The Women's Conference

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Maria Shriver presenting at The Women's Conference 2007
Maria Shriver presenting at The Women's Conference 2007

The Women’s Conference (also known as the California Governor & First Lady’s Conference on Women) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization and annual forum for women. The women-focused event first began in 1986 as a California government initiative for working professionals and women business owners. Since 2004, The Women's Conference has been under the leadership of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver and has grown into a "blockbuster" event[1] featuring "powerhouse newsmakers,"[1] celebrities and world leaders, such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso,[2] Oprah Winfrey, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair,[3] the Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, Barbara Walters, Jane Fonda, Queen Noor of Jordan, Martha Stewart, Tyra Banks,[4] Tim Russert, Tom Brokaw, Queen Rania of Jordan, Maureen Dowd, Sandra Day O'Connor, Thomas Friedman, Anna Quindlen, and Billie Jean King.

Reinvented by Shriver, The Women’s Conference has reportedly become the "largest meeting of women in the country"[5] and a celebration of "lives and lessons."[6] Its main stage presentations and seminar sessions have addressed personal topics such as work-life balance, service and volunteerism, healthy lifestyles, spirituality and families, professional issues such as professional development, financial planning, entrepreneurialism and communications, as well as social issues like women's maternal health, global poverty, climate change and emergency preparedness.

The event is staged at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California, usually in September or October.

Tickets to The Women's Conference go on sale in July.

Every year, substantial portions of the event are made available free through a live streaming webcast at The Women's Conference's web site.[7]

Erin Mulcahy Stein is the current Executive Director of The Women's Conference,[8] which is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

Contents

[edit] Event Highlights

Presidential candidate wives, left to right, Jeri Thompson, Michelle Obama, Cindy Hensley McCain, Elizabeth Edwards and Ann Romney following a panel discussion at the Women's Conference 2007
Presidential candidate wives, left to right, Jeri Thompson, Michelle Obama, Cindy Hensley McCain, Elizabeth Edwards and Ann Romney following a panel discussion at the Women's Conference 2007

The Women's Conference 2007 sold out in less than three days, a conference record.[9] The conference gathered nearly 14,000 participants on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007, and featured a panel discussion moderated by Shriver of five presidential candidates' spouses, Jeri Thompson, Michelle Obama, Cindy Hensley McCain, Elizabeth Edwards and Ann Romney.[10] Bill Clinton did not attend because of a scheduling conflict,[11] though Shriver joked that he had been "invited to serve coffee."[12] The conversation touched on the role of the spouses in the campaign, the public's perceptions of the spouses, preparing their families for and protecting them from the campaign.[13] Jon Stewart lampooned the first-ever "wives debate" on the October 30 edition of Comedy Central's The Daily Show.[14]

Arnold Schwarzenegger via satellite at The Women's Conference 2007
Arnold Schwarzenegger via satellite at The Women's Conference 2007

Also in 2007, New York Times columnist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas Friedman moderated a conversation on leadership and the environment between former Prime Minister Tony Blair and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Due to the October 2007 California wildfires, Governor Schwarzenegger was unable to attend the conference in person and instead participated briefly via live satellite, giving an update on the status of the fires and fire fighters.[15][16]

In 2006, His Holiness the Dalai Lama delivered his "first-ever address to a women's conference" on stage with Maria Shriver.[17] His Holiness expressed his belief that women can change the world with compassion and kindness and he reportedly led the 14,000 women through a meditation exercise.

In 2005, Barbara Walters and Maria Shriver engaged in an on-stage conversation with Sandra Day O'Connor on the heels of her decision to leave the U.S. Supreme Court.[18]

[edit] Organization Highlights

Led by Maria Shriver's belief in the "power of WE",[19] The Women’s Conference has formed partnerships, developed programs and supported initiatives that extend the inspiration of the conference for "more than just a day" and empower women everywhere.

WE Care – The Women’s Health Empowerment Initiative

WE Care supports solutions around women’s health issues throughout the world. In partnership with Meredith Corporation, the initiative supports the work of CARE, a leading humanitarian organization, to save the lives of thousands of pregnant women in Africa and Latin America. WE Care encourages the women of California – and beyond – to join the movement to empower women in the developing world to overcome extreme poverty while proving much needed funds to fight mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Zambia and train midwives in Nicaragua to assist with safe deliveries. Participants in The Women’s Conference 2007 showed their support for WE Care by making financial contributions and a visual sign of support: women dipped their hands in orange and yellow paint and left handprints on a banner that Maria Shriver will hand-deliver to the Care project sites in Nicaragua and Zambia.

WE Invest – The Women’s Financial Empowerment Initiative

WE Invest promotes women’s financial security and economic empowerment, helping to unleash the entrepreneurial spirit of each and every California woman. WE Invest supports California-based non-profit organizations that help women overcome social and economic barriers in their journey out of poverty.[20]

WE Nurture – The Minerva Leadership Program

The Minerva Leadership Program seeks to inspire, educate and empower young women leaders who are civically oriented and socially conscious to be the architects of their own lives and to make a difference in the world. The Minerva Leadership Program inspires young women to become leaders in their homes, schools and communities. As part of this program, and in collaboration with the Women’s Foundation of California, 500 ethnically and geographically diverse California women, ages 16 – 22, are invited as special guests to participate fully in The Women’s Conference and attend two seminar sessions created just for them. Minerva Leadership Program participants must pledge to perform an additional 10 hours of service to their communities, which leads to more than 5,000 hours service to California's communities.

