Kelly Raulino Appreciates Forté’s Commitment to Prioritizing Members’ Needs

As Director of Leadership Development Programs at DaVita, Kelly Raulino believes what sets Forté apart among organizations is its relentless focus on what its members need and want – and delivering it.

What is it about Forté’s mission that you think is so important?
I think it all boils down to Forté’s tagline: more women leading. Companies, projects, and teams benefit from diversity of thought, and Forté’s commitment to women with different experiences and perspectives is very important.

How do you see Forté as unique or different?
In all the years I’ve been involved in campus recruiting, the way that Forté prioritizes the needs of its members is unique. When Forté hosts events or creates content, they focus on how to best support their members rather than allowing companies that spend a certain amount as sponsors to speak about whatever they want.

Each year companies make decisions about where to invest their time and money, and DaVita has been a partner since 2014. Why has DaVita continued saying “yes” each year to renewing the partnership?
Since partnering with Forté, we have hired 10 MBA interns, and 90 percent converted to full-time hires. Given how small our class sizes are, this is a strong accomplishment. Forté has also offered speaking opportunities for our female leadership. At DaVita, we talk a lot about ways to “fill your cup” and finding fulfillment in your role. One of our divisional vice presidents gave the example of being a keynote speaker at a Forté event as something that “filled her cup.” Forté’s members are inspiring, and our interactions with them have impact.

By prioritizing what its members need and want, Forté sets itself apart as an organization.

Sometimes these types of partnerships provide something unexpected. To what extent have you or DaVita experienced something beyond what you expected from Forté?
It’s definitely grown over time. When we first started, I got a lot from the conferences and interacting with members. Our sponsorships have grown, and now I am on the Partner Advisory Council, and I am building my peer network across industries with people who think similarly about the importance of women in leadership. I also meet people who have different experiences and points of view, and I am getting to grow as an individual, too.

If you were chatting with an executive working at a non-Forté partner, what would you say to convince him or her to consider Forté as a diversity resource? Can you give any specific examples of when this has occurred?
As I said earlier, Forté has a very strong and clear mission to support its members. If someone is considering partnering with Forté, I would recommend they send their leadership team to one of Forté’s conferences or attend a webinar to see how they engage and propel women to become leaders. Look at your scale of sponsorship dollars and see what might work within your budget. At either the largest or smallest level of sponsorship, I believe they will see very quickly the value of Forté’s impact and the resources it offers.

What are the top priorities you are currently focused on within DaVita’s recruiting programs? How does Forté support your progress in these areas?
We started with MBAs as our focus, and this year we are looking outside those core leadership development recruiting tracks to expand our support to experienced professionals, too. With Forté’s support in meeting our objective to get more women into leadership roles, we want to make sure that all our DaVita teammates [employees] have access to Forté’s webinars and other resources that are outside of DaVita’s own core content.