Actress and entrepreneur Jessica Alba and John Jacobs, co-founder of the Life is good brand, will offer insights into their global lifestyle businesses and social change at the Nov. 19 Pennsylvania Conference for Women at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, organizers announced today.
Women’s rights pioneer Gloria Steinem and Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee will also speak at the largest women’s event in the tri-state area.
Alba and Jacobs will deliver keynote speeches and will also team up with Steinem for a conversation on impacting social change at the Conference, which will feature 150+ nationally recognized speakers. Poet and homeless activist Marquesha Babers will be a special guest speaker.
Jessica Alba is a Golden Globe-nominated actress as well as a philanthropist, entrepreneur and author. Recently, Jessica released her first book, The Honest Life, based on her experiences creating a natural, non-toxic life for her family. Building on her dedication to create a safe, natural environment for families everywhere, Jessica founded and launched The Honest Company in 2012. The $1 billion company offers non-toxic, eco-friendly, and natural family essentials including diapers, wipes, bath, skin care and home cleaning products.
Jacobs is co-founder and chief creative optimist of the Life is good Company. The $100 million LIG lifestyle brand spreads the power of optimism and helps kids overcome violence, poverty and illness by donating 10 percent of its net profits to The Life is good Kids Foundation. Jacobs is focused on creating inspiring content and ensuring that Life is good’s unique culture remains a source of motivation for its employees and competitive advantage for the business.
Steinem is an iconic feminist, journalist and activist who became nationally recognized as a leader and spokeswoman for the feminist movement in the late 1960s and early 70s. She was a columnist for New York magazine and a founder of Ms. Magazine.