WE Support – The Minerva Military Families Program

The Women's Conference supports California's courageous military families by providing prepaid calling cards to deployed troops so they can communicate with their families back home. To date, the Conference has given 25,000, 60-minute calling cards and will continue this effort with the proceeds from the sale of conference merchandise in the exhibit hall and, throughout the year, on the conference web site.

[edit] The Minerva Awards

Created by Shriver in 2004, the Minerva Awards[21] honors remarkable women who have stepped forward in the spirit of Minerva and changed their country with their courage, their strength and their wisdom.[22] The Minerva Awards are presented every year at The Women's Conference. Nominees are announced prior to the conference event, typically in September.

Minerva Award recipients have made extraordinary contributions in the areas of the Arts, Health and Sciences, Community Activism, Human Rights, Business and Technology, Motherhood, Innovation, Education and Finance. Many of the nominees not only have made a significant contribution to their profession, but they also impart their knowledge and skills to the next generation either by mentoring, or by working for the inclusion and retention of women in their field.[23]

The award is named after the Roman Goddess, Minerva, who graces the State Seal of California.

In 2007, Shriver expanded the awards to extend beyond California to honor a trailblazing woman who has positively impacted the U.S. and world by honoring Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Executive Vice President of the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation and Founder and Honorary Chair of Special Olympics International.[24]

The achievements of Minerva Award winners are chronicled in a permanent exhibit at The California Museum for History, Women and the Arts in Sacramento and have become part of California’s official archive.

Year Minerva Award Recipients
2007
  • The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives
  • Sweet Alice Harris, Founder and Executive Director of Parents of Watts
  • Maureen Pennington, Senior Nurse, Director Medical Services, Naval Medical Center San Diego
  • Christy Porter, Founder and Executive Director of Hidden Harvest in the Coachella Valley of California
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver, Executive Vice President of the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation and Founder and Honorary Chair of Special Olympics International
2006
  • Jane Alexander, Co-founder of Citizens Against Homicide
  • Sandra Orozco Stapleton, Ramona Delgado and Jennie Hernandez Gin, founder of Women Escaping A Violent Environment (WEAVE)
  • Marilyn Hamilton, Designer of the "Quickie" wheelchair and founder of "Winners on Wheels" youth program

Lifetime Achievement Minerva Award recipient:
2005
  • Anita L. DeFrantz, former Olympic medalist in rowing, Vice President of the 1984 Los Angeles Games Organizing Committee and the first American female and African-American to serve on the International Olympic Committee
  • Sister Jennie Lechtenberg, SNJM, Executive Director, PUENTE Learning Center
  • Janice Mirikitani, author and partner of Glide Memorial Church

Lifetime Achievement Minerva Award recipient:

  • Betty Ford, thirty years of service raising awareness around breast cancer and addiction
2004
  • Dr. Helene Brown, “political oncologist” and advocate for cancer research and prevention
  • Ana Deutsch, co-founder and clinical director of the Los Angeles-based Program for Torture Victims
  • Mimi Silbert, founder and president of the Delancey Street Foundation
  • Lula Washington, founder and artistic director of the Lula Washington Contemporary Dance Foundation (LWCDF)

[edit] Conference by Year

[edit] The Women's Conference 2007

The theme of The Women's Conference 2007 was "Remarkable Lives. Remarkable Legacies. What's yours?".

[edit] Speakers and Participants 2007

[edit] Conference Agenda 2007

7:00 AM to 8:00 AM CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
(Exhibit Hall)
8:00 AM to 10:00 AM OPENING SESSION
(Arena)
10:00 AM to 10:45 AM BREAK
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM MORNING CONVERSATIONS
SESSION 1

Live Rich and Finish Rich

 (Exhibit Hall A)

Host: Laura Schulte - President, Western Region, Wells Fargo

Speaker: David Bach - Founder, FinishRich' Media & Author, The Automatic Millionaire and Smart Women Finish Rich
SESSION 2

Eat, Pray, Love

 (Terrace Theater)

Host: Denita Willoughby - Vice President, External Affairs, AT&T

Speaker: Elizabeth Gilbert - Author, Eat, Pray, Love
SESSION 3

Decision '08

 (Promenade Ballroom)

Host: Laura Ipsen - Senior Vice President, Global Policy & Government Affairs, Cisco

Moderator: Deborah Roberts - Correspondent, ABC News' 20/20

Speakers:
SESSION 4

You're Not Who You Used to Be - Thank Goodness!

 (Grand Ballroom A)

Host: Nadine Schiff - Writer & Producer

Speaker: Christiane Northrup, M.D. - OB/GYN Physician & Author, Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom
SESSION 5

Yes, We Can Change the World

 (Grand Ballroom B)

Host: Srinija Srinivasan - Vice President, Editor in Chief, Yahoo! Inc.

