The Texas Conference for Women is a

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

nonpartisan Nonpartisanism is a lack of affiliation with, and a lack of bias towards, a political party. While an Oxford English Dictionary definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., in most cases, nonpartisan refers sp ...

leadership conference for women of all ages and backgrounds. The first annual conference was held in 2000 in

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

as a one-day event consisting of keynote addresses and breakout sessions led by experts in the fields of business, philanthropy, health, finance, media and

professional development Professional development is learning to earn or maintain professional credentials such as academic degrees to formal coursework, attending conferences, and informal learning Informal learning is characterized "by a low degree of planning and ...

. Programming is directed toward working women and touches on both professional and personal development. Attendees learn new communication skills, leadership strategies and work/life balance tools designed to enhance their professional and personal growth. In response to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

in 2020 and 2021, the Conference was moved to a virtual format. In 2022, the Conference is offering both an in-person event in Austin and an online event. Current keynote speakers include: * Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, award-winning author * José Andrés, chef, humanitarian & founder, World Central Kitchen *

Brené Brown Casandra Brené Brown (born November 18, 1965) is an American professor, lecturer, author, and podcast host. Brown is known in particular for her research on shame, vulnerability, and leadership, and for her widely viewed TEDx talk in 2010. Since ...

, researcher & storyteller * Selena Gomez, actor, producer, singer, philanthropist

Past speakers

Yolanda Adams Yolanda Yvette Adams (born August 27, 1961) is an American gospel singer, actress, and host of her own nationally syndicated morning gospel show. She is one of the best-selling gospel artists of all time, having sold over 10 million album ...

* Isabel Allende *

Maya Angelou Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, popular poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and ...

* Jennifer Arnold *

Martha Beck Martha Nibley Beck (born November 29, 1962) is an American author, life coach, and public speaker, speaker who specializes in helping individuals and groups achieve greater levels of personal and professional success. She holds three degrees, a ...

* Jennifer Berman * Laura Berman * Bertice Berry *

Cherie Blair Cherie, Lady Blair, (; born 23 September 1954), also known professionally as Cherie Booth, is an English barrister and writer. She is married to the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Tony Blair. Early life and education Booth ...

Lindy Boggs Marie Corinne Morrison Claiborne Boggs (March 13, 1916 – July 27, 2013) was a politician who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and later as United States Ambassador to the Holy See. She was the first woman elected to Cong ...

* Barbara Bradley Baekgaard *

Nancy Brinker Nancy Goodman Brinker (born December 6, 1946) is the founder of The Promise Fund and Susan G. Komen for the Cure, an organization named after her only sister, who died from breast cancer. Brinker was also United States Ambassador to Hungary from ...

Douglas Brinkley Douglas Brinkley (born December 14, 1960) is an American author, Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities, and professor of history at Rice University. Brinkley is the history commentator for CNN, Presidential Historian for the New York Histori ...

* Neissa Brown Springmann *

Marcus Buckingham Marcus Wilfrid Buckingham (born 11 January 1966) is an English author, motivational speaker and business consultant based in California. Early life and education Buckingham was born in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire and grew up in the village of ...

* Jeri Callaway *

Katherine Center Josh Duhamel Katherine Sherar Pannill Center (born March 4, 1972) is an American author of contemporary fiction. Early life and education Center was born and raised in Afton Oaks, Houston, Texas. She graduated from St. John's School and from V ...

Johnnetta Cole Johnnetta Betsch Cole (born October 19, 1936) is an American anthropologist, educator, museum director, and college president. Cole was the first female African-American president of Spelman College, a historically black college, serving from 198 ...

Jody Conradt Addie Jo "Jody" Conradt (born May 13, 1941) is a retired women's basketball coach. She was the head coach for the women's team at University of Texas at Austin (UT). Her coaching career spanned 38 years, with the last 31 years at UT from 1976 to ...

* Kathleen Daelemans * Sarah Ferguson * Carly Fiorina *

Vonetta Flowers Vonetta Flowers (; born October 29, 1973) is an American bobsledder. In 2002 Winter Olympics, Flowers became the first African American and the first Black athlete from any country to win a gold medal at a Winter Olympics. Career Flowers was a s ...

