WOMEN’SVOICES featuring today’s top female leaders & changemakers
American Program Bureau . apbspeakers.com A Global Speaker, Celebrity & Entertainment Agency
PAGE 2 | Women’s Voices
WHAT’S INSIDE
>
Activism & Civic Engagement.....................................................................3 Business......................................................................................................................5
Celebrity....................................................................................................................8 Education & Social Issues..............................................................................11 Inspiration..............................................................................................................13 Leadership.............................................................................................................15 National Issues.....................................................................................................17 Health & Wellness..............................................................................................20 Science....................................................................................................................22 Index....................................................................................................................23
ABOUT APB
>
With a 50-year history of trendspotting, innovation, and creativity, APB is the speakers bureau of choice for event planners worldwide. We are proud to represent some of the top, most respected and requested names from celebrity and diversity speakers to activists, business experts, and global, business, and thought leaders.
At APB, we not only value the spoken word as it pertains to powerful, creative programming, we also recognize the importance of ongoing dialogue among our colleagues, clients, and speakers. We encourage you to join the conversation through our social networking channels, which offer a place to connect with fellow event planners, get the latest news from APB, view interesting speaker videos, and sound off on issues that matter to you most. Join the conversation!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
Women’s Voices | PAGE 3
Mary Frances Berry
Shirin Ebadi
A former chairperson of the US Civil
An extraordinary woman of many firsts,
Rights Commission, a law professor,
Iranian lawyer and activist Ebadi made
and an esteemed civil rights historian,
history as the first Muslim to receive the
Dr. Berry defends the rights of all
Nobel Peace Prize for her courageous
people, supporting issues from fair
defense of human rights in Iran. One
housing to equal opportunity to voters’ rights. Her latest book is
of that nation’s most intelligent, passionate, and respected voices
Power in Words: The Stories Behind Barack Obama’s Speeches, from
of dissent, she addresses audiences about democracy and the
the State House to the White House.
fundamental rights of women, children, and all individuals.
Malaak Compton-Rock
Kathy LeMay
Wife
Rock,
LeMay turned her childhood passion
Compton-Rock is founder of the
for giving into her life’s work with an
Angel Rock Project and has appeared
activism career that started when she
on Oprah Winfrey’s The Big Give. An
worked with women survivors of the
inspirational force, she is committed
siege and rape-genocide camps in
to projects ranging from Hurricane Katrina to poverty in South
war-torn Yugoslavia. The founder and CEO of Raising Change, she
Africa. Involved in the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation,
has raised over $150 million for global causes, and encourages
she helps raise funds and awareness of the rare disease.
communities to act as change agents for social betterment.
of
comedian
Chris
Angela Davis
Somaly Mam
One of America’s foremost radical
Born into a minority family in
feminists, Davis’s passion landed her
Cambodia, Mam struggled through
on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted List in
an impoverished childhood, was sold
the ‘60s (she was later acquitted). A
for sexual favors, and was eventually
respected academic, she continues to
forced to work in a brothel. Fueled by
speak out for equality, advocating that social movements require
her past, she authored The Road of Lost Innocence and founded
sustained action to effect change. She is affiliated with Sisters
The Somaly Mam Foundation, devoted to helping those who
Inside, an abolitionist organization that works in solidarity with
have become victims of sex slavery and human trafficking.
women in prison.
ACTIVISM & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
PAGE 4 | Women’s Voices
Kathy Najimy
Alison Thompson
Najimy is a comic actress well known
A full-time volunteer, Thompson has
for her roles in such popular films as
offered her aid in Sri Lanka—where
Sister Act and Hocus Pocus. Also a Ms.
she ran a busy field hospital and
Magazine Woman of the Year, she calls
founded CTEC, the only tsunami early-
herself “first and foremost a feminist,”
warning center in that country—and
and is a vocal supporter of women’s rights. Speaking out against
Haiti—where she co-founded We Advance, an organization
sexism, racism, and inequity among living things, she has been
dealing with gender-based violence. Her documentary, The Third
called “a social action hero.”
Wave, was screened at the 2008 Cannes film festival.
Sara Paretsky
Tererai Trent
One
influential
A native of rural Zimbabwe, Trent was
female crime writers, Paretsky is an
given a new lease on life when she
award-winning author who changed
was awarded a scholarship to a full
the world of detective fiction with
education in the United States. Now,
her groundbreaking female sleuth
armed with $1.5 million in assistance
“V.I. Warshawski,” the heroine of over a dozen novels. Proving
from Oprah (who named Trent her all-time favorite guest), she
that women can be more than helpless victims or vamps,
is the founder of Tinogona (Shona for “it is achievable”), which
“Warshawski”—a tough-minded, intelligent detective—first
builds and repairs schools in rural Zimbabwe.
of
today’s
most
appeared in Indemnity Only.
Rosie Perez
Sheryl WuDunn
An
Award-nominated
A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and
actress, Perez is a dedicated and
best-selling author, WuDunn penned
vocal activist for a number of causes,
Half the Sky with husband Nicholas
particularly those related to women’s
Kristof,* which explores the oppression
rights, inner-city youth, and AIDS. She
of women in the developing world.
is the head of the Artistic Board for the Urban Arts Partnership,
She remains a strong voice in calling individuals to action against
an arts education organization that brings the arts to students in
human rights violations, and is an entrepreneur and business
Harlem, the Bronx, and the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
leader with special expertise on China.
Academy
*Kristof is also available through APB.
ACTIVISM & CIVIC ENGAGEMENT American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
Women’s Voices | PAGE 5
Redia Anderson
REGINA benjamin
Recognized as a leader in the field
As the 18th Surgeon General of the
of diversity and inclusion, Anderson
United States, Benjamin oversaw the
is founder and managing partner of
operational command of 6,500 public
Anderson People Strategies, a human
health officers around the world. From
resources management consulting
her early days as the founder of a rural
and executive coaching firm. She works to lead organizations
health clinic in Alabama—which she kept in operation despite
in change efforts focused on the advancement and retention of
hurricanes George and Katrina—to her leadership role in the
top-performing talent, inclusive of women and people of color.
worldwide advancement of preventive healthcare, Dr. Benjamin is sought after by a broad spectrum of organizations.
