Soledad O'Brien Keynote Speaker At 2014 Women's Leadership Conference

LAS VEGAS, June 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The MGM Resorts Foundation is proud to announce Soledad O'Brien as a keynote speaker at the 2014 Women's Leadership Conference. The non-profit event will be held at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV Aug. 6 and 7.

The theme of the 2014 conference is "Women Inspiring Women."

"Soledad is not only an award-winning journalist; she's also well-known for her philanthropic endeavors. She brings with her a rich and varied background that will inspire conference attendees," said Phyllis James, Chief Diversity Officer for MGM Resorts International.

The two-day conference will offer a wide range of learning opportunities, career guidance and personal growth tools, including:

-  Exposure to diverse, nationally recognized speakers and accomplished women role models
-  Career-oriented workshops that will give participants hands-on opportunities to develop skills based on their career needs
-  Three distinct learning tracks for participants who are Emerging Leaders, Emerging Executives and Executives

A winner of multiple Emmy and Peabody awards, Ms. O'Brien is well-known for several critically acclaimed and successful documentary series on CNN, including "Black in America" and its follow-up, "Latino in America." She will continue to produce those documentaries and other content through Starfish Media Group, a multi-platform media production and distribution company she launched in June 2013.

Starfish Media is dedicated to presenting empowering personal stories that explore the often divisive issues of race, class, wealth, poverty and opportunity. Ms. O'Brien has also won numerous journalism awards for her documentaries "Latino in America 2," the story of a Latina boxer who dreams of Olympic glory; "Gay in America: Gary and Tony have a baby," and "Unwelcome, the Muslims Next Door."

Earlier in her career, Ms. O'Brien co-anchored for Weekend Today and contributed to segments on The Today Show and Nightly News before joining CNN in 2003.

Named journalist of the year by the National Association of Black Journalists and one of Newsweek Magazine's "10 People who Make America Great," Ms. O'Brien recently entered into a multifaceted partnership with HBO. As part of the Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel team, she will have the opportunity to bring her distinctive style of storytelling to the world of sports. In addition to appearing on the award-winning program, the deal with HBO encompasses a first-look opportunity for scripted projects and long-form programming concepts with Ms. O'Brien's Starfish Media Group.

In 2013, Ms. O'Brien joined Harvard University as a Distinguished Fellow and was appointed to the Board of Directors of the foundation for The National Archives.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Ms. O'Brien and her husband, Brad, created The Starfish Foundation to help disadvantaged young women get to and through college. This year they will provide funding and support to 25 deserving young women.

The Women's Leadership Conference is open to women of all ethnicities, professions and social backgrounds, locally and nationally, and the men who support them. The MGM Resorts Foundation is the conference's presenting sponsor. Proceeds of the conference after costs will be donated to one or more local nonprofit agencies devoted to the welfare and development of women and girls.

Registration is $350, which includes the full conference and all workshops and lectures; a networking reception, and continental breakfasts and lunches catered by MGM Grand.  Time is also allotted for attendees to build key professional relationships with other conference participants while enjoying the hospitality and entertainment of MGM Grand and other resorts of MGM Resorts International.

Participating sponsorships are available to organizations or companies who share the vision and goals of this conference. Current sponsors include CBS – Radio; The Coca-Cola Company; Ernst & Young; Nevada Public Radio, and Cox Communications. For more information about the Women's Leadership Conference, please visit: www.mgmresorts.com/womensleadershipconference

About The MGM Resorts Foundation

The purpose of The MGM Resorts Foundation is to collect and distribute monies and assets donated by employees of MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) for the aid and support of qualified community nonprofit programs, agencies or organizations designated exclusively by MGM Resorts employees. In addition, the Foundation collects and distributes donations to the Foundation by third-party non-employees to support charitable, scientific, literary, and educational activities approved by the Foundation's Board of Directors and organized by MGM Resorts employees to benefit qualified non-profit charitable organizations designated by the Foundation's Board.

SOURCE MGM Resorts Foundation