Nely Galán Nely Galán (born 1963 in Santa Clara, Cuba) is an independent producer and a former President of Entertainment for Telemundo. She created and executively produced the FOX reality series ''The Swan''. Nely Galán was born Arnely Alvarez in Santa ...

* Melinda Gates *

Nancy Giles Nancy Giles (born July 17, 1960) is an American actress and commentator, perhaps best known for her appearances in the series ''China Beach'' and on ''CBS News Sunday Morning''. Early life Nancy Giles was born in New York City, the daughter of ...

Glenda Hatchett Glenda A. Hatchett (born May 31, 1951) is the star of the former court show, ''Judge Hatchett'' and current day ''The Verdict with Judge Hatchett'', and founding partner at the national law firm, The Hatchett Firm. Early life and education Hatc ...

Christy Haubegger Christy Haubegger (born August 15, 1968) is the founder of ''Latina'' magazine and was formerly the Executive Vice President, Chief Enterprise Inclusion Officer and Head of Marketing & Communications, at WarnerMedia. Early life She was born i ...

* Jessica Herrin * Maria Hinojosa * Karen Hughes * Mae Jemison * Tory Johnson * Marion Jones * Sarah Jones *

Doris Kearns Goodwin Doris Helen Kearns Goodwin (born January 4, 1943) is an American biographer, historian, former sports journalist, and political commentator. She has written biographies of several U.S. presidents, including ''Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream ...

Geraldine Laybourne Geraldine Laybourne (''née'' Bond; born May 19, 1947) is an American entrepreneur and former TV executive. She worked at Nickelodeon from 1980 until 1996, when she became the president of Disney-ABC Cable Networks (including Disney Channel). She ...

* Nastia Liukin * Marcus Luttrell * Robert Malone *

Rose Mapendo Rose Mapendo (born 1963) is a Congolese human rights activist. She founded the Rose Mapendo Foundation with the mission to empower the women of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi to rise above their circumstances and unite to br ...

Sara Martinez Tucker Sara Martinez Tucker is a former chief executive officer of the National Math and Science Initiative. She was formerly the Under Secretary of Education at the U.S. Department of Education and a former president and chief executive officer of the ...

* Cindy McCain *

Pat Mitchell Pat Mitchell (born January 20, 1943) was the first woman president and CEO of PBS and is a media executive. She is editorial director of TEDWomen . Early life Pat Mitchell graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia with bachelor' ...

* Jeff Moseley * Lisa Niemi Swayze * Suze Orman *

Turk Pipkin Turk Pipkin (born July 2, 1953) is an author, actor, comedian and director. He is also the co-founder of The Nobelity Project, a non-profit organisation which seeks to find solutions to global problems, and which advocates for basic rights for chi ...

* Rend Rahim Francke *

Condoleezza Rice Condoleezza Rice ( ; born November 14, 1954) is an American diplomat and political scientist who is the current director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as the 66th Uni ...

* Ann Richards *

Cokie Roberts Mary Martha Corinne Morrison Claiborne "Cokie" Roberts (née Boggs; December 27, 1943 – September 17, 2019) was an American journalist and author. Her career included decades as a political reporter and analyst for National Public Radio, PBS, ...

Rebecca Roberts Rebecca Boggs Roberts (born 1970) is the Curator of Programming at Planet Word, and was formerly an American journalist. She was one of the hosts of POTUS '08 on XM Radio, which offered live daily coverage of the 2008 presidential election. She s ...

Leslie Sanchez Leslie Sanchez (born 1971, Corpus Christi, TX) is an American author, political pundit affiliated with the Republican Party, and founder/ CEO of Impacto Group LLC, a Washington, D.C.-based market research and consulting firm. Early life Sanchez ...

* Ruth Simmons * Melinda Spaulding * Martha Stewart * Helen Thomas *

Leigh Anne Tuohy Leigh Anne Tuohy (née Roberts; born August 9, 1960) is an American businesswoman and interior designer. She is the adoptive mother of Michael Oher. Their story was featured in the 2006 book '' The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game'' and its 2009 ...

* Elizabeth Vargas * Lori Vetters * Andrea White * Meg Whitman * Mary Wilson

External links

* Non-profit organizations based in Texas Women in Texas {{US-org-stub