Why Professional Women Need Each Other to Thrive, ‘She’s So Lucky’ States

There’s this persistent myth that success for professional women is a solo climb—the late nights, the “boss babe” grind, the illusion that there’s only room for one at the top. But as She’s So Lucky host Les Alfred reminds us, “luck” often comes down to community.

Alfred sits down with Naomi Wright and Krystal Vega—best friends, business partners, and co-founders of Fortune & Forks—to explore what it truly means when women build power together.

Why Professional Women Need Each Other to Thrive, ‘She’s So Lucky’ States

Friendship is the foundation of professional strength

Wright and Vega met as interns at the BET Awards nearly a decade ago. They were young, eager, and—as Vega puts it—“so starry-eyed and excited.” They didn’t know it then, but that friendship would evolve into a sisterhood that became the backbone of their careers. “We were just so different at the time, and it’s been so fun over the years to grow up and grow together,” Krystal says.

Their foundation, Fortune & Forks, was built on deep trust and mutual accountability. “We started Fortune & Forks in 2017,” Wright explains. “But before that, we had years of learning from each other. It wasn’t about competing for a seat at the table—it was about building our own and making sure there was room for more women to sit down.”

That idea—of bringing other women with you instead of pushing past them—feels like a generational correction to the outdated notion of scarcity in women’s careers. Vega recalls being told early on to “network up,” to seek mentors or executives who could open doors. But the advice that truly changed her career came from a BET supervisor. “He told me to look left and right—that the people next to me would be the ones running things in a few years,” she says.

That moment stuck. Now, through Fortune & Forks, Vega and Wright model what it means to network across—a phrase popularized by Issa Rae and embodied by their work. They curate dinners where women at all levels can connect laterally, not hierarchically. “We want to give people more opportunities to network across,” Vega says. “Those to your left and right are going to grow with you, and that’s where the long-term power is.”

Building the bridge for the next generation

What began as a small gathering has grown into a powerful community of women navigating their careers. But Wright and Vega aren’t content to stop there. They recently launched the Fortune & Forks Foundation to create a tangible bridge for young women of color entering the workforce.

“Our goal is to ease that transition from college to career,” Wright shares. “Despite feeling like I had done all the right things, my own transition was tough. We want to make it easier for the next generation.”

The foundation’s first initiative—a College-to-Career Pipeline Program—pairs recent graduates with members of the Fortune & Forks network for mentorship and office shadowing, helping them build confidence and access in industries that often feel closed off.

“Anytime we get together,” Wright adds, “we ask ourselves: how do we ease the path for the next generation? People have been knocking on our door, asking when we’re going to mentor or give back. So we said, let’s actually build the infrastructure to do it.”

Why professional women need each other more than ever

It’s easy to get caught up in the highlight reels of other people’s success. Still, Wright and Vega remind us that genuine growth occurs within a community. “We’ve all been in spaces where it feels like you have to fight for visibility,” Vega says. “But the truth is, visibility multiplies when you stand next to women who reflect your light back to you.”

The power of friendship, partnership, and shared purpose turns ambition into something sustainable. For professional women, that’s the quiet revolution—replacing competition with collaboration, mentorship with reciprocity, and isolation with a sense of belonging.

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