The Empowering Women Podcast
Interviews with successful career women from a variety of industries. We hope to empower women in their career aspirations, whether that's climbing a corporate ladder or becoming an entrepreneur.
The Empowering Women Podcast
Women Redefining Opportunity with Katie Fortunato
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March is Women’s History Month. This month and this year’s International Women’s Day theme, Give to Gain, invites us to rethink what it means to open doors.
In this episode of the Empowering Women Podcast, Shannon is joined by Katie Fortunato, co-founder and EVP of Hire Innovations, who is working to fix what’s broken in today’s hiring systems. She is challenging ghosting, phantom job posts, and processes that forget there’s a human on the other side of the screen. Together, they explore how giving transparency, dignity, and access in hiring doesn’t weaken organizations—it strengthens them.
From redefining rejection to meeting the next generation where they are, Katie shares how human-centered AI and intentional visibility can help create more equitable pathways to opportunity—especially for women navigating bias, career breaks, and evolving expectations in the workforce.
This conversation is a powerful reminder that every opportunity we’ve received likely came from someone who chose to give and that we now have the chance to do the same.
If you’re ready to rethink hiring, leadership, and what it means to lift as you climb, this episode is for you.
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49-e1XEVnuo
💬 Gems from Katie Fortunato:
“Give to gain isn't just a theme, it's also a way of living.”
“Let's build a relationship on your career success, and I want to make that happen.”
“Giving the visibility and access doesn't diminish the power but multiplies it.”
“Legacy lesson here is every door that I can look at in my past that someone’s opened for me is someone who didn’t have to do it. “
“Visibility is free to give; you just have to be intentional about it.”
“Automate yourself before someone automates you.”
🔗 Episode Resources & Links:
💥Ways for YOU to get involved with the new way of hiring
· Become a career creator by posting jobs to your community — and earn up to $25/application
· Jobstream career influencer who is drawn to the mission and cares about helping people find work.
Your sign-up link for the creator types: https://app.getjobstream.com/creator-quick-signup Code: Mpower
🌐Links, Newsletters, and Resources
The Onward & Upward Charitable Foundation
💼 Connect with Kate Fortunato and Hire Innovations on social media
EMPOWERING WOMEN IN INDUSTRY LINKS
Empowering Women in Industry Membership
Empowering Women in Industry Magazine