Amy DuBois Barnett
Sara Blakely
One of America’s top curators of pop
Concerned with creating comfortable,
culture, Barnett is an award-winning
slimming garments that minimize
media executive and brand architect.
flaws, Blakely founded SPANX, the
Over the years, her vision has shaped
multimillion-dollar
the pages of Harper’s Bazaar, Essence,
company that is a favorite of such
Teen People, Honey Magazine, and Ebony Magazine, the oldest and
fashion-loving women as Gwyneth Paltrow and Oprah Winfrey.
largest black magazine in the country, of which she is currently
Determined to “make the world a better place, one butt at a time,”
editor-in-chief.
she shares her firsthand account of succeeding as a woman in
underwear
business.
Anat Baron An
entrepreneur,
filmmaker,
Robin Chase and
As co-founder and former CEO of
strategic consultant, Baron is an
Zipcar, the largest car-sharing company
innovative leader and the former
in the world, and founder and CEO
head of Mike’s Hard Lemonade,
of GoLoco, an online-ride sharing
where she was credited with turning
community, Chase has had a profound
the company into a $200 million brand within three years. She
impact in changing the way people think about traditional auto
also produced the documentary Beer Wars, which explores the
transportation. Her work has garnered her numerous business,
struggle between big brewers and their smaller competitors.
innovation, design, and environmental awards.
BUSINESS
American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
PAGE 6 | Women’s Voices
Jean Chatzky
Maelle Gavet
An expert on personal finance, Chatzky
Gavet is the CEO of Russia’s largest e-
is an award-winning journalist and
commerce company, OZON Holdings,
best-selling author. She has penned
often referred to as “the Amazon of
such best-selling and award-winning
Russia.”Under her leadership and vision,
books as Money 911: Your Most Pressing
OZON’s four diversified businesses
Money Questions Answered, Your Money Emergencies Solved and
grew revenue by 84 percent in 2011, with sales topping $300
The Difference: How Anyone Can Prosper in Even the Toughest Times.
million. She was named one of Fortune’s “40 under 40” and among
She is a financial editor for NBC’s Today Show.
Fast Company’s “most creative people in business” in 2012.
Barbara Corcoran
Kathy Ireland
Corcoran’s career as an entrepreneur
An inspirational success story, Ireland
began when she took out a $1000 loan
is a supermodel, author, and CEO
to start The Corcoran Group, which she
and chief designer of Kathy Ireland
parlayed into a $5 billion real estate
Worldwide, which designs home
business that she sold for $66 million
products and apparel. She was called
in 2001. A real-estate contributor for NBC’s Today Show, she is
one of the “50 most influential people in fashion” by Fairchild
also an investor/”shark” on the reality hit Shark Tank and the best-
Publications as well as one of the “top 10 women’s health
selling author of Use What You’ve Got.
advocates in America” due to her support of numerous charities.
Soraya Darabi
Rhonda Kallman
At just 23, Darabi became the manager
Honored as a Pioneering Woman in
of digital partnerships and social
the Beer Industry by the Institute for
media at The New York Times, where
Brewing Studies, Kallman effectively
she established award-winning social
paved the way for her gender in the
media campaigns. Also the co-founder
beer business. She is the co-founder of
of Foodspotting, a geolocation-based mobile app, she is a sought-
The Boston Beer Company—the makers of the award-winning
after authority on the world of emerging media who was named
Samuel Adams brews—and appeared in the documentary Beer
one of Fast Company’s “most creative people in business.”
Wars. She is currently the CEO of McMillan Distillery.
BUSINESS
American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
Women’s Voices | PAGE 7
Sarah Lacy
Judy Smith
As senior editor at TechCrunch, Lacy
The real-life inspiration behind ABC’s
covered business in Silicon Valley for
hit political thriller series Scandal, Smith
over a decade. Currently the founder,
is the US’s premier crisis management
editor-in-chief, and CEO of the tech
expert. As the founder and president
news site PandoDaily, she recently
of Smith & Company, she uniquely
embarked on a hunt for the best talent in the developing world,
combines her communication skills, media savvy, and legal and
a journey she shares in the book Brilliant, Crazy, Cocky: How the
political acumen to serve clients around the world.
Top 1% of Entrepreneurs Profit from Global Chaos.
Beth Simone Noveck
Carmen Wong Ulrich
As the former US Deputy Chief
A personal finance expert, Ulrich
Technology
was
is a respected voice on money
responsible for developing the Obama
management. Currently a contributor
Administration’s policy on government
to The Dr. Oz Show and iVillage, as
innovation. Named “one of the 100
well as the resident money expert for
most creative people in business” by Fast Company, she wrote
Glamour magazine, Ulrich is the author of The Real Cost of Living:
Wiki Government: How Technology Can Make Government Better,
Making the Best Decisions for You, Your Life, and Your Money and
Democracy Stronger, and Citizens More Powerful and is a foremost
Generation Debt, the under-40 guide to personal finance.
Officer,
Noveck
expert on “big data.”
Suze Orman
Sherron Watkins
Called “a force in the world of personal
Known worldwide as the Enron
finance” and a “one-woman financial
whistleblower,
advice powerhouse” by USA Today,
vice president of the corporate
Orman is a two-time Emmy-winning
giant—warned then-CEO Ken Lay of
host of The Suze Orman Show. Known
accounting irregularities within the
for her no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is personal finance advice,
company. A Time Person of the Year in 2002 and an outspoken
Orman wrote Women and Money: Owning the Power to Control
voice against corruption, she continues to set the tone for new
Your Destiny. Her newest book is The Money Class.
direction in corporate governance.
