Girl Power

Happy International Women’s Day (IWD) to all the women in our Forte community. Ok, for us, every day is women’s day, but today we’re taking a moment to celebrate and share the impact women can make.  

To kick things off, we’ve combed through this year’s lists of women changing the world from Time and People magazines. While they were all very inspiring, here are a few of our favorite highlights:

1. Michelle Phan, founder and owner of EM Cosmetics.
   After noticing a gap in beauty education resources, Michelle was an early adopter of social media, creating and sharing makeup tutorial videos with the world beginning in 2007. Since then, she’s created her blog, been featured in media outlets such as BuzzFeed, partnered with beauty giant L’Oreal to create her own cosmetics line, and was named to both the Inc and Forbes 30 Under 30 lists in 2015. Now 35 years old, Michelle is the first woman to build a $500 million company from a web series. Proof that a hobby could lead to a sustainable career path.
   
   
2. Kathryn Smith, Special Teams Quality Control Coach for the Buffalo Bills
   Working her way up from a special events intern in 2003, to being the first woman to have been a full-time NFL coach, Kathryn Smith proves that sports aren’t just for the boys. We love seeing women break barriers and social stigmas when it comes to gender & careers.
   
   
3. Serena Williams, Professional Tennis Player
   Having experienced sexism and racism in her career, Serena Williams battled against double standards to become not only the first female but the first tennis player (yes, ever) to win 23 Grand Slam Singles Titles in the Open era. Having acknowledged her lack of a female role model in sports growing up, Serena now values her opportunity to serve as a mentor to young female athletes. 
   
   
4. Clarice Phelps and Candice Halbert, Chemists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory 
   Grooming the next generation of science professionals, Candice Halbert founded YO-STEM in 2016. She and Clarice Phelps now spend their time sharing their experiences and expertise with underserved children. Their goal? To break the glass ceiling for the next generation and expose them to diverse careers in chemistry, 3D design, and coding. 

It’s clear the world benefits from women’s accomplishments and we should keep pushing the boundaries. According to The World Bank, the GDP per capita would be about 20% higher, that’s $6 trillion (with a “t”), in economic gains if women started & scaled businesses at the same rate that men do. So, why aren’t we? Perhaps it’s because we need a more even playing field (aka equity).

#EmbraceEquity is the IWD 2023 theme, to educate people on why equal opportunities are not enough, and equitable action is needed. We invite you to join the conversation and take a moment to read this article from InternationalWomensDay.com to learn more about equity. 

In addition to equity, we also believe in the power of inspiration. Forte The Brand was founded to inspire women to live their dreams. The women recognized this year for changing the world are the examples we all need to remind us that it’s possible. So, whether your passion is business, science, art, or something else, go after it, and remember girls truly do run the world.