Company Profile
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“Building A Bridge for
A Better Tomorrow…”
Forte Designs is a business development and public affairs firm that creates practical and applicable, business and strategic leadership training solutions for the 21st Century. Forte Designs advises forward thinking companies on how to prepare for and maintain growth.
“We excel at forging new partnerships between corporate leaders, government officials, and community organizations with the aim of developing new and more profitable business solutions and opportunities.”
Foremost on the company’s agenda is education. Through Forte Designs’ work for close to two decades in education and currently representing one of the largest school district in the country, the company helps to maintain an overall mission of bridging corporation and industry leaders with America’s Youthour investment today will enrich tomorrow’s economic growth.
Leadership Recognition
Ms. Forte O’Neill’s committed mission to bridge industry, policy and community leaders to improve the economic stability of California and United States has brought her wide leadership recognition.She has recently been recognized for her endless efforts in strengthening the economic and scientific cooperation between the State of California and the State of Israel. Ms. Forte O’Neill was recognized by the Congress Of The United States for her outstanding visionary leadership and community commitment. She has also received special recognition from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s for her ingenuity and experience to build the Technolink Association to help provide much needed services of emerging companies while dedicating countless hours to help at-risk-youths opportunities to change their lives.
Through her endless efforts and leadership to develop a bridge between the public and private sectors to spawn economic development and public safety awareness for southern greater Southern California area. Ms. Forte O’Neill has become a public/private partner with the California Emergency Management Agency and The Department of Homeland Security. She has been recently recognized by the United States Department of Homeland Security for her perseverance and dedicated leadership in developing effective models for public private partnerships in the greater Southern California region.
Company Recognition and Testimonials are available upon request.
Bridging Public and
Private Sectors -
Technolink Association
In the mid-nineties, Ms. Forte O’Neill co-founded the TECHNOLINK ASSOCIATION, a coalition of government, business, and high-tech industry leaders cooperating to bridge the public and private sectors. It functions as a trade association and research center for emerging and start-up companies, supports the development of high tech partnerships, and links the technological resources of universities and institutions with the business community to form a virtual high-tech corridor in Southern California.
In promoting the aim of being a solution driven company, Forte Designs has become one of the foremost producers of the Technolink Association Visionary Forums, (formerly the “Futurist Conference”) a bi-annual event that explores a wide range of topics from life sciences to telecommunications, nanotechnology multi-media innovations and societal issues. The Forums are attended by prominent business, technology, and political leaders from around the world who participate in a series of roundtable discussions and panels.
Some of The Technolink Association’s list of prestigious members include such renowned organizations as: The American Electronic Association, BioCatalytics, The Boeing Company, The California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, The Claremont Colleges, University of California Los Angeles/The NanoSystems Institutes, University of California Irvine/Computing Sciences School and The Beall Center of Art and Technology, The Los Angeles Area Chamber, Pomona Unified School District and the Huntington Medical Research Institutes, The Milken Institute, Saddleback College, SEMPRA Utilities. Talon Inc. The association web site, located at www.technolinkassoc.org, features background information on sponsors, supporters, and members along with highlights of upcoming activities.
Public Affairs and Media
Ms. Forte O’Neill continues to pursue her mission of “Building a Better Tomorrow” through her constant involvement in the community as: Co-Founder and Director of Technolink Association, a public private partner for the Department of Homeland Security, and a Board Member of the Dean’s Council for College of Engineering, California State University of Long Beach and Saddleback College Foundation.
Ms. Forte O’Neill was appointed to the board of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE)/Los Angeles Chapter as the President during early 2000s. NABE is an association composed of individuals who have an interest in business economics, and who want to utilize the latest economic data and trends to enhance their ability to make sound business decisions. There are approximately 3,000 members representing more than 1,500 businesses and other organizations from around the world. Since it’s founding in 1959, NABE has continued to attract the attention of the most influential and prestigious economic leaders in business. Past Presidents have included several former Federal Reserve Governors, the current Chairman of the Board of Governors for the Federal Reserve System, Alan Greenspan, and other senior business leaders. Ms. Forte O’Neill is an Advisor to the local chapter. She also developed and implemented a national strategic marketing plan for the Washington D.C. headquarters to use as an outreach program to the 40 chapters throughout the country.
In addition, Ms. Forte O’Neill is the former President for Lend-A-Hand, a non-profit organization that provides at-risk youth with opportunities to work in professional environments. In conjunction with the TECHNOLINK Association, local youth agencies and businesses, Lend-A-Hand placed over several dozen inner city teenagers in quality summer internships around Los Angeles County annually.
Through her vast involvement in connecting the public with private sectors, communities with leadership, Ms. Forte O’Neill is frequently quoted in major media outlets. As Founder and president of Forte Designs and Co-Founder and Director of The Technolink Association, Ms. Forte O’Neill is a life science, high-tech and education and workforce development trend resource for local and national media outlets and can be frequently heard on KFWB 980-AM All News Radio and has served as a member of the Advisory Board of KPCC, a national public radio affiliate.
Women’s Development & Opportunities
in the Work-Place
As a pioneer in addressing women’s development and opportunities in the work-place, Ms. Forte O’Neill founded the “Washington Women’s Network” and in Los Angeles, the “Women of Conviction”—a group of women industry leaders in high-tech, biotech, finance, education and law, who share in conversations current issues evolving in today’s work-place—while threading together resources to raise awareness and funds for non-profit organizations that are positively impacting the lives of children and women. She launched The “Heartfelt Women of Washington”-an intimate group of women from the policy, legal and business sectors of the Washington, D.C. community who share the common mission of threading support and mentoring opportunities within the membership base and others in need.