Moderator: Gayle King - Editor-at-Large, O, the Oprah Magazine

Speakers:

  • Margarita Zavala - First Lady of Mexico
  • Kay Warren - Executive Director, HIV/AIDS Initiative at Saddleback Church
  • Jody Williams - Founder, International Campaign to Ban Landmines & 1997 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
  • Professor Muhammad Yunus - Director, Grameen Bank & 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
SESSION 6

Raising Women Leaders: Four Sisters at the Top

 (Center Theater)

Host: Pat Clarey - Chief Operating Officer, Health Net of California

Moderator: Willow Bay - Broadcast Journalist & Editor-at-Large, The Huffington Post

Speakers:

  • Colleen Sullivan Bastkowski - Regional Vice President of Sales, Expedia Corporate Travel
  • Andrea Sullivan Doelling - Former Senior Vice President of Sales, AT&T
  • Denise Sullivan Morrison - President, Campbell USA
  • Maggie Sullivan Wilderotter - CEO, Citizens Communications Company
SESSION 7

You Can Do It: How to be an Architect of Change

 (Seaside Ballroom)

Exclusively for Minerva Leadership Program attendees

Host: Pat Mitchell - President & CEO, The Paley Center for Media

Moderator: Vanessa Williams - Singer & Actress, Ugly Betty

Speakers:
11:45 AM - 12:30 PM BOOK SIGNING OPPORTUNITIES
(Exhibit Hall)
12:30 PM - 2:30 PM LUNCHEON SESSIONS
(Arena)
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM BREAK
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM AFTERNOON SESSIONS
SESSION 1

The Power of Now with Eckhart Tolle

 (Exhibit Hall A)

Host: Patti Rockenwagner - Vice President, Regional Communications, Time Warner Cable Los Angeles

Speaker: Eckhart Tolle - Spiritual Teacher & Author, The Power of Now & A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose
SESSION 2

Two Remarkable Women Tell It Like It Is!

 (Terrace Theater)

Host: Peggy Northrop - Editor-in-Chief, More Magazine

Speakers:

  • Linda Ellerbee - Journalist, Television Producer, & Author, Take Big Bites: Adventures Around the World and Across the Table
  • Nora Ephron - Screenwriter & Author, I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman
SESSION 3

Cooking With Love

 (Promenade Ballroom)

Host: Larree Renda - Executive Vice President, Chief Strategist & Administrative Officer, Safeway Inc.

Speakers:

  • Art Smith - Restaurant Owner Table Fifty-Two, Former Chef to Ms. Oprah Winfrey, and Author, Back to the Family: Food Tastes Better Shared with the Ones You Love
  • Cristina Ferrare - Designer & Author
SESSION 4

Beyond Courage: Overcoming the Unimaginable

 (Grand Ballroom A)

Host: Lynn Sherr - Correspondent, ABC News' 20/20

Speakers:
SESSION 5

Living Green

 (Grand Ballroom B)

Host: Dr. Petra Hackenberg-Wiedl - Head of Diesel Powertrain Product Management, Audi

Moderator: Kitty Morgan - Deputy Editor, Better Homes and Gardens

Speakers:

  • Danny Seo - Author, Simply Green Book Series, & Contributing Editor, Country Home
  • Simran Sethi - Journalist, Host of Sundance Channel's The Green
  • Terry Tamminen - Author & Former Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency
  • Ann Hand - Senior Vice President, Global Brand Marketing & Innovation, BP
SESSION 6

Work Less, Achieve More!

 (Center Theater)

Host: Nancy McFadden - Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, PG&E Corporation

Speaker: Martha Beck - Life Coach, Columnist for O, the Oprah Magazine & Author, The Four Day Win
SESSION 7

Dream It, Achieve It - Steps to Your Success

 (Seaside Ballroom)

Exclusively for Minerva Leadership Program attendees

Host: Celia Rafalko - Chief Administrative Officer, Financial Services Group, Wachovia Securities

Moderator: Jean Chatzky - Personal Finance Expert, Journalist & Author

Speakers:

  • Sharon Shaheed - Co-Founder, Piano Play Music Systems & Make Mine a Million $ Winner
  • Shannon McFayden - Senior Executive Vice President, Wachovia Corporation
4:00 PM - 4:45 PM BOOK SIGNING OPPORTUNITIES
(Exhibit Hall)
4:45 PM - 6:45 PM CONCLUDING SESSION & MINERVA AWARDS
(Arena)
  • Heidi Weaver, Director of Community Relations, Target Corporation
  • Diane von Furstenberg, Fashion Designer & President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America
  • Jody Williams, 1997 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
  • Professor Muhammad Yunus, 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
  • Jody Williams and Professor Muhammad Yunus with Maria Shriver Present Minerva Awards
  • Katherine, Christina, Patrick and Christopher Schwarzenegger Present Minerva Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Joan Baez, A California Legend Performs

[edit] The Women's Conference 2006

The theme of The Women's Conference 2006 was "Connect Today. Seize Tomorrow".

[edit] Speakers and Participants 2006


[edit] Conference Agenda 2006

7:00 AM to 8:15 AM CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
(Exhibit Hall)
8:00 AM to 10:00 AM OPENING SESSION
(Arena)
  • Leslie Sykes, Anchor & Reporter, ABC7 Eyewitness News
  • Jillian Manus, Board Chair, California Governor & First Lady's Conference on Women
  • Erin Mulcahy Stein, Executive Director, California Governor & First Lady's Conference on Women
  • Vivienne Cox, Chief Executive Officer, Gas, Power and Renewables Division, BP
  • Suze Orman, Personal Finance Expert and Author
  • Martha Stewart, Founder, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia
  • First Lady Maria Shriver
10:00 AM to 10:45 AM BREAK
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM MORNING SEMINAR SESSIONS
SESSION 1

Shape Up! Train, Eat & Think Your Way to a Healthier Lifestyle

 (Exhibit Hall A)

Host: Celia A. Rafalko, Chief Administrative Officer, Financial Services group, Wachovia Securities, LLC

Moderator: Pamela Peeke, M.D., Chief Medical Correspondent, Discovery Health Channel & Author

Speakers:

  • Rovenia Brock, Nutritionist, Author, Former Host BET's Heart & Soul
  • Gunnar Peterson, Personal Fitness Trainer, Editor, Muscle and Fitness Magazine
SESSION 2

Are Men Necessary? A Conversation with Tim Russert & Maureen Dowd

 (Terrace Theater)

Host: Srinija Srinivasan - Vice President & Editor-in-Chief, Yahoo!

