Programs help more women pursue MBA degrees

Business leaders featured among world's most powerful women | How this MBA grad became Lyft's marketing chief | Women, minorities account for half of new directors Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( November 8, 2017 [Forte Foundation SmartBrief]( [Forte Foundation SmartBrief]( News to get ahead and get connected [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [FORWARD]( [] Top Story [] [Business leaders featured among world's most powerful women]( PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi claimed the 11th spot on the latest edition of Forbes' list of the Most Powerful Women in the World, up from No. 14 last year. Other prominent names on the list include General Motors' Mary Barra, Rosalind Brewer of Starbucks and EY's Beth Brooke-Marciniak. [Forbes]( (11/1), [Forbes]( (11/1) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] Women and Leadership [] [How this MBA grad became Lyft's marketing chief]( Melissa Waters was in for a surprise after she started at Lyft, as her boss left almost immediately, putting her in charge of the marketing department. One lesson Waters has learned is that "you want relationships that help you reach your potential, and that is true both personally and professionally," she said. [Forte Foundation]( (10/18) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] [Women, minorities account for half of new directors]( Half of the 397 newest independent directors at S&P 500 companies are women and minorities, according to Spencer Stuart, which analyzed 2017 proxy statements. Shareholder pressure in part accounts for this level, which is the highest since the company began keeping track in 1998. [The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model)]( (11/2) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] [Closing gender gap could take 217 years, index finds]( Gender parity may actually be decreasing, according to the World Economic Forum, which now predicts that it will take 217 years to close the economic gender gap. Eliminating the gender gap completely could add trillions to global GDP, the WEF notes. [Quartz]( (11/1) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] [Research: Female-founded startups make more money]( An analysis of the startup competitions at the University of Connecticut suggests that startups with women on their leadership teams are more likely to win prize money. Likewise, data from the venture capital firm First Round indicate that startups with female founders may deliver better financial results. [USA Today]( (10/11) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] - [NYC bars salary-history questions]( Reuters (10/31) [] - [The truth about the pay gap]( The Washington Post (tiered subscription model) (10/26) [] - [Study: Lack of diversity isn't linked to employee behavior]( Harvard Business Review online (tiered subscription model) (10/26) [] MBA Outlook [] [Programs help more women pursue MBA degrees]( Programs help more women pursue MBA degrees (Pixabay) More women are pursuing MBAs amid efforts by organizations such as the Forté Foundation that are providing programs and scholarships designed for women. "The main thing we are trying to do is build confidence and increase the impact women have on the business world," said Kelly Ogiba, Forté's program manager for college and early career women. [BusinessBecause]( (10/19) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] [What is the current state of the MBA?]( What is the current state of the MBA? (Pixabay) The demise of the MBA is simply a "popular myth," says Sangeet Chowfla, president of the Graduate Management Admission Council, whose data show a 6% increase in global applications to MBA programs in the 2016-17 academic year. According to GMAC data, a 13% increase was seen at Asian business schools, and a 4% rise was reported at American business programs enrolling more than 200 MBA students. [The Economist (tiered subscription model)]( (10/26) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] - [Report: 30% of EMBA students are women]( BusinessBecause (10/13) [] From College to Career [] [How to answer questions about future goals]( When an interviewer asks a candidate where that candidate wants to be in five years, the answer should show that their ambitions are in harmony with the organization's goals, management expert Suzy Welch says. If a candidate focuses on "realism and results," then a hiring manager is more likely to be impressed, Welch suggests. [CNBC]( (10/31) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( [] [] If you have a passion for it, then stop wishing and just do it. Wanda Sykes, comedian [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Google+]( [Email]( Learn more about Forté: [Become a Free Forté Member]( | [Job Opportunities]( [Events]( | [Forté Sponsors]( About Forté Foundation Forté Foundation is a consortium of leading multinational corporations, top business schools in the U.S. and abroad, and the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). Forté has become a powerful change agent directing women towards leadership roles in business and enabling corporations to more effectively reach and retain top female talent. It is the only organization that provides a national infrastructure for women at all stages of the career continuum to access the information, scholarship support and networking connections they need to succeed in business careers. Learn more at [www.fortefoundation.org](. Contact Forté Foundation Forté Foundation 9600 Escarpment Suite 745 PMB 72 Austin, TX 78749 Ph: 1.512.535.5157 Fx: 1.866.296.7848 [www.fortefoundation.org]( info@fortefoundation.org [Sign Up]( [SmartBrief offers 200+ newsletters]( Subscriber Tools: [Manage Subscriptions]( [Update Your Profile]( [Unsubscribe]( [Send Feedback]( [Archive]( [Search]( Contact Us: Editor - [Charles Tomlinson](mailto:forte@smartbrief.com) Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 © 1999-2017 SmartBrief, Inc.® [Privacy policy]( | [Legal Information]( Â