and socially accepted in the corporate culture.
9) When trying to understand a company’s receptivity to diversity initiatives and programs, it is helpful to understand what they are doing that is new and different. Are programs mature? Is there a culture of experimentation and innovation as new issues arise?
10) When you think about which companies you’d like to work for, think about the questions above and how what they offer aligns with your desires for today, as well as how those desires might change 5 and 10 year s from now. Any observations? What are the implications?

Melissa Evers-Hood is a Finance Manager at Intel in their Software and Services Group. Her current role is to manage the financial direction for divisions spanning Intel’s externally facing enabling work for partners, including Moblin.org. Prior to this role, Melissa has worked at several other roles in Intel, Dell in Corporate Finance, and ExxonMobil as an engineer and emergency responder. She holds a BS in Civil Engineering and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin. Evers-Hood also leads the Female Pipeline Initiative for Finance and Diversity Recruitment team. She is a parent of two young children and has a passion for community engagement.

Deadline to Submit Your Resume -- This Friday!

Maximize your time at the conference and submit your resume today!
Forté will compile a Resume Book of those registered for the conference and send it to Forté companies 1 week prior to the Forté MBA Women’s Conference.

Please use the following directions to upload your resume--Note: the deadline is Friday!

Step 1: All Users - Click here to access our Job Center Resume Database.
Step 2: New Users - Please complete your profile and upload your resume per the instructions. In the profile section, be sure to answer the required question in red letters: “Are you attending the 2009 Forté MBA Women’s Conference?”
Step 3: Existing Users - Enter your account information to log in and then click “profile.” Scroll down and select “Detailed Profile” and click “edit” next to “Forte MBA Women’s Conference Attendance.” Select “yes” and click on “save” at the bottom of the page. If your resume or other profile details have changed, please update.

Deadline to submit your resume: Friday, June 5. (that's this Friday!)

IMPORTANT: Both new and existing users of the Job Center need to follow these instructions. Note--The job center database requires a different user name and password than the Forté web site.

Corporate Chess: Master the Rules. Meet The Players. Play to Win.

Navigating the corporate world is similar to playing a high-level game of chess.  It requires not only career strategies and technical proficiency, but also a sophisticated understanding of relationships and their limitations.

Managing all of these moving pieces in addition to a full-time job can be daunting, to say the least. And for many women, these challenges are compounded by a lack of access to inside information that could help them improve their professional prospects.

My session, Corporate Chess, will help participants make sense of the corporate world and more effectively manage their corporate careers by providing insight into the: i) "unspoken rules" of corporate contexts, ii) key people/personalities at work, and iii) successful strategies for career advancement.  After getting acquainted with the underpinnings of corporate success, participants will apply their knowledge to hypothetical workplace situations.

I am thrilled to be participating in Forte's 2009 MBA Women's Conference, and encourage you to come by for one of the sessions (morning or afternoon).

For more information about this and other challenges facing women in the workplace, visit my site or follow me on Twitter.

Quantitative Calisthenics: Shape Up For Class

I started the quant skills workshop at last year's Forte MBA Women's Conference by stating that incoming students should understand the quantitative foundations of the broadening credit crisis because it would affect their summer internship and post-MBA recruiting environment regardless of whether they were interested in financial services.

That seemed to many at the time to be a bit of a stretch but became ever more obvious as the months have passed. Certainly, no one would doubt the assertion's truth for this year's incoming MBA students.

Not only is the ongoing credit crisis of global importance, its quantitative foundations are eminently understandable. I have designed the two-hour workshop like an MBA class in the sense that participants should devote an hour or two of advance preparation using the materials at www.mbamath.com/events/forte.htm so that we can extend and apply that preparation in the workshop.

The workshop won't make you an expert but it will highlight the quantitative mechanics underlying bond valuation, financial leverage, securitization, and balance sheet implosions. You'll also get a preview of the quantitative reasoning you'll need in your upcoming MBA classes.

This post and the upcoming workshop come as I preside over an annual summer surge of pre-MBA quant skills preparation at MBA Math, which you can see in the image of last year's activity.



Not everyone needs additional quantitative preparation. But for those who do, be aware that your time is limited and you'll be sitting in fall term classes before you know it.

I look forward to meeting many of you at this year's conference.

Peter Regan created the self-paced, online MBA Math quantitative skills course and teaches live MBA courses at Dartmouth (Tuck), Duke (Fuqua), and Cornell (Johnson).