Keynote Speaker: Maria Shriver - Advocate and Founder of the Women`s Alzheimer`s Movement

A trailblazer for empowering women and one of the world’s leading advocates for women and Alzheimer’s disease, Maria Shriver serves as an inspiration for others to become “Architects of Change” and make the world a better place.

A force of nature of the highest order—“one who gives back continuously, helping those in need in any way she can”—Maria Shriver is a powerful, passionate, and purpose-driven leader whose work has fostered change and advanced some of our nation’s most pressing issues.

Always curious about the world, Maria has devoted her life to reporting and interviewing some of the greatest changemakers of our time. In addition to being a Peabody and Emmy Award-winning journalist and producer, a seven-time New York Times bestselling author, and an NBC News special anchor, Maria is also the founder of the for-benefit media enterprise Shriver Media. Shriver Media believes media can be used as a force for good in the world. Under Maria’s leadership, it produces digital content, live events, books, documentaries and films that move hearts and minds and inspire change.

Maria’s life is driven by her fervent belief that everyone has the ability to become what she calls “Architects of Change’—people who challenge what is, imagine what can be, make a difference, and move humanity forward. Her online community, her Sunday Paper newsletter publication, and her inspiring Architects of Change conversation series elevate individuals whose work rises above the noise and who seek to make a difference and move humanity forward across all areas of human endeavor, with the purpose of inspiring others to do the same.

In addition to her award-winning journalism career, Maria has also been a long-time champion for empowering women. While serving as the First Lady of California from 2003 to 2010, she produced the iconic Women’s Conference, which, under her leadership, grew into the largest women’s conference in the world. The Women’s Conference raised millions of dollars that funded scholarships, supported domestic violence and poverty initiatives, and single-handedly revived the California History Museum. One of The Women’s Conference’s many features was the Minerva Awards, which Maria created to honor and support women who made extraordinary contributions to all walks of life, from the arts to community activism to business and innovation. Women bestowed with the honor included the likes of Sandra Day O’Connor, Billie Jean King, Gloria Steinem, and Oprah Winfrey, to name just a few.

Maria’s groundbreaking Shriver Reports have also changed the conversations around women, work, poverty and Alzheimer’s disease in the United States. In 2009, she published the widely-quoted “The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Changes Everything,” which revealed that, for the first time in our nation’s history, women represented half of all US workers and were two-thirds of the nation’s primary breadwinners. In 2011, “The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Takes on Alzheimer’s,” reported for the first time ever that two-thirds of all individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease are women. In 2014, she published “The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Pushes Back From the Brink,” which reported that the new face of poverty in the United States was that of a working woman. The report revealed that 42 million working US women were living at or below the brink of poverty, as were the 28 million children who depend on them. One such woman, Katrina Gilbert, was the subject of the Emmy-nominated HBO documentary that Maria executive produced, “Paycheck to Paycheck: The Life and Times of Katrina Gilbert.” Each Shriver Report has changed laws and ignited national conversations about the changing status of women across our society.

Maria has been a megaphone for educating the public about the disproportionate effect that Alzheimer’s disease has on women. She founded the nonprofit organization The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement to raise awareness and funding for this critical issue and to ignite conversations around prevention and inspire much-needed personal, professional, and political change. She has also worked tirelessly to advocate for America’s caregivers, two-thirds of which are also women. Maria regularly uses her voice and her platforms (including her post as an NBC News special anchor) to report on stories surrounding the brain and the latest cutting-edge information about neuroscience. In 2017, the Alzheimer’s Association honored Maria with its first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award for her passion, leadership and dedication to leading the way to a world without the disease.

Maria has also written New York Times-bestselling books and produced award-winning film and TV programs that have furthered the public’s understanding of this disease. She executive produced the Academy Award-winning film “Still Alice” and HBO’s Emmy Award-winning “The Alzheimer’s Project,” with the Emmy-Award winning segment “Grandpa, Do You Know Who I Am?,” which was inspired by her award-winning children’s book “What’s Happening to Grandpa?” She also published the first-of-its-kind coloring book, Color Your Mind, that is specifically designed to engage individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and the people who care for and love them.

A shining example of using one’s platform and career accomplishments to positively impact the world, Maria eloquently moves audiences—from the boardroom to the stage and small, intimate gatherings—to lead an inspired life and channel their passions into meaningful contributions that make a difference in the world.