Taking on the business world before kicking off their MBA journey on campus this fall, hundreds of like-minded incoming MBA students recently attended the Forté 2023 MBA Women's Leadership Conference in Dallas, including four of our incoming Chicago Booth Forté Fellows.
During the two-day event, attendees explored career paths, connected with recruiters and mentors, and heard from today’s most influential business women.
Read on as our on-site Boothies—Flor Morales, Ritu Sreenivasan, Trina Sriram, and Nikita Srivastava—share key insights from their experience at the Forté Women's Leadership Conference:
Flor Morales: Getting in-person face time with employers to gauge my interest in MBA internships. I don't think you can ever know too much about an employer and the more information I have, the better I feel with my MBA internship and career development.
Ritu Sreenivasan: I made a new friend (a future Boothie as well!) that I know I’ll have in my life for years to come! Out of everything I got to experience and learn at the conference, our connection is one thing that made the entire weekend more than worth it.
Trina Sriram: Meeting Forté Fellows from other schools was pretty fun, but truly seeing how many Booth alumni were part of the lineup was the most exciting part. From the sponsor speaker on Day 1 (Katie Lanzy from DaVita) to Edie Hunt, the namesake of the Forté Edie Hunt Award, it was amazing not only to see these women speak and share the impact of a Booth MBA but also, to connect with them personally and have them reinforce how much Booth has shaped their success. It truly felt like Edie walked so I could run!
Nikita Srivastava: My favorite part of the Forte Leadership Conference was getting to connect with other women starting the MBA journey, and hearing their stories. I now feel like I have a network of peers that I can lean on as I start business school. I also left the conference feeling so inspired by the ambition and excitement in the room, as well as by the insights shared by women leaders who spoke throughout the conference.
FM: Yes, the programming was very inclusive and well-thought-out with the various sessions available for all career paths. I'm also vegetarian and a Dallas native, and was very impressed with the logistics of the conference running smoothly.
Did the event meet your expectations as a Booth Forté Fellow?
FM: Yes, the programming is very specific and intentional for women's professional development and EMPOWERMENT. It doesn't feel like any other conference because of the focus on women and achieving gender equity/parity.
RS: I would absolutely recommend this event. The energy and atmosphere is one that is created solely by women who choose to better themselves and their communities. You will definitely leave feeling more than just empowered but also hungry to take action on inspiring more female leaders!
TS: Absolutely - I believe that this event was very helpful in narrowing down career paths and providing a generalist overview to many potential post-MBA career paths.
TS: I attended this event because it was easily accessible, and it is always very exciting to be around other women in business! Forté has been amazing in closing the gap and championing the push to gender equality.
NS: I attended the conference with the intention of getting into the mindset of recruiting, sharing my story with recruiters, and meeting other MBA women.
RS: As of 2023, about 10 percent of Fortune 500 companies are led by women. This conference and everything it stands for helps connect the stepping stones to tangibly get from where we are today before starting business school, to ultimately leading one of those companies and increasing that percentage. Seeing graduates from amazing programs who are now doing their part to pave the way for us is something I hope to be doing for future generations of women!
Any additional thoughts you'd like to share?Chicago Booth values supporting women in business. With partnerships like Forté, we have the opportunity to connect our students with others who are making strides to promote gender equity in the workplace. Click here to continue learning about the experience of women at Booth before, during, and after their Booth MBA experience.
Interested in learning more about the Forté Fellowship? Click here to learn more.
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