A Passion for Philanthropy Is a Family Trait

Neethi Johnson, Vice President of Digital Partnerships and Strategy at JPMorgan Chase, has worked hard to get where she is, but she isn’t content to just relax and enjoy the rewards of professional success. She wants to make sure others have opportunities to succeed, too.  

As a member of Forté’s Alumni Leadership Council (ALC), Neethi recently gave an “above and beyond” donation to advance Forté’s mission to “get more women leading” – which catapulted her into a Director-level position in Forté’s Leadership Circle. And her passion for non-profit service extends to two additional organizations in her hometown of Columbus, Ohio: Student Success Stores and Can’t Stop Columbus. 

Neethi comes by her commitment to philanthropy naturally. Her father, a psychiatrist, moved his family from India to Ireland and eventually settled in Columbus. Working with primarily economically disadvantaged clients, Neethi explains, “my dad started his career treating one patient at a time, then built a mental health agency and was able to scale, treat and impact so many more lives.”  

Taking to heart his mantra to “do well by doing good,” Neethi got involved with Forté by joining the ALC, having learned about its mission while an MBA student at Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business.  

At every stage, Forté is there to help women craft the best possible version of themselves.

Neethi credits Forté with helping more women apply to MBA programs and increasing female enrollment. “When I was at OSU, enrollment was less than 30% female and is now 50-55% trending female. I attribute that to the kind of programming and platform that Forté has,” she says.  

She attributes Forté’s success in “getting more women leading” to its commitment to women “through every career stage” – including undergraduates, MBAs, early- and mid-career, and more seasoned executives. “At every stage, Forté is there to help women craft the best possible version of themselves,” she explains. 

“I believe it is truly making a difference in the lives of so many women,” she says. 

So are you, Neethi.