Watkins—a
former
BUSINESS
American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
PAGE 8 | Women’s Voices
Kathy Bates
Natalie Cole
An Academy Award winner and one
The daughter of one of America’s
of Hollywood’s most sought-after
most beloved entertainers, Nat King
performers, Bates is also an inspirational
Cole, Natalie has built a phenomenally
speaker who draws on her personal
successful singing career spanning 30
experience with the most challenging
years. The winner of eight Grammy
role of her career: cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with
Awards, Cole uses honesty and humor to share the life lessons
ovarian cancer in 2003 and breast cancer in 2012, for which she
she has learned throughout the way, guiding and encouraging
underwent a double mastectomy.
audiences to make better choices.
Maria Bello
Jamie Lee Curtis
An internationally renowned actress
Curtis is an award-winning film actress
and women’s rights activist, Bello
who has starred in such films as
co-founded We Advance, a women’s
Halloween, A Fish Called Wanda, and
movement and NGO based in Cité
Freaky Friday. She is also a mother of
Soleil, Haiti. The organization advocates
two and the author of several best-
for women throughout the country to have full political,
selling children’s books, including My Brave Year of Firsts: Tries,
economic, and social participation. She was named a Vital Voices
Sighs, and High Fives, and aims to promote self esteem and
Global Ambassador for Women.
positive body image among women.
Valerie Bertinelli
America Ferrera
A two-time Golden Globe winner,
Known for her Emmy-winning starring
Bertinelli is a celebrated actress who
role on Ugly Betty, Ferrera is also a
recently made headlines after losing
devoted humanitarian who dedicates
over 40 pounds as the face of Jenny
her time to generating attention to
Craig. She shares her story in the #1
the causes she holds dear, particularly
New York Times bestseller Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One
those impacting children and their education. She is an artist
Pound at a Time, inspiring millions of women to work harder
ambassador for Save the Children and, in 2010, she was awarded
toward becoming their best and healthiest selves.
the Hispanic Heritage Foundation’s Inspira Award.
CELEBRITY
American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
Women’s Voices | PAGE 9
Goldie Hawn
Andie MacDowell
A gifted actress, director, producer, and
An accomplished actress, MacDowell is
entrepreneur, the Academy Award-
an advocate for changing lives for the
winning Hawn is a woman of many
better by recognizing and embracing
talents whose roles have garnered
the good in all of us. A proponent of
her adoring fans worldwide. A strong
“going green,” she also supports Susan
proponent of finding balance in life, she believes that each of
G. Komen for the Cure, a cause to empower women battling
us has the power to create our own happiness and works to
breast cancer and raise funds to find a cure. Most recently, she
encourage the interconnectedness of society.
appeared on the series Jane by Design.
Diane Keaton
Olivia Newton-John
An actress, director, and producer, the
Timelessly appealing, Newton-John
Academy Award-winning Keaton has
is an actress and singer well known
over 50 films to her name, including
for her role as “Sandy” in the musical
and
classic Grease. A breast cancer survivor,
Something’s Gotta Give. Admired for her
she talks openly about her battle with
intelligent humor, Keaton discusses such topics as gender and
the disease. In the past, she has served as a Goodwill Ambassador
aging in Hollywood, being fearless, and work/life balance. She is
to the United Nations and a national spokesperson for the Colette
an active member of the Los Angeles Conservancy.
Chuda Environmental Fund.
Annie
Hall,
The
Godfather,
Patti LaBelle
Holly Robinson Peete
A Grammy Award-winning artist,
A talented actress and volunteer, Peete
best-selling author, and healthcare
is a dedicated advocate for autism and
advocate, LaBelle has been honored
founder of The HollyRod Foundation,
for promoting cancer awareness. She
which aims to improve the quality of
is also proactive in the fight against
life of people with Parkinson’s. Most
diabetes, the disease that claimed her mother’s life. She has
recently, the foundation has formed HollyRod4Kids, which focuses
written a number of books, including the biography Don’t Block
on improving the quality of life for children in Kenya, South Africa,
the Blessings and many cookbooks.
and the Gulf Coast post-Katrina.
CELEBRITY
American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
PAGE 10 | Women’s Voices
Giuliana Rancic An
entertainment
journalist
Jane Seymour and
Truly a modern Renaissance woman,
fashion and beauty expert, Rancic has
award-winning actress Seymour is also
covered the red carpet for every mega-
an accomplished artist, best-selling
event in the entertainment industry. A
author, and successful entrepreneur in
fixture on E! News and Fashion Police,
the worlds of fashion and design with
she most recently co-hosted the Miss USA pageant. Rancic is also
her Jane Seymour Signature and Home Collections. A mother
a breast cancer survivor who speaks about battling cancer, both
and activist, she has worked for over 20 years to improve the lives
solo or along with husband Bill Rancic.
of children around the world.
Doris Roberts
Brooke Shields
Emmy winner Roberts has sustained
An accomplished model and actress
an illustrious career in theater, film, and
known for her roles in Suddenly Susan
television. With warmth, wit, and wry
and Blue Lagoon, Shields weathered
humor, the Everybody Loves Raymond
a media firestorm when she opened
star shares her moving yet hilarious life
up about her experiences with
story as well as her perspectives on ageism and giving back to
postpartum depression in 2005. She gracefully and candidly
the community. She wrote Are You Hungry, Dear? Life, Laughs, and
explored her struggles and triumphs in the memoir Down Came
Lasagna.
the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression.
Susan Sarandon
Sigourney Weaver
An actress and activist, Sarandon is
Weaver
known for her outspoken personal
nominated and Golden Globe-winning
convictions as well as her acting
actress known for her memorable roles
chops. The Academy Award nominee
in such films as Alien, Ghostbusters II,
has starred in Thelma and Louise, The
and Avatar. An amazingly gifted actress
Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Dead Man Walking, among many
with the kind of career longevity that most of Hollywood envies,
others. She is active and involved in many organizations including
Weaver draws on her personal experiences over the years to craft
MADRE, Unicef, and The Heifer Project.
an engaging presentation.
