Tolan Honored with Forté Foundation Award for Women’s Business Leadership

by Alli Romano

An MBA student’s work to support, encourage, and mentor women in business has earned accolades from a national nonprofit committed to expanding access and opportunity to business education and professional development.

Hannah Tolan, a second-year MBA student at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, has been recognized with the Forté Foundation’s 2025 Edie Hunt Inspiration Award for her on-campus leadership and accomplishments.

The Forté Foundation partners with 61 business schools globally to support women’s business education, professional development, and leadership opportunities and build a network of female leaders. The award, named for Edie Hunt, the organization’s president emerita, honors an MBA student who has advanced women in business school and business leadership. Hunt, a prominent industry advocate, was the first chief diversity officer at Goldman Sachs.

The Edie Hunt Inspiration Award goes to an MBA student who leads women-in-business organizations, promotes gender equity on campus, mentors younger women in business, and participates in outreach to prospective students. Tolan is the 22nd award winner.

“It is an honor to be part of such a select group of extraordinary women,” said Tolan, who will graduate in May.

SC Johnson College’s executive director of admissions and scholarships, Eddie Asbie, said Tolan exemplifies the award’s essential qualities.

“She’s deeply committed to the Forté mission and has worked tirelessly to inspire more women to pursue an MBA and step confidently into leadership roles,” he said. “Hannah isn’t afraid of rejection or pushback; she keeps showing up, asking tough questions, and working to make things better for everyone.”

A New York City native and Bates College graduate, Tolan will be honored at the Forté MBA Women’s Leadership Conference in Denver in June. She is the third Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management student to receive the award, joining Imani Grant (2012) and Kima McCoy (2011).

“Hannah Tolan has demonstrated exceptional leadership for her classmates throughout her experience, and we are so thrilled and honored to recognize her with the Edie Hunt Inspiration Award this year,” said Elissa Sangster, CEO of Forté Foundation.

An invaluable network

Tolan’s connection to Forté began before she arrived at Cornell. The organization played a key role in helping her explore her business school options.

After graduating from Bates, Tolan started a career in public relations, client services, and marketing in New York. At consulting network GLG, she supported private equity and hedge fund clients. Within three years, she led a team and gained exposure to the public and private financial markets—but she wanted a more hands-on role inside an organization.

Eager to advance her skill set, Tolan researched MBA programs and attended the Forté MBA Forum.

“Being a woman and a person of color, I felt it would pay dividends,” she said. “I had a great foundation, but I wanted the hard skills, the network, and the experience that comes with business school.”

She surveyed MBA alumni—primarily women, but a few men—about their experiences. Through that research, she discovered Forté and participated in its MBA Takeoff, the MBA Financial Services Fast Track Conference and the MBA Women’s Leadership Conference.

“Having this larger network of people who’ve been in your shoes and are willing to help you and share insights is invaluable,” Tolan said.

Cornell’s SC Johnson College quickly rose to the top of her list. A Forté partner school with about 40% female enrollment, it offered gender parity, leadership opportunities, and an internationally diverse student body.

“After a small liberal arts college and several years in corporate New York, I wanted to immerse myself in new perspectives,” she said.

Once admitted, Tolan wasted no time. She was selected as a Forté Fellow, which includes a monetary award, access to the Forté resume book for employers, and some early interviews for internships and jobs. In her second year, she was appointed Forté VP of Admissions, helping lead Forté activities and acting as a campus ambassador.

As a Forté Vice President, she was part of the Women’s Management Council leadership board and held leadership roles with Gorges Ventures, Johnson Private Equity Club, VC@Johnson, and Big Red Ventures and is a member of Old Ezra Finance Club.

At Johnson, Tolan found strong mentors among female faculty and leaders. In return, she mentors five female students and often advises other women considering business school and banking or consulting concentrations.

Tolan also wanted to help other young women access mentors. She redesigned the program’s on-campus buddy system, which pairs incoming female Johnson MBA students with second-year Forté Fellows who offer advice on everything from what to wear to courses and networking. Previously, she said second-year fellows were often overextended, limiting their ability to support their buddies, and buddies were only for Forté Leadership conference participants. Tolan increased the number of available buddies and made it a requirement for all second-year fellows. Overall, she expanded the participant pool so more women could access support and created a new way for fellows to get involved and give back.

Asbie said Tolan’s efforts have had a meaningful impact on campus and the broader Forté community: “Hannah leads with empathy, determination, and a clear vision for gender equity in business.”

After interning at investment bank Jefferies last summer, Tolan plans to pursue a career in finance or consulting—specifically in value creation, helping companies grow, scale, and deliver results for investors.

The Edie Hunt Inspiration Award includes a $2,500 prize, coverage for travel and lodging to the leadership conference, exposure to Forté’s board of directors and executive leaders, and visibility across the foundation’s media channels.

For Tolan, the award is not just recognition—it’s a platform for advocacy.

“I’m most honored to go back to that conference and meet and support future female business school students,” she said. “An MBA can be a very transactional experience, and having creative, supportive communities of women who build authentic relationships is incredibly important.”