Ms. Forte O’Neill’s most recent endeavor is the launch of “Art in the Heart” classes. The classes provide an opportunity for women to express their creative side while growing with a group who share the same interests and backgrounds.
Outreach
In the late nineties, under Ms. Forte O’Neill’s leadership, Lend-A-Hand hosted the First Annual Lend-A-Hand Youth Summit in Pasadena, California, created in response to a 1997 challenge made by General Colin L. Powell, Chairman of America’s Promise – The Alliance for Youth. Her efforts brought together government, business leaders, and youth agencies to strategize on building opportunities for our nation’s young people and established Greater Pasadena as one of America’s “promised communities.” Ms. Forte O’Neill also implemented, through her involvement with the Institute of Healthcare Advancement, the “promised communities” mission with the city of Whittier, California.
Ms. Forte O’Neill is on the Auxiliary Board of Angelitos de Oro, a 40-year old organization supporting the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Orange County. The Mission of the Auxiliary is to raise funds to help shape the future of our youth today by supporting the ever-changing needs of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Orange County and help touch 800 lives of young people in the greater Orange County area each year through the organization’s programs and services.
Societal Visionary &
Forward Thinker
As a trendsetter, Ms. Forte O’Neill through her business and community involvement saw the shift of the traditional foundation of leadership characteristics, such as, integrity, responsibility and accountability begin to disappear with the 21st Century technology revolution demands to grow more competitively in global marketplace, leaving behind the value of the creative minds/ingenuity and talents of the American human capital. Because of this societal shift, Ms. Forte O’Neill has developed an intensive mentor-styled Leadership Training Program that is designed with the Four Pillars of Trust, Integrity, Purpose and Critical/Creative Thinking to enhance the skills and talents of the individual. The program teaches the individual how to grow as leader both professionally and personally and how to implement leadership tools for today’s ever-changing business environment.
Current & Past Clients
Forte Designs represents clients from a variety of industries including aerospace, defense, finance, government, legal, education, life sciences, high-technology and futurist innovations, etc. Some current and past clients include: The Art Center College of Design, The Beall Center for Art and Technology-University of California Irvine, The Boeing Company, B2BHighway, California Healthcare Institute, California Technology Ventures, Ernst and Young, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Clinical Micro Sensors, Price, Waterhouse, Coopers, Pomona Unified School District, the international law firm of Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P., The Institute of Healthcare Advancement (the advancing of healthcare education), The Los Angeles Area Chamber, Sequent Technologies, Warner Brothers Entertainment Inc., National Association for Business Economics, P2S Engineering, A Community of Friends (a non-profit developer of special needs housing) The Los Angeles Heart Association, Los Angeles Adopt-A-School Council and other special projects for congressional political campaigns such as the appointment as a surrogate for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Campaign of California and also co-chaired a technology and education advisory working group for the office of Governor Gray Davis of California.
Background
Ssusan Forte O’Neill, founder and president of Forte Designs, is a professional image builder and business development innovator. A native of Washington D.C., Ms. Forte O’Neill attended George Washington University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with a double minor in History and Fine Arts. Active in Washington political circles, she worked on former President George Bush’s 1988 inaugural. To this day, she maintains close associations with the political community and is often called upon to assist with various congressional political campaigns.
She started a public relations business while still attending college, representing a variety of clients ranging from restaurants to non-profit organizations. Active in the community served on boards and acted as a consultant to such organizations as CARE International, The Heart Association, Arthritis Foundation, to list a few. She was the youngest member nominated to the Board of the Georgetown Symphony Orchestra and served as the Executive Director for the Young Washingtonians before leaving the Washington D.C. area.
She was responsible for spearheading fundraising events for numerous charities including: CARE International, Children’s Hospital LA, the American Heart Association, The Sunshine Foundation, The Young Entertainers, The Washington Women’s Network, The Commission on the Status of Women, Chrysalis, the L.A. Downtown Heart Association, The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce.
Artist at Heart
As part of her love for the arts, Ms. Forte O’Neill is an accomplished artist working in various mediums from large-scale paintings, to sumi-style pen and ink drawings to the gift of sowing with fibers and fabrics. She has participated in group and one-person art shows throughout her career.
Ms. Forte O’Neill most recently has launched a line of handbags, inspired from her pillow and tapestry designs, being sold through out the country including such notable locations as the Textile Museum Shop in Washington, D.C., The LF Stores and Petina Boutique in the SoHo District of New York City.
Poetic Writer
Ms. Forte O'Neill has been recently published by Blue Mountain Arts and is the author of two books. “A Journey to Rediscover Your Heart, Remembering Who You Are”, a tool-book to guide one back to their true heart self goals and mission to grow as a leader today in all aspects of life-- and the book on "Herman" a compiled collection of several short stories and whimsical thoughts on dreams, imagination and understanding to trust and share the act of kindness with other human beings. The book Herman is currently housed at The Huntington Library Collections and Botanical Garden's Children’s' Library in Pasadena, California. Her most recent book is entitled “A Pocketbook of Joy”…an inspirational and whimsical journey to relish in the the joys of life.
Inspired by Nature
Ms. Forte O’Neill throughout her lifetime has maintained a special interest in preserving the gifts of our natural surroundings and currently serves as a board member of two Landscape Committees of the Monarch Beach Community, which houses over 400 families, and is a Fellows Member of the Historic Sherman Gardens in Southern California.