CELEBRITY
American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
is
an
Academy
Award-
Women’s Voices | PAGE 11
Stacey Bess
Glenda Hatchett
In her 1994 memoir, Nobody Don’t Love
A respected voice of justice, Judge
Nobody: Lessons on Love from the School
Hatchett is the former chief presiding
with No Name, Bess shared the story
judge of the Fulton County Juvenile
of her first teaching assignment at a
Court in Atlanta. Her highly successful
school for homeless children, located
court television series, Judge Hatchett,
in a small shed behind a shelter. Recently, her inspirational story
provides a forum where she can reach beyond her courtroom
was brought to life in the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie Beyond the
to a larger and more diverse audience. She wrote Dare to Take
Blackboard.
Charge: How to Live Your Life on Purpose.
Temple Grandin
Tonya Lewis Lee
A professor of animal science, Dr.
A respected community leader, Lee is a
Grandin is the most well-known adult
lawyer turned best-selling author and
with autism in the world. She was the
award-winning producer. A devout
subject of the award-winning HBO film
activist, she is currently the face of
Temple Grandin, starring Claire Danes,
A Healthy Baby Begins with You, a
and wrote The Way I See It, an invaluable resource for individuals
national infant mortality campaign, and—along with husband
trying to cope with the real issues those with autism face every
Spike Lee*—she has authored two wildly popular children’s
day.
books, Please, Baby, Please and Please, Puppy, Please. *Spike Lee is also available through APB.
Erin Gruwell
Cynthia Lowen
The author of the widely acclaimed
The writer and producer of Bully, a
The Freedom Writers Diary—as well as
documentary film charting“a year in the
the subject of the film Freedom Writers,
life” of America’s bullying crisis, Lowen
starring
Swank—Gruwell
explores the roots and ramifications
leveraged the power of education to
of bullying on the playground and
transform a group of students deemed “unteachable” in a tough,
how it translates into later life. She equips audiences with tools
racially divided school system. Her newest book is Teaching Hope:
to respond to aggressive behavior and offers insight on taking
Stories from the Freedom Writer Teachers and Erin Gruwell.
action to transform their communities.
Hilary
EDUCATION & SOCIAL ISSUES American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
PAGE 12 | Women’s Voices
Sonia Manzano
Robyn Silverman
Those who grew up learning their
A body image and bullying expert, Dr.
ABCs with the crew on Sesame Street
Silverman is the author of the best-
will immediately recognize Manzano
selling Good Girls Don’t Get Fat. Her
as the bilingual “Maria.” Attributing
no-nonsense, positive approach to
her appeal to the fact that she acts
helping young people thrive has made
the same toward children as she does toward adults—honestly
her the go-to expert for The Today Show, Nightline, and Parenting
and directly—the activist and author continues to contribute to
magazine. She created The Sassy Sisterhood Girls Circle, a self-
enriching diversity on television, on the stage, and in education.
esteem and body image program for adolescent girls.
Jennifer Siebel Newsom
Rachel Simmons
Recognized in Fast Company’s League
Simmons is the author of the New York
of Extraordinary Women, Newsom
Times bestseller Odd Girl Out, the first
gained national attention for her
book to explore the phenomenon
award-winning
Miss
of negativity and bullying between
Representation, which exposes how
females—just as harmful as bullying
the media contributes to the underrepresentation of women in
between males, but harder to recognize. She is the founder and
positions of power. She has since launched MissRepresentation.
director of The Girls’ Leadership Institute and lends a voice to the
org, the mission of which is to transform our culture.
social struggles of young girls.
documentary
Diane Ravitch
Rosalind Wiseman
Ravitch is an historian and research
An
professor of education at New York
authority on children, teens, bullying,
University, and has been at the forefront
and parenting, Wiseman is the author
of reform since her tenure as Assistant
of Queen Bees and Wannabes, the best-
Secretary of Education. She believes
selling book that inspired the film
that fast solutions get in the way of long-term thinking and the
Mean Girls. She is the media’s go-to expert on bullying prevention
carefully designed changes that are needed to truly transform
and school violence; her upcoming book, about schoolyard
our schools.
relationships between boys, is Masterminds and Wingmen.
internationally
EDUCATION & SOCIAL ISSUES American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
recognized
Women’s Voices | PAGE 13
Laila Ali
Caroline Casey
As the daughter of Muhammad Ali,
A visually impaired social entrepreneur,
the legendary former heavyweight
Casey is recognized for her pioneering
champion of the world, Laila’s name
approach to changing perceptions of
was instantly a focus in the world
disability. Focusing on business and
of boxing. She has captured four
media, she works to enhance the
championship belts, proving that she is the best female boxer in
relationship between disability and society. She is the founder of
the world. Ali shares her inspirational story in her memoir, Reach:
Kanchi, a nonprofit that aims to change attitudes and behaviors
Finding Strength, Spirit, and Personal Power.
toward people with disabilities.
Azure Antoinette
Robyn Davidson
Antoinette is a poet and spoken word
Davidson is an Australian writer best
artist who has appeared on HBO’s Brave
known for her book Tracks, which shares
New Voices and shared the stage with
the story of her remarkable 1700-mile
such artists and performers as Danny
trek on camelback, accompanied by
Glover, Vanessa A. Williams, and Elliott
photographer Rick Smolan*, across
Gould. A youth and arts advocate, she most recently embarked
the deserts of west Australia. In 2013, her story will come to life
on a project to create art programs for youth in Los Angeles. Her
in a feature film starring Mia Wasikowska as Davidson and Girls’
newest book of poetry is for the sake of BREVITY.
Adam Driver as Smolan. *Rick Smolan is also available through APB.