Moderator: Tim Russert - Moderator, Meet the Press

Speaker: Maureen Dowd - Columnist, New York Times
SESSION 3

Entrepreneurs 101: Think it. Do it. Start Your Own Business.

 (Promenade Ballroom)

Host: Laura Schulte - President, Western Region, Wells Fargo

Moderator: Rene Syler - Anchor, CBS The Early Show

Speakers:

  • Elle Macpherson, Founder & Chair, Elle Macpherson Intimates
  • Kimberly Yorio & Caitlin Friedman, Experts & Authors, The Girl's Guide to Starting Your Own Business
  • Denise Brosseau, Principal, Brosseau & Associates
SESSION 4

CrazyBusy: Finding Ways to Quiet Your Frenzied Life

 (Grand Ballroom A)

Host: Larree Renda - Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer, Safeway, Inc.

Speaker: Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., Cognitive & Emotional Health Expert, Author
SESSION 5

The Sandwich Generation: The Art of Caring for Aging Parents

 (Grand Ballroom B)

Host: Carmen Nava, Persident, Consumer Markets, AT&T

Moderator: Denise Dador, Health Correspondent, ABC7 News

Speakers:

  • Phyllis George, Advisory Council Member, National Alzheimer's Association, Television Host & Author
  • Virginia Morris, Aging Expert, Healthcare Journalist & Author
  • Peter Rabins, M.D., Professor, Co-Director Division of Geriatric Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine & Author
SESSION 6

How Women are Changing the World Today: A Conversation with Under Secretary of State Karen Hughes

 (Center Theater)

Host: Pat Wright - Vice President External Affairs, BP America & President

Speaker: Karen Hughes, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy
SESSION 7

Minervas of Tomorrow: Young, Fabulous & Broke

 (Seaside Ballroom)

Host: Terri Howard, District Assets Protection Team Leader, Target Corporation

Special Guest: Suchin Pak, Correspondent, MTV News

Speaker: Suze Orman, Personal Finance Expert, Author & Host, CNBC's The Suze Orman Show
11:45 AM - 12:30 PM BOOK SIGNING OPPORTUNITIES
(Exhibit Hall)
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM LUNCHEON SESSIONS
(Arena)
  • Larree Renda, Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, Safeway, Inc.
  • Tim Russert, Moderator, Meet the Press
  • Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
  • Anne Quindlen, Columnist and Author
  • Anne Sweeney, Co-Chair, Disney Media Networks & President, Disney-ABC Television Group
  • Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York
  • Jovana Lara, Anchor & Reporter, ABC7 Eyewitness News
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM BREAK
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM AFTERNOON SESSIONS
SESSION 1

YOU: The Owner's Manual for Living Younger

 (Exhibit Hall A)

Host: Diana Bonta - Vice President, Public Affairs, Kaiser Permanente Southern California Region

Moderator / Speaker: Mehmet Oz, M.D., Professor of Surgery, Columbia University, Vice Chairman of Surgery, New York Presbyterian Hospital

Speaker: Mike Roizen, M.D., Chair, Division of Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine, and Pain Management, Cleveland Clinic
SESSION 2

Women at the Top: The Secrets to Her Success

 (Terrace Theater)

Moderator: Judith Regan, Founder & CEO, ReganMedia

Speakers:

  • Sylvia Rhone, President, Motown Records and Executive Vice President, Universal Music Group
  • Vivienne Cox, Chief Executive Officer, Gas, Power and Renewables Division, BP
  • Sue Bostrom, Senior Vice President, Internet Business Solutions Group, Cisco Systems
SESSION 3

What Not to Wear: Styles to Suit Your Body & Life!

 (Promenade Ballroom)

Host: Patti Röckenwagner, Vice President Regional Communications, Time Warner Cable - Los Angeles

Speakers / Moderators:
SESSION 4

5 Investment Tips You Need to Know in a Changing World

 (Grand Ballroom A)

Host: Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, Co-Anchor CNBC's Worldwide Exchange

Speakers:

  • David Chao, Co-founder and General Partner, Doll Capital Management
  • Penelope Wang, Senior Writer, Money Magazine
SESSION 5

Family Matters: Nurturing Your Most Valuable Asset

 (Grand Ballroom B)

Moderator / Speaker: Deborah Roberts, Correspondent, ABC News

Speakers:

  • Ann Pleshette Murphy, Parenting Contributor, ABC's Good Morning America, Author
  • Jill Conner Browne, THE BOSS Sweet Potato Queen, Author
  • Steve Burd, President & CEO, Safeway, Inc.
  • Corina Villaraigosa, First Lady of Los Angeles, Educator
SESSION 6

Beyond Courage: Overcoming the Unimaginable

 (Center Theater)

Host: Cathy Foster, Senior Director Worldwide Government Affairs, Apple Computers, Inc.

