Forté was founded in response to a landmark research study published in 2000 titled Women and the MBA: Gateway to Opportunity, which explored the reasons women were underrepresented in business schools versus medical or law schools.

“Our work focused on systematically addressing the barriers that were preventing women from pursuing MBA degrees and business leadership positions,” explains Leah Lattimore, Forté’s director of undergraduate programs.

“It also highlighted how important it is to invest in the pipeline and create opportunities for college women if we want to make meaningful progress toward gender equity in the workplace.”

The goals of Forté—which supports 4,500 students from 70 partner schools—include:

• Helping women make intentional choices about their careers;
• Showing them how to connect the dots between the skills they develop in college and the opportunities that exist for them to leverage them in the workplace; and
• Introducing them to a community of women who—as mentors, sponsors, and role models—can help move their careers forward.

“We recognize that undergraduate students are at different stages and have different needs,” Lattimore says.

“Our focus is on developing strong leaders regardless of industry and ultimate career destination.”

To that end, Forté offers multiple points of connection, learning, and engagement.

Business Education

• Conferences—Forté hosts four conferences annually that provide industry insights, career preparation, and an opportunity to network with other students as well as prospective employers and business schools
• MBA Launch for Undergrads—This online six-week program is designed for students pursuing a deferred MBA or other early-career business program. Participants get the tools to compile a competitive application, opportunities to connect with experts at top business schools, and a network of similarly motivated peers.

Professional Development

• Workshops—Forté offers workshops that are designed to inform and educate undergraduate students.
• Universal Skills Guides, Industry Guides, Blog—Forté offers resources that support learning and exploration. Its industry guides provide deep dives into consulting, finance, marketing, technology, and entrepreneurship. Forté’s universal skill guides cover the essentials for any career: time management, critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making. Its blog features stories and advice from inspiring professionals.
• Career Ready Certificate—The Career Ready Certificate allows students to gain or grow their skills and explore various business careers. The curriculum is rooted in the NACE competencies and features content developed by industry leaders. 

Community of Successful Women

• Undergraduate Ambassadors—Forté undergraduate ambassadors are students who champion the mission of Forté on campus.
• Business Women of Tomorrow—Through social media takeovers, role model profiles, and short-form videos, Forté highlights the next generation of women business leaders.

Through all of its programs, Forté aims to be culturally inclusive. For example, in the Career Ready Certificate program, it has a module dedicated to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and the Undergraduate Women of Color Symposium specifically focuses on the lived experiences of historically underrepresented women in business.

“One of our values is diversity and belonging, and it is important for us to build programs that not only reflect the diversity of our audience but also prepares them to work effectively with others and cultivate inclusive environments in the classroom and the workplace,” Lattimore says.

Forté’s learning objectives map directly to the NACE Career Readiness Competencies, and students see them practically applied throughout its programming.

“It’s important for us to incorporate NACE Career Readiness Competencies because we are preparing the next generation of workforce leaders to make broad and positive impacts wherever they land,” Lattimore notes.

“We want our students to thrive in their careers and feel confident in their abilities to grow as professionals.”