Christine Carter
Marlen Esparza
A sociologist and happiness expert
Esparza made history as the first US
at UC Berkeley, Dr. Carter focuses
female boxer to medal in the first-ever
on the psychology, sociology, and
women’s boxing games at the 2012
neuroscience of well being. Best known
London Olympics; now, she looks to
for her science-based parenting advice,
Rio in 2016 where she hopes to take
her book Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids
the gold. Undefeated in every national tournament she has
and Happier Parents offers tools to teach the skills for happiness,
entered, she shares the trials and rewards of being a trailblazing
emotional intelligence, and resilience.
woman and Latina in a sport traditionally dominated by men.
INSPIRATION
American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
PAGE 14 | Women’s Voices
Robin Meade
Susan L. Taylor
An accomplished broadcast journalist,
The soul of Essence for over three
Meade has anchored CNN’s coverage
decades, Taylor was the driving force
of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as
behind one of the most celebrated
well as the inauguration of President
African
Barack Obama. She is currently the
as founder of the National CARES
host of HLN’s Morning Express with Robin Meade. Her first book,
Mentoring Movement, she uses her passion for empowering
Morning Sunshine: How to Radiate Confidence and Feel It Too,
others to recruit mentors for at-risk youth. She wrote In the Spirit:
became an instant New York Times bestseller.
The Inspirational Writings of Susan L. Taylor.
American
brands.
Now,
Deborah Norville
Venus Williams
As anchor of Inside Edition for nearly 20
Tennis superstar Williams holds 43
years, Norville has reported on a wide
WTA Tour titles, but her journey
variety of stories from the White House
toward excellence doesn’t stop there.
to Hollywood. She is an acclaimed
A true believer in equal rights, she was
motivator who has written such
named a UNESCO Promoter of Gender
popular books as Back on Track, Thank You Power, and her latest,
Equality and received an Americanism Award from the Anti-
The Power of Respect: Benefit from the Most Forgotten Element of
Defamation League. She wrote the bestseller Come to Win: Venus
Success.
and Friends on Life Lessons Beyond the Playing Field.
Lucille O’Neal
Lee Woodruff
Much more than just “Shaquille
After her husband, ABC News anchor
O’Neal’s mom,” Lucille has endured
Bob Woodruff, suffered a traumatic
such challenges as poverty, rejection,
brain injury in Iraq, Lee’s life changed
abuse, addiction, and the illness of
immediately. The two brought to light
a child to emerge as a woman of
their family’s arduous journey toward
faith and compassion. She looks back candidly in her memoir,
recovery in the best-selling In an Instant. Most recently, Woodruff
Walk Like You Have Somewhere to Go, sharing her struggles and
tackled the universal topics of life in her latest book, Perfectly
disappointments against the backdrop of her fondest memories.
Imperfect: A Life in Progress.
INSPIRATION
American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
Women’s Voices | PAGE 15
Linda Alvarado
Kim Campbell
Alvarado made history as the first
The Right Honorable Campbell is
Hispanic owner of a Major League
Canada’s first female prime minister
Baseball franchise. As an owner of
and the co-founder of Club of
the Colorado Rockies, her role was
Madrid, an organization dedicated to
significant in that it also marked the
strengthening democracy worldwide.
first time that any woman was involved in a bid of ownership
She is an authority on international politics, conflict resolution,
of a MLB team. She is currently president and CEO of Alvarado
democratization, international trade, and leadership, who shares
Construction, a commercial general contractor in Denver.
what it takes to succeed as a woman today.
Joyce Banda
Johnnetta Cole
Sworn in as the first female president
One of the most powerful, well
of the Republic of Malawi on
regarded African American women in
April 7, 2012, President Banda is a
the country, Cole is President Emerita
champion for women, children, and
of both Bennett and Spelman colleges.
the underprivileged, hailed as one
As chair of The Johnnetta B. Cole
of Africa’s most powerful women by Forbes magazine. She is
Global Diversity and Inclusion Institute at Bennett, she continues
founder of The Joyce Banda Foundation International, which has
to fight for diversity, justice, and the health and safety of women,
guided projects from empowering women to providing orphans
children, and underserved populations.
education.
Gro Harlem Brundtland
Gail Evans
The former Prime Minister of Norway,
Evans is the best-selling author of Play
director-general of the World Health
Like a Man, Win Like a Woman: What
Organization, and chair of the World
Men Know About Success That Women
Commission on Environment and
Need to Learn. Her career scope is vast;
Development, Dr. Brundtland is a
beginning with a career in government,
preeminent voice for improving health and the environment.
Evans went on to become executive vice president of CNN, where
Advocating that good health is a basic human right, she believes
she developed three of the network’s most popular programs:
it extends beyond medicine to include environmental and global
TalkBack Live, Burden of Proof, and CNN & Company.
policy.
LEADERSHIP
American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
PAGE 16 | Women’s Voices
Shannon Fitzgerald
Pat Mitchell
A senior vice president of series
One of the most influential leaders in
development
Fitzgerald
media, Mitchell knows a great deal
creates new series for the network in
about the risks, responsibilities, and
both the reality and scripted genres,
rewards of leadership. She was the first
including Savage U, It Gets Better, and
woman to serve as CEO of PBS—one
Washington Heights. Also the creator of the popular blog The
of the nation’s largest broadcasting services—and is the current
Accidental Executive, she helps guide the millennial generation
president and CEO of The Paley Center for Media (formerly The
on building the life and career of their dreams.
Museum of Television and Radio).
at
MTV,
Polly LaBarre
Mary Robinson
A
The first female president of Ireland
business
correspondent
and for
innovation CNN,
LaBarre
and a former UN High Commissioner
has contributed to the business
for Human Rights, President Robinson
conversation for more than 15 years,
is president of the Mary Robinson
most notably as a member of the
Foundation - Climate Justice, a center
original Fast Company team and as co-founder of the MIX
for thought leadership and advocacy on the struggle for global
(Management Innovation eXchange). She co-authored the best-
justice. Believing that businesses must play a role in solving
selling book Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in
human rights and justice issues, she is also a member of the Club
Business Win.
of Madrid.
