About Us

"Forté gave me an opportunity to not only understand the biases and double binds that women face in various professions, but also tools that helped me combat those biases better. I have always been impressed by our willingness to challenge the status quo both in terms of the way we run our organization and also on the impact we have on gender dynamics in the larger business community.

The mentors, friends, and support that I received here has helped me grow not only within the organization but also in my other endeavours in and outside of Cornell. From business etiquettes to public speaking to leading and mentoring younger members, Forté has given me a lot of opportunities. However, we still have a long way to go in terms of raising awareness and eradicating biases against women and I am excited to see Forte's role in initiating the movement at Cornell."

- Shaibyaa Rajbhandari, IARD '18

“It's hard to quantify the impact Forté has had on me, so instead I will offer some examples—Candidly, Forté members single-handedly changed my major, helped get my foot in the door in venture capital, allowed me to break out of Cornell's business silos into tech, brought me a community of amazing female mentors, and helped me fall in love with mentoring when the time came to give back. It has been a magical experience to see all the young women willing to learn, listen, and teach beside me grow together with resiliency and kindness. Since freshman year, it's given me access to individuals I continuously look up to. Now, after graduation, I know Forté has shaped me into someone freshman-year-Sophie would have looked up to too.”

-Sophie Jin, Economics and Information Science ‘23

Sophie is currently a Product Manager at IBM.

“Forté provided me with a network of driven, insightful, and intelligent women. When I joined the organization, I was introduced to many role models who were pursuing various career paths and that exposure empowered me to learn as much as I could about various fields in the business world. I was provided with real experiences that allowed me to expand my knowledge and make connections that have shaped me into the person I am today. It gave me the tools necessary to find a career that compels me to continue learning and meeting new people every day.

I am so appreciative of my Forté experience and look forward to seeing how successful the organization will continue to be in driving individual growth and creating a strong sense of community.”

-Sydni Berkenfeld, Dyson ‘23

Sydni is currently a Global Markets Analyst at Goldman Sachs