Moderator: Cinny Kennard, General Manager, National Public Radio West

Speakers:

  • Sharon Rocha, Author, For Laci: A Mother's Sotyr of Love, Loss and Justice
  • Immaculee Illibagiza, Author, Left To Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust
  • Kristina Ripatti, Police Officer, Los Angeles Police Department
SESSION 7

Minervas of Tomorrow: Break Your Mirrors: A Lesson in Loving Yourself

 (Seaside Ballroom)

Host: Allison Blackwell, Human Resources Director, Target Corporation

Speaker: Tyra Banks, Host, America's Next Top Model & The Tyra Banks Show
3:30 PM - 4:15 PM BOOK SIGNING OPPORTUNITIES
(Exhibit Hall)
4:15 PM - 6:00 PM CONCLUDING SESSION & MINERVA AWARDS
(Arena)
  • Heidi Weaver, Director of Community Relations, Target Corporation
  • Diane von Furstenberg, Fashion Designer & President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America
  • Jody Williams, 1997 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
  • Professor Muhammad Yunus, 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
  • Jody Williams and Professor Muhammad Yunus with Maria Shriver Present Minerva Awards
  • Katherine, Christina, Patrick and Christopher Schwarzenegger Present Minerva Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Joan Baez, A California Legend Performs

[edit] The Women's Conference 2005

The theme of The Women's Conference 2005 was "Lessons on Leadership, Activism and Family".

[edit] Speakers and Participants 2005

[edit] Conference Agenda 2005

7:00 AM to 8:00 AM CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
(Exhibit Hall)
8:30 AM to 10:15 AM OPENING SESSION
(Arena)
  • Donna Lesch, Executive Vice President and Director for Human Performance, Ameriquest Mortgage Company
  • Katrina Landis, Senior Vice President, BP Products North America
  • Ann Fudge, CEO, Young & Rubican Brands
  • First Lady Maria Shriver
  • Jane Fonda, Actress and Humanitarian Activist
Legendary Architects of Change Panel
Moderator: Tom Brokaw, Special Correspondent, NBC News

Panelists:

  • Isabel Allende, Author
  • Marian Wright Edelman, Founder and CEO, Children's Defense Fund
  • Billie jean King, Co-Founder, World Team Tennis, Wimbledon Champion
  • Enice Shriver, Founder and Honorary Chairman, Special Olympics
  • Barbara Walters, ABC News Correspondent, Creator, Co-Host, Executive Producer, The View

Preview of the Day Leslie Sykes, Anchor & Reporter, ABC7 Eyewitness News
10:00 AM to 10:45 AM BREAK
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM MORNING SEMINAR SESSIONS
SESSION 1

The Courage to be Rich with Suze Orman

 (Exhibit Hall A)

Host: Rachel MacLean, Vice President Investor Relations, North America BP

Speaker: Suze Orman, Personal Finance Expert, Author
SESSION 2

Beyond Courage

 (Terrace Theater)

Host: Linda Ellerbee, Journalist, Author, Television Producer

Panelists:

  • Trisha Meili, Author, I am the Central Park Jogger
  • Mariane Pearl, Author, Wife of Journalist Daniel Pearl
  • Erin Runnion, Location Accountant, BP and Founding Director, Joyful Child Foundation
SESSION 3

The 8th Habit: From Business & Family Effectiveness to Greatness with Dr. Stephen Covey

 (Grand Ballroom A)

Host: Laura Schulte - President of California, Nevada, Wells Fargo

Speaker: Dr. Stephen Covey - Author, Inspirational Speaker
SESSION 4

Family Affairs: Managing Your Most Valuable Asset

 (Grand Ballroom B)

Host: Larree Renda - Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer, Safeway, Inc.

Moderator: Deborah Roberts, ABC News 20/20 Correspondent

Panelists:

  • Wendy Sachs, Author, How She Really Does It: Secrets of Stay-At-Work Moms, Former Associate Producer, Dateline NBC
  • Judith Warner, Author, Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety, Contributing Writer , Washington Post, New Republic, Elle
  • Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer, Author, Raising Confident Girls and Boys, Contributing Writer, The Times
SESSION 5

The Purpose Driven Life with Rick Warren

 (Promenade Ballroom)

Host: Tracey Doi, Group Vice President and CFO, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

Speaker: Pastor Rick Warren, Author, Founding Pastor, Saddleback Church
SESSION 6

Total Balances: Strategies for Diet, Exercise and Stress

 (Center Theater)

Host: Lora Watts, President-External Affairs, SBC

Moderator: Jovana Lara, Reporter, Co-Anchor ABC7 News

Panelists:

  • Arthur S. Agatston, M.D., Cardiologist, Author, The South Beach Diet
  • Donna Richardson Joyner, Fitness Guru, Former Host, ESPN's Fitness Pros
  • Janet Taylor, M.D., Clinical Instructor of Psychiatry, Columbia University, Harlem Hospital
SESSION 7

Keeping Your Wits: Secrets to Growing Old

 (Seaside Ballroom)

Host: Leeza Gibbons, Journalist, Television Personality and Producer

Panelists:

  • Gary Small, M.D., Founding Director, UCLA Memory Clinic, Director, UCLA Center on Aging, Author, The Memory Bible
  • P. Murali Doraiswamy, M.D., Expert, Brain Longevity and Alzheimer's Disease, Senior Fellow, Center for the Study of Aging, Duke University
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM LUNCHEON SESSIONS
(Arena)
  • Anne Sweeney, Co-Chair, Disney Media Networks & President, Disney-ABC Television Group
  • Katie Cortelyou, Best Buddies Board of Directors
  • Larree Renda, Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer, Safeway, Inc.
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM CALIFORNIA EXPERIENCE
Exhibit Hall
3:30 PM - 4:45 PM AFTERNOON SESSIONS
SESSION 1

A Conversation with Dr. Deepak Chopra

 (Exhibit Hall C)

Host: Donna Lesch, Senior Vice President and Director for Human Performance, Ameriquest Mortgage Company

Speaker: Depak Chopra, M.D., Spirituality Expert, Author
SESSION 2

Starting Over

 (Terrace Theater)

Moderator: Cinny Kinnard, General Manager, National Public Radio West

Panelists:

  • Marilyn Van Derbur, Author, Miss America By Day
  • Roberta Hollander, Producer, CBS News
  • Alison Levine, President, Daredevil Strategies and Team Captain, First American Women's Expedition up Mt. Everest
SESSION 3

The Global Goddess: How Women are Changing the World Together

 (Grand Ballroom A)

Host: Libby Sartain, Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Chief of People, Yahoo!