Laura Liswood Internationally
for
A Nobel Peace Prize winner, President
her understanding of women in
of Liberia Johnson Sirleaf became the
leadership, Liswood is co-founder of
first woman to lead an African nation. A
the Council of Women World Leaders;
Harvard-educated former World Bank
created the International Assembly of
economist, she is a leading promoter
Women Ministers with the Right Honorable Kim Campbell; and
of peace, justice, and democratic rule, working tirelessly to end
co-founded The White House Project, dedicated to changing the
the corruption that has plagued her country. She wrote the
cultural message in the US about women as leaders.
memoir This Child Will Be Great.
LEADERSHIP
recognized
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
Women’s Voices | PAGE 17
Gloria Borger
Juju Chang
As a senior political analyst for CNN and
Chang is an Emmy Award-winning
contributing editor to US News & World
correspondent for ABC News’ 20/20,
Report, Borger regularly provides front-
Good Morning America, and Nightline.
row analysis during election season. A
Born in Seoul, South Korea, she speaks
journalist-analyst, the former Newsweek
on the myth of the “model” Asian
correspondent’s credibility lies in being able to tell both sides of
American minority and is a founding board member of the
any story through strong, informed analysis of the facts.
Korean American Community Foundation. She also hosts Moms Get Real, aimed at cracking the façade of “perfect mommyhood.”
Donna Brazile
Eleanor Clift
One of the most influential African
As contributing editor to Newsweek
American women in American politics,
for over 15 years, Clift reports on such
Brazile is a commentator on CNN and
pressing issues as the White House,
a Democratic consultant who was
Washington, and women in politics,
named the temporary DNC chair in
and has covered every presidential
April 2011. She helped found MLK Day as a national holiday and
campaign since 1976. She wrote Founding Sisters, which tells the
became the first African American to run a major presidential
story of the long struggle for passage of the 19th Amendment,
campaign when she managed Gore for President in the 2000
granting women the right to vote.
election.
Bay Buchanan
Candy Crowley
Buchanan is a former US Treasurer,
An
political commentator for CNN, and
political correspondent, Crowley has
veteran of six presidential campaigns,
covered a range of stories including
and
George
presidential races and major legislative
magazine as “one of the top 20 political
developments on Capitol Hill. She
women in the nation.” She gets inside politics and the election
recently received widespread attention for her infamous “fact
process with her well-informed, fair perspective and conservative
check”while moderating the second presidential debate between
voice. She is the author of Bay and Her Boys.
President Obama and Mitt Romney.
was
recognized
by
award-winning
CNN
senior
NATIONAL ISSUES
American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
PAGE 18 | Women’s Voices
Patti Solis Doyle
Charlayne Hunter-Gault
As the first Hispanic woman to lead a
Hunter-Gault made history as the first
presidential campaign in the United
African American woman to graduate
States, Doyle is the former campaign
from the University of Georgia. She
manager for Hillary Rodham Clinton’s
is one of media’s premier global
2008 presidential bid. In a business
journalists and foreign correspondents,
where it is rare for females to manage major campaigns, and
continually challenging convention with her profound insights
where minorities in key positions are even harder to find, she
into the issues. She wrote To the Mountaintop: My Journey Through
remains one of the most respected leaders in the field.
the Civil Rights Movement.
Maria Hinojosa
Katty Kay
With a journalistic style that celebrates
Kay is lead anchor of BBC World News
the cultural richness of America,
America, having previously served as
Hinojosa has dedicated her career to
Washington correspondent for the BBC
telling untold stories and recognizing
since 2002. She is adept at discussing
unsung heroes. As managing editor of
today’s most pressing and critical
NPR’s “Latino USA” and host of the PBS series One-on-One, she has
political policies and co-authored (with Claire Shipman*), the
interviewed many of America’s foremost Latino leaders, bringing
New York Times bestseller Womenomics: The Workplace Revolution
wit and wisdom to the diversity dialogue.
That Will Change Your Life. *Claire Shipman is also available through APB.
Tamara Holder
Mara Liasson
Holder is an attorney and Fox
As
News legal contributor, where she
correspondent, Liasson can be heard
served as the go-to analyst for the
regularly on NPR’s award-winning
Rod Blagojevich trials, the mayoral
newsmagazines“All Things Considered”
campaign of Rahm Emmanuel, and
and “Morning Edition.” She provides
the scandals of Anthony Weiner and John Edwards. She is the
extensive coverage of politics and policy from Washington, and
founder of xpunged.com, a boutique law firm focusing solely on
has provided key coverage of the candidates and issues in both
governor pardons and clemency.
presidential and congressional elections.
NATIONAL ISSUES
American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
NPR’s
national
political
Women’s Voices | PAGE 19
Andrea Mitchell An
Emmy
Award-winning
Janine Turner chief
An actress who is well known for her
foreign affairs correspondent and
roles in Northern Exposure, Strong
host of MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell
Medicine, and Friday Night Lights, Turner
Reports, Mitchell has become one of
is also an activist whose most recent
the most respected female voices in
projects include “The Janine Turner
contemporary journalism. She is the author of Talking Back, a
Radio Show – Hear the Thunder!” and Constituting America, a
memoir about her experiences covering five presidents (starting
foundation devoted to educating American citizens and students
with the Reagan presidency), Congress, and foreign policy.
about the United States Constitution.
Lisa Myers
Elizabeth Vargas
Myers is an Emmy Award-winning
As an award-winning anchor and
senior investigative correspondent
correspondent, Vargas has traveled the
for NBC News, a seasoned political
world covering breaking news stories,
analyst, and one of the most respected
reporting
journalists
and
in
the
country.
Her
in-depth
conducting
investigations, groundbreaking
groundbreaking reports on the financial meltdown, war on terror,
interviews. Currently the co-anchor of ABC’s 20/20, she has
politics, and political and corporate scandals have triggered both
been lauded by The New York Times for her “intellectually brave”
official investigations and critical acclaim.
reporting of the 1998 slaying of Matthew Shepard.
