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Gratitude & Growth: A Letter from Elissa Sangster, Forté CEO

As CEO of Forté, I spend my days connecting with talented women and the people and organizations who want to help them build successful careers. I love this work, and as we head into the holiday season, I’m feeling grateful for everyone in the Forté community and everything we’ve accomplished this year.

Forté brings together women of all backgrounds to work toward a shared goal: More Women Leading. We held many successful online events during the pandemic, but in 2022, it was exciting to be able to reconnect face-to-face.

In June, the Forté team gathered in Los Angeles to hold our first in-person MBA Women’s Leadership Conference since 2019. Nearly 400 incoming women MBA students from 46 Forté partner business schools joined us. Seeing these future MBAs tackling the next stage of their careers with so much confidence and energy was a highlight of the year for me.

Growing the Pipeline of Women MBAs

In 2022, Forté held eight in-person MBA Forums at cities around the United States. These free events for those considering an MBA attracted more than 2,500 attendees. Our three virtual MBA Forums and Diversity Day event drew more than 3,000 people.

We also held our undergrad conferences in person this year. The Women of Color Leadership Symposium drew 90 attendees, representing 31 schools, and the College Fast Track to Finance Conference brought 105 attendees from 39 schools together to explore finance careers.

Forté events are a powerful reminder that no woman has to pursue her career goals alone. It’s easier — and more fun — when we help each other succeed.

Looking Ahead to Our 20th Year

In 2023, Forté will mark 20 years of More Women Leading. We just launched a new TikTok account, so follow us there to join the celebration all year long! We’re planning to drop some special 20th anniversary gear in the Forté Store, and we have lots of surprises up our sleeves.

As Forté reaches this significant anniversary, I’m grateful to everyone who helped us get here. Together we’ve built an alliance more than 100,000 people strong. Today, Forté supporters include leading MBA programs around the globe, top universities, influential companies, and generous donors — and we continue to grow.

There’s still a long way to go before women achieve gender equity, but I’m grateful to have you along on this journey. I hope that this holiday season brings you time with loved ones, time to relax, and time to plan ahead for a meaningful 2023.

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