Moderator: Lisa Ling, Host, National Geographic Television's Explorer, Former Host, ABC's The View

Panelists

  • Diane Granito, Founder, The Heart Gallery
  • Zainab Salbi, Founder, President and CEO, Women for Women International
  • Virginia Martinez Victorin, Director of Communications, Special Needs Child/Parent Advocate, Southern California, Fiesta Educativa
  • Dara Near & Vaughn Lohec, Sisters of Lauren Catuzzi, Author, You Can Do It! The Merit Badge Handbook for Grown-Up Girls
SESSION 4

Live Strong: On the Cutting Edge of Women's Health

 (Grand Ballroom B)

Host: Alison Konop, Senior Vice President, Smith Barney

Moderator: Susan Estrich, Legal and Political Analyst, Fox News, Professor of Law and Political Science, University of Southern California

Panelists:

  • Susan Love, M.D., President and Medical Director, Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation, Author
  • Lynne Valencia Perry-Bottinger, M.D., F.A.C.C., Cardiologist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Weill Medical College, Cornell University
  • Michelle Giannetta, Heart Disease Survivor, WomenHeart
  • Cynthia Chambers, Breast Cancer Survivor, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
SESSION 5

Climbing the Corporate Ladder: The Secrets to Her Success

 (Promenade Ballroom)

Host: Katrina Landis, Senior Vice President, BP Products North America

Moderator: Gayle King, Editor-at-Large, O, The Oprah Magazine

Panelists:

  • Carly Fiorina, Former Chairman and CEO, Hewlett Packard
  • Debra Lee, President and CEO, Black Entertainment Television
  • Judith Regan, Founder, CEO, ReganMedia, Former Talk Show Host, Fox News
SESSION 6

Ask Dr. Laura

 (Center Theater)

Host: Kevin Bellows, CEO, Media Management, LLC

Speaker: Dr. Laura Schlessinger, Radio Talk Show Host, Author
SESSION 7

Successful Aging with Suzanne Somers

 (Seaside Ballroom)

Speaker: Suzanne Somers, Entrepreneur, Actress, Author
5:15 PM - 6:00 PM MINERVA AWARDS PRESENTATION
(Arena)
  • Laysha Ward, Vice President, Community Relations, Target Corporation
6:00 PM - 6:300 PM REMARKABLE WOMAN CONCERT
(Arena)

Musical Performance by Mary J. Blige

[edit] The Women's Conference 2004

The theme of The Women's Conference 2004 was "Women as Architects of Change".

[edit] Speakers and Participants 2004

[edit] Conference Agenda 2004

7:00 AM to 8:00 AM CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST
(Exhibit Hall)
8:00 AM to 8:30 AM PARTICIPANTS ENTER CONFERENCE HALL
68th Street Choir Performing
8:30 AM to 10:15 AM OPENING SESSION
(Exhibit Hall A)
  • Jovana Lara, Reporter, ABC7
  • Cynthia J. Warner, Regional Vice President of International Refining, BP
  • Lynn Pike, California Market President and National Small Business Executive, Bank of America
  • Jamie Lee Curtis, Actor, Author, Activist
  • First Lady Maria Shriver
  • Gayle King, Editor, O magazine
Women as Architects of Change Panel
10:45 AM to 12:00 PM SEMINAR SESSION I
SESSION 1

Your Body: An Owner's Manual

 (Arena)

Moderator / Panelist: Maria Degois-Sainz President, Cardiac Surgery, Guidant

Discussion Leader: Mehmet OZ, M.D., Vice-Chair, Surgery and Professor, Cardiac Surgery at Columbia University

Panelists:

  • Judith Reichman, M.D., UCLA and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; Women's Health Contributor, NBC Today Show
  • Michael Roizen, M.D., Professor of Anesthesiology, Professor of Internal Medicine, SUNY Upstate Medical University
  • Juanita Watts, M.D., Regional Coordinator Women's Health, Kaiser Permanente
SESSION 2

Doctors of Desire

 (Terrace Theater)

Moderator: Cristina Ferrare, Talk Show Host, Designer

Presenters:

  • Jennifer Berman, M.D., Co-Director, Female Sexual Medicine Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA
  • Laura Berman, Ph.D., Direcotr, Berman Center, Clinical Professor, Northwestern University
SESSION 3

What Every Woman Wished She Knew before She Entered the Workplace

 (Promenade Ballroom)

Discussion Leader: Nadine Schiff, Producer and Author

Panelists:

  • Jane Beseda, Group Vice President & General Manager, North America, Parts Operations, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A, Inc.
  • Patti Dodge, Chief Financial Officer, New Century Financial Corporation
  • Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D., President, Corporate Coaching International
  • Larree Renda, Executive Vice President, Safeway, Inc.
SESSION 4

Hotwired: Women and Technology

 (Grand Ballroom A)

Discussion Leader: Tiffany Shlain, Chairperson, Founder & Filmmaker, The Webby Awards

Panelists:

  • Jill Avery-Zuleeg, President & Co-Founder, All By Myself, Inc.
  • Susan Decker, Chief Financial Officer & Executive Vice President, Finance and Administration, Yahoo!, Inc.
  • Tina Sharkey, Senior Vice President, Life Management & Community, America Online, Inc.
  • Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, General Manager, Local Search, Third Party and Content Partnerships, Google.com
SESSION 5

Cash Flow: Put Your Money to Work

 (Grand Ballroom B)

Moderator: Jean Brinkman, Executive, California Middle Market Banking, Bank of America

Presenter: Jean Chatzky, Editor-at-Large, Money magazine; Financial Editor, NBC Today show; Host, Talking Money, CNBC
SESSION 6

Overcoming Obstacles: Become the Person You were Meant to Be

 (Center Theater)

Moderator / Panelist: Dana Welch, Executive Vice President & General Counsel, Ameriquest Mortgage Corporation

Discussion Leader: Cinny Kennard, General Manager, National Public Radio West Coast Production

Panelists:

  • Leticia Aguilar, President, Los Angeles Market Consumer Executive, Greater Los Angeles and Central California Division, Bank of America
  • Roberta Hollander, Producer, CBS News
  • Alison Levine, President, Daredevil Strategies; Team Captain, First American Women's Everest Expedition
SESSION 7

Success Begins at Home

 (Seaside Ballroom)

Moderator: Michelle Jordan, Founder & Principal, Jordan, LLC

Presenter:
Session 8

Activism Made Accessible: How'd She Do that?

 (Room 102)

Discussion Leader: Susan Estrich, Robert Kingsley Professor of Law and Political Science, University of Southern California Law School

Panelists:

  • France Cordova, Ph.D., Chancellor, University of California, Riverside
  • Wendy Hamilton, National President, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
  • Peggy Merical, Program Director, Quinn Cottages
  • Jane Semel, Founder & Chairman, ijane, inc.
Session 9

Walking the Tightrope: Kids and Career

 (Room 103)

Moderator: Mahvash Yazdi, Senior Vice President for Business Integration and Chief Information Officer, Southern California Edition

Discussion Leader: Betty Wong, Executive Editor, Working Mother magazine

Panelists:

  • Mary Loverde, President, Life Balance, Inc.
  • Ann Mather, Director, Central European Media Enterprises Group
  • Tamara Monosoff, ED.D., CEO & Founder, Mom Investors, Inc.
Session 10

Get Smart About Money:

 (Room 101)

Discussion Leader: Anne Gust, Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer; Compliance Officer, Gap, Inc.

Panelists:

  • Domenika Lynch, Market Development Manager - Greater Los Angeles Area, Bank of America
  • Tova Seals, Student, Stanford University
  • Lisa Withers, National Junior Achievement Trainer, VISA
12:00 PM to 2:00 PM Exhibit Hall Open
(Exhibit Hall C)
12:30 PM to 2:00 PM Luncheon General Session
(Arena)
  • Ellen Leyva, News Anchor, ABC7
  • Dana Welch, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Ameriquest Mortgage Company
  • Benediction: Cecilia Day, Area Specialist, Head Start
  • Lora Watts, President, External Affairs, SBC
  • First Lady Maria Shriver
  • Her Majesty Queen Noor
  • Tracey Doi, Group Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A, Inc.
  • Linda Ellerbee, Journalist, Best-Selling Author, Television Producer
2:00 PM to 3:30 PM AUTHOR BOOK SIGNING
Exhibit Hall C
2:30 PM to 4:15 PM SEMINAR SESSION II
SESSION 1

Self-Empowerment: Learning to Co-Create Your World Your Way

 (Arena)

Moderator: Robin MacGillivray, President, Business Communications Services, SBC West

Presenter: Wayne Dyer, Ph.D., Motivation Expert
SESSION 2

Global Architects of Change

 (Terrace Theater)

Moderator / Panelist: Ellen Sauerbrey, Ambassador, United Nations Commission on the Status of Women

Discussion Leader: Deborah Roberts, Correspondent, ABC News

Panelists:

  • Her Majesty, Queen Noor
  • Dalia Rabin Pelossof, Chair, Yitzhak Rabin Center for Israel Studies
  • Cynthia J. Warner, Regional Vice President, International Refining, BP
  • Sakena Yacoobi, Founder & President, Afghan Institute for Learning
SESSION 3

From Runways to Reality: How to Dress for Success

 (Promenade Ballroom)

Discussion Leader: Wanda McDaniel, Executive Vice President, Entertainment, Giorgio Armani

Panelists:
SESSION 4

Simplicity in a Stressed-Out World

 (Grand Ballroom A)

Discussion Leader: Chuie Yuen, M.D., Senior Vice President National Medical Executive, National Accounts, CIGNA, HealthCare

Panelists:

  • Cecile Andrews, Director, Simplicity Circles Project
  • Kathy Freston, Meditation & Relationship Counselor, Lime Tree Productions
  • Caroline Myss, Ph.D., Founder & Director, Caroline Myss Education Institute
  • Wanda Urbanska, Producer and Host, "Simple Living" Television Series
SESSION 5

How to Grow Old Without Going Broke

 (Grand Ballroom B)

Moderator: Kathy Watrous, Agency Field Executive, State Farm Insurance

Discussion Leader: Pat Harvey, Anchor, KCAL News

Panelists:

  • Robert Allen, Finance Expert
  • Malia Jamal, Area Investment Manager, Citigroup
  • Alison Konop, Senior Vice President, Smith Barney
SESSION 6

How to Communicate So Your Words Count

 (Center Theater)

Moderator: [[Kathy Faith], National Manager, Corporate Promotions, Hyundai Motor America

Discussion Leader: Kim Bondy, Vice President, CNN / US

Panelists:

  • Martha Beck, Ph.D., Life Coach, Columnist for O Magazine
  • Judge Glenda A. Hatchett, Presiding Judge on "Judge Hatchett"
  • Monica Lozano, CEO & Publisher, La Opinion
  • Monika McCarthy, Senior Vice President & general Counsel, New Century Financial Corporation
SESSION 7

Think it. Do it. Start your own business.