Claire Shipman
Fredricka Whitfield
As senior national correspondent
As one of the anchors of CNN Newsroom
for Good Morning America, Shipman
and
reports on a wide spectrum of national
Whitfield reports on breaking news
and international news, offering a view
events worldwide. Whether reporting
from Washington and observations
from the region during the wars in
on leadership in a changing world. Her unique perspective is
Afghanistan and Iraq or covering 9/11 and other issues close
gleaned from decades of on-the-ground reporting, covering the
to home, she offers unique insight into the important events of
White House and presidential elections.
today. Previously, she was a correspondent for NBC News.
a
network
correspondent,
NATIONAL ISSUES
American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
PAGE 20 | Women’s Voices
Susan Blumenthal
Joycelyn Elders
Known as “the Admiral of Public
As the first African American and the
Health,” Blumenthal is an extraordinary
second female US Surgeon General,
leader in healthcare whose global
Dr. Elders initiated programs to
impact on advancing public health
combat youth smoking and teen
is far reaching, particularly in the area
pregnancy and to increase childhood
of women’s health. A former US Assistant Surgeon General, she
immunizations. A tireless crusader for achieving a healthier
was the country’s first deputy assistant secretary for women’s
society, she remains at the forefront of today’s health concerns,
health in the US Department of Health and Human Services.
committed to healthcare access, education, and equality.
Elizabeth Cohen
Yvette Freeman
A senior medical correspondent for
Known for her role as “Nurse Adams”
CNN’s health, medical, and wellness
on ER, Freeman achieved one of her
unit, Cohen reports on breaking
greatest accomplishments when she
medical news and the latest in
lost over a third of her body weight.
consumer health issues. She is the
Losing the weight meant she had
trusted voice behind the digital column “The Empowered Patient,”
won against diabetes and heart disease, an accomplishment she
keeping readers informed on the best in medical care, and speaks
shares with women from all walks of life as a national advocacy
on the importance of maintaining work-life balance as a career
ambassador for The Diabetes Association.
woman.
Kelly Corrigan
Dorothy Hamill
After discovering a cancerous lump
Every four years the Olympic Games
in her breast at the young age of 36
produce a new group of champions,
and learning that her beloved father
but only rarely does one of these
had developed late-stage cancer at
champions transcend their sport to
the same time, Corrigan recounted
completely capture our imaginations.
her experience in the acclaimed The Middle Place. Known for her
Hamill became one such athlete when the 19-year-old figure
wrenching honesty, poignancy, and humor, her latest book is Lift,
skater won the gold in 1976. She wrote A Skating Life, in which
a stirring story of a young family in crisis.
she shares her deeply personal struggle with depression.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
Women’s Voices | PAGE 21
Naomi Judd
Pamela Peeke
Judd’s meteoric rise to country music
An internationally recognized expert,
superstardom is an inspiring story of
physician, scientist, and author in the
overcoming the odds through sheer
fields of nutrition, stress, fitness, and
optimism and hard work. A hepatitis
public health, Dr. Peeke is WebMD’s
C survivor, she is the first national
lifestyle expert where she presents her
spokesperson for the National Liver Association, and uses her
multimedia lifestyle program, Everyday Fitness with Dr. Pam Peeke.
fame, experience as a nurse, and passion for people to educate
She is also a New York Times best-selling author, most recently of
about the scientific link between mind, body, and spirit.
The Hunger Fix.
Hoda Kotb Kotb
was
named
Gail Sheehy co-anchor
of
A world-renowned life cycle expert,
the fourth hour of The Today Show
Sheehy has changed the way millions of
in August 2007, where she hosts
women and men look at their lives. Her
alongside Kathie Lee Gifford. A cancer
landmark bestseller Passages ushered
survivor, she penned the New York
in a radical new understanding of the
Times best-selling memoir Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad
phases of a woman’s life; most recently, she authored Passages
Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee, as well as the inspiring Ten Years Later:
in Caregiving: Turning Chaos into Confidence, which draws on her
Six People Who Faced Adversity and Transformed Their Lives.
own experiences as a caregiver.
Vicki Lawrence
Alison Vincent
The multitalented Lawrence is known
Vivacious and dynamic, Vincent was
for making television history, appearing
the “one to watch” on the fifth season
as Carol Burnett’s kid sister on The Carol
of TV’s popular reality show The
Burnett Show and going on to star in
Biggest Loser. She went on to win the
her own series, Mama’s Family. She is
competition while viewers watched
also an avid activist, particularly in the areas of women’s rights
her amazing transformation from overweight and discouraged
and heart health, whose family history of heart disease spurred
to fit and inspiring. She went from 234 to 122 pounds after weeks
her to speak out on proper prevention.
of hard work and dedication to health and fitness.
HEALTH & WELLNESS
American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
PAGE 22 | Women’s Voices
Anousheh Ansari
Alexandra Cousteau
Ansari captured headlines around
With a famous last name passed down
the world when she became the first
by her grandfather, Jacques-Yves, and
female private space explorer. She
her father, Philippe, Cousteau is a
shares her journey in the memoir My
globally recognized advocate on water
Dream of Stars, and is the co-founder
quality and policy. With the unique
of Prodea Systems, which aims to significantly change consumer
ability to draw audiences into the weighty issues of policy and
interaction with the Internet and integrate digital tools into
politics—and ultimately spur them to action—she advocates
everyday life.
conservation and sustainable resource management.
Mayim Bialik
Summer Rayne Oakes
Perhaps best known for her starring
The author of Style, Naturally, the first
role in the early-’90s sitcom Blossom,
global guide to sustainable beauty
Bialik is also a brilliant scientist with a
and fashion, Oakes has worked as a
degree in neuroscience from UCLA.
