Two Companies Donate to Forté, Based on Shared Values

Forté received donations from Deloitte and Osaic recently, based on the active engagement of their employees who volunteer for Forté.

While monetary donations from businesses to nonprofits will never go out of style, companies are increasingly donating to non-profit organizations where their employees are actively engaged.

This is certainly true at both Deloitte and Osaic, companies that recently made monetary donations to Forté, based on the contributions of their employees to Forté’s Alumni Leadership Council (ALC). Rachel Heydlauff, a Manager at Deloitte Consulting, and Jenny Le, Senior Vice President of Strategy at Osaic, are members of the ALC, and Jenny also serves as the current Chair.

It’s a win-win-win for their companies, their careers, and Forté.

Jenny Le: Empathy, Self-Reliance, and Supporting Other Women

Jenny Le’s path to a successful business career has not been a straight line. After graduating from Harvard with a degree in Government, Jenny says, “As the first in my family to ever consider getting a graduate degree, I didn’t know where to begin to learn about business school.”

Jenny’s parents immigrated to the US from Vietnam after the fall of Saigon in 1975, and Jenny explains, “came to the US with nearly nothing,” an experience that “forced [Jenny] to be self-reliant and empathetic to the experiences others may be going through.”

Jenny heard about Forté from a college mentor, and her involvement with Forté instilled in her the belief that “education and professional development are the best mechanisms for helping uplift women in terms of career earnings, influence, and making a difference,” she says.

After getting an MBA from Columbia’s School of Business and launching her corporate strategy career, Jenny became Forté’s ALC Chair to help other women have successful business careers, too. The purpose of the 25-member Council is to serve as “the voice of the customer” for post-MBAs (1-10 years out of business school), listen to the needs of this demographic, and help shape Forté’s future programming.

Jenny’s current employer, Osaic, a national financial services firm, awarded Forté with a $2,500 donation in support of her volunteer work. It’s a natural alliance, as Osaic’s values align with Forté’s mission to get more women leading. “Nearly 50% of the executive committee at Osaic is female and, as a senior leader at the firm, I wanted to champion for women’s mobility and leadership outside of the firm and via building the pipeline of more women business leaders,” Jenny explains.

Rachel Heydlauff: Tenacity, Grit, and Giving Back to Forté

When Rachel first applied to University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and Northwestern’s Kellogg School, she received the envelopes that all applicants fear: rejection letters.

Disappointed but not discouraged, Rachel discovered and completed Forté’s MBALaunch program then re-applied to Ross and Kellogg. This time she was accepted at both schools and chose to go to Ross, which offered her a scholarship.

“Having a coach, a small cohort of great women, and the opportunity to review each other’s essays and prep for interviews together made a huge difference,” Rachel says.

Business school introduced Rachel to the consulting field, and she has been at Deloitte for more than two years. Deloitte’s strong social impact commitment led Rachel to think about how she could best contribute her time outside of work, and she remembered what Forté had done for her career trajectory.

“I wanted to give back to an organization that has given me so much,” she explains, and “I love Forté’s mission to get more women leading.” Serving on the ALC allows her to “connect with smart, passionate women who are at similar points in their careers and to pave the way for others.”

In honor of Rachel’s ALC work, Deloitte recognized her with its Michigan Impact Award and donated $500 to Forté. The Impact Award is given to people who are working in partnership with nonprofits that align to Deloitte’s Purpose, which is to “make an impact that matters” and create a “more equitable future for all.”

Congratulations to Jenny and Rachel – we appreciate their volunteer leadership to get more women leading.

We invite other alumni to be part of our mission, too. By supporting Forté through donations, volunteering, or spreading the word, we can continue offering critical resources and opportunities that will empower the next generation of women leaders. Help us make a lasting difference by learning learn more about ways to get involved or contact Liz Young directly to volunteer.