OUR MISSION

Our mission is to substantially increase the number of women business leaders by increasing the flow of women into key educational gateways and business networks. We will achieve this mission by:

• Motivating young women to prepare for a business career
• Increasing women's access to education and business networks
• Educating women on the value of an MBA
• Supporting women financially in their business education
• Raising awareness of the impact women can make on business and on society/culture/environment/economy
• Encouraging and supporting cutting-edge research on relevant topics

OUR HISTORY

Called to action by a landmark research study, “Women and the MBA: Gateway to Opportunity”, which explored why fewer women attend schools of business than schools of medicine or law, the Forté Foundation was founded in 2001 to address this inequity and its impact on the business landscape. We retain a sense of urgency about our mission today, as women have been in mainstream business for 30 years, but still make up less than 16 percent of the corporate officers in America’s 500 largest companies.

OUR AUDIENCE

We target the full continuum of existing and prospective women business leaders, from college students, through MBA candidates and business school alumnae.

OUR WORK

A critical part of our work is influencing perceptions among women about business careers: that they can be flexible, philosophically rewarding, and aligned with a principled, multi-faceted life that women seek. At the same time, we want to convey the benefits of an MBA toward this end: that it is “a degree for life” and a credential affording women optimal opportunities and flexibility in business.

We are the only organization that provides a national infrastructure for women to gather the essential information and resources they need before they make life-altering decisions about entering the business world. To provide our audience with mentoring, networking, and learning opportunities, we have developed a rich curriculum of career resources for professional women.
Learn more about our annual events.

Our Sponsors

From scholarships to networking opportunities, the success of Forté comes down to the generosity of our sponsors. Learn who’s on our roster and the benefits of joining this esteemed group

The Forté Team

Meet our staff, board members and partners who work tirelessly to support Forté’s mission