 (Seaside Ballroom)

Discussion Leader: Michelle Di Gangi, Executive Vice President, Wells Fargo

Panelists:

  • Cristina Carlino, CEO, Philosophy Cosmetics
  • Laine Caspi, Founder & CEO, Parents of Invention
  • Noel Irwin Hentschel, Chairman & CEO, American Tours International
  • Maria De Lourdes Sobring, Founder & CEO, Lulu's Dessert Corporation
Session 8

Family Friendly

 (Room 102)

Discussion Leader: Patricia Kempthorne, First Lady of Idaho

Panelists:

  • Emily Deakins, General Manager, Diversity and Inclusion Americas, BP
  • Sylvia Ann Hewlett, President, Center for Work-Life Policy
  • Donna Lesch, Executive Vice President Human Performance, Ameriquest Mortgage Company
Session 9

Success with Soul: How to be Socially Conscious and Profitable too

 (Room 103)

Moderator: Gail Lannoy, Community Development Bank California Region Market Executive, Bank of America

Discussion Leader: Teresa Samaniego, Director of Public Affairs, ABC7

Panelists:

  • Marty Evans, President & CEO, American Red Cross
  • Janet Hanson, Managing Director, Lehman Brothers; Founder, 85 Broads
  • Sandra Taylor, Senior Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, Starbucks
  • Laysha Ward, Vice President, Community Relations, Target Corporation
Session 10

Life After High School:

 (Room 101)

Youth Leadership

Discussion Leader / Panelist: Nicole Taylor, CEO, College Track

Panelists:

  • Ayanna Howard, Ph.D., Senior Robotics Researcher, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
  • Lisa Leslie, WNBA player; Nike athlete
  • Catherine Marshall, CEO, California Association for Micro enterprise Opportunity (CAMEO)
4:15 PM to 5:00 PM MINERVA AWARDS PRESENTATION
(Exhibit Hall A)
  • Laysha Ward, Vice President, Community Relations, Target Corporation
  • First Lady Maria Shriver - 2005 Minerva Award
5:00 PM to 5:30 PM OPRAH WINFREY, CHAIRMAN, HARPO, INC.
(Exhibit Hall A)
5:30 PM to 6:00 PM INAUGURAL REMARKABLE WOMAN CONCERT

(Exhibit Hall A)

Musical Performance by Sheryl Crow
6:00 PM to 6:45 PM EXHIBIT HALL OPEN
(Exhibit Hall C)

Networking Reception No-host bar, hor d'oeuvres, door prizes

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b SFGate: Politics Blog : Carla Marinucci: Maria attacts big names to conference
  2. ^ Dalai Lama To Speak At Shriver's Women Conference, http://cbs2.com/local/Dalai.Lama.Maria.2.521216.html
  3. ^ Blair to speak at Women's Conference - Press-Telegram
  4. ^ The Tyra Banks Show
  5. ^ Maria Shriver's Job, http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-women26oct26,0,7619448.story?coll=la-opinion-leftrail
  6. ^ LONG BEACH / Shriver on stage next week - will she speak out? / Governor says, 'You will hear from her' at conference of accomplished women
  7. ^ Conference sells out in three days, http://www.presstelegram.com/business/ci_6436335
  8. ^ Diverse Speakers At Sold Out Women's Conference, http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/state/article_1287443.php
  9. ^ In Basket - Press-Telegram
  10. ^ Wives of Candidates Debate Their Roles, http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/story?id=3764553
  11. ^ '08 Wives Talk Candidly About Their Roles, http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/10/23/08-wives-talk-candidly-about-their-roles/
  12. ^ Wives of Candidates Compare Notes from Trail, New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/24/us/politics/24spouses.html
  13. ^ Maria Shriver Moderates Panel of Five Wives of Presidential Candidates, USA Today On Politics Blog, http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2007/10/five-would-be-f.html
  14. ^ http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=127610&title=wives-debate, [1]
  15. ^ Environment is focus of conference - Press-Telegram
  16. ^ Maria Shriver won't return to NBC News - USATODAY.com
  17. ^ The Dalai Lama to appear at Maria Shriver event, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=14&entry_id=8462
  18. ^ Shriver on Stage Next Week - Will She Speak Out?, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/10/20/BAGDCFAVQP1.DTL&hw=Carla%2BMarinucci&sn=001&sc=1000
  19. ^ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi f=/c/a/2007/09/10/EDSES1CVE.DTL&hw=Maria+Shriver&sn=001&sc=1000
  20. ^ Shriver Launches Program in Oakland, http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_8543582?source=most_emailed
  21. ^ Maria Shriver's Minervas for notable women could go international, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/22/PLMSSSF94.DTL
  22. ^ Minerva Awards to Honor State Leaders, Activists, CBS2, http://cbs2.com/local/Minerva.Awards.Shriver.2.536993.html
  23. ^ Maria Shriver, First Lady of California
  24. ^ Maria Shriver's Minervas for notable women could go international, http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/10/22/PLMSSSF94.DTL

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