Discovery Channel Planet Green eco-
She speaks to filling a unique space
lifestyle resident expert and host.
as a woman in two difficult worlds: Hollywood and the scientific
Known as “The Eco-Model,” she has dedicated her career to
community. Most recently she can be seen as “Amy Farrah Fowler”
“cause-related modeling,” or working with more environmentally
on the sitcom The Big Bang Theory.
and socially conscious companies and brands.
Rebecca Costa
Jill Bolte Taylor
Today’s leading sociobiologist, Costa
A Harvard-trained neuroanatomist,
authored the critically acclaimed
Taylor experienced a severe brain
The Watchman’s Rattle: A Radical New
hemorrhage in 1996. On the afternoon
Theory of Collapse, which offers a
of this rare form of stroke, she could
genetic explanation for current events,
not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any
emerging trends, and individual behavior. She helps individuals
of her life. It took eight years for her to successfully rebuild her
and groups find ways to adapt, thrive, and make better decisions
brain, a journey she chronicled in the New York Times best-selling
in today’s fast-moving, complex world.
memoir My Stroke of Insight.
SCIENCE
American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
Women’s Voices | PAGE 23 Ali, Laila.....................................................................13 Alvarado, Linda.....................................................15 Anderson, Redia.....................................................5 Ansari, Anousheh...............................................22 Antoinette, Azure...............................................13 Banda, Joyce..........................................................15 Barnett, Amy DuBois...........................................5 Baron, Anat................................................................5 Bates, Kathy...............................................................8 Bello, Maria................................................................8 Benjamin, Regina...................................................5 Berry, Mary Frances..............................................3 Bertinelli, Valerie.....................................................8 Bess, Stacey.............................................................11 Bialik, Mayim..........................................................22 Blakely, Sara...............................................................5 Blumenthal, Susan.............................................20 Borger, Gloria.........................................................17 Brazile, Donna.......................................................17 Brundtland, Gro Harlem..................................15 Buchanan, Bay.......................................................17 Campbell, Kim.......................................................15 Carter, Christine...................................................13 Casey, Caroline.....................................................13 Chang, Juju.............................................................17 Chase, Robin.............................................................5 Chatzky, Jean............................................................6 Clift, Eleanor............................................................17 Cohen, Elizabeth.................................................20 Cole, Johnnetta....................................................15 Cole, Natalie..............................................................8 Compton-Rock, Malaak.....................................3 Corcoran, Barbara..................................................6 Corrigan, Kelly.......................................................20 Costa, Rebecca.....................................................22 Cousteau, Alexandra.........................................22 Crowley, Candy.....................................................17 Curtis, Jamie Lee....................................................8 Darabi, Soraya..........................................................6 Davidson, Robyn.................................................13
Davis, Angela............................................................3 Doyle, Patti Solis..................................................18 Ebadi, Shirin..............................................................3 Elders, Joycelyn....................................................20 Esparza, Marlen....................................................13 Evans, Gail................................................................15 Ferrera, America.....................................................8 Fitzgerald, Shannon..........................................16 Freeman, Yvette...................................................20 Gavet, Maelle............................................................6 Grandin, Temple..................................................11 Gruwell, Erin...........................................................11 Hamill, Dorothy....................................................20 Hatchett, Glenda.................................................11 Hawn, Goldie............................................................9 Hinojosa, Maria....................................................18 Holder, Tamara......................................................18 Hunter-Gault, Charlayne................................18 Ireland, Kathy............................................................6 Judd, Naomi...........................................................21 Kallman, Rhonda....................................................6 Kay, Katty..................................................................18 Keaton, Diane...........................................................9 Kotb, Hoda..............................................................21 LaBarre, Polly..........................................................16 LaBelle, Patti..............................................................9 Lacy, Sarah.................................................................7 Lawrence, Vicki.....................................................21 Lee, Tonya Lewis.................................................11 LeMay, Kathy.............................................................3 Liasson, Mara.........................................................18 Liswood, Laura......................................................16 Lowen, Cynthia....................................................11 MacDowell, Andie.................................................9 Mam, Somaly...........................................................3 Manzano, Sonia...................................................12 Meade, Robin........................................................14 Mitchell, Andrea..................................................19 Mitchell, Pat............................................................16 Myers, Lisa...............................................................19
Najimy, Kathy............................................................4 Newsom, Jennifer Siebel...............................12 Newton-John, Olivia............................................9 Norville, Deborah...............................................14 Noveck, Beth Simone..........................................7 O’Neal, Lucille........................................................14 Oakes, Summer Rayne.....................................22 Orman, Suze.............................................................7 Paretsky, Sara............................................................4 Peeke, Pamela.......................................................21 Peete, Holly Robinson........................................9 Perez, Rosie................................................................4 Rancic, Giuliana....................................................10 Ravitch, Diane.......................................................12 Roberts, Doris........................................................10 Robinson, Mary....................................................16 Sarandon, Susan..................................................10 Seymour, Jane......................................................10 Sheehy, Gail............................................................21 Shields, Brooke.....................................................10 Shipman, Claire....................................................19 Silverman, Robyn................................................12 Simmons, Rachel.................................................12 Sirleaf, Ellen Johnson........................................16 Smith, Judy................................................................7 Taylor, Jill Bolte......................................................22 Taylor, Susan L......................................................14 Thompson, Alison.................................................4 Trent, Tererai..............................................................4 Turner, Janine........................................................19 Ulrich, Carmen Wong..........................................7 Vargas, Elizabeth..................................................19 Vincent, Alison......................................................21 Watkins, Sherron....................................................7 Weaver, Sigourney.............................................10 Whitfield, Fredricka............................................19 Williams, Venus.....................................................14 Wiseman, Rosalind.............................................12 Woodruff, Lee........................................................14 WuDunn, Sheryl.....................................................4
INDEX
American Program Bureau | A Global Speaker Agency | apbspeakers.com | 800.225.4575
313 Washington Street, Suite 225 Newton, MA 02458 800.225.4575 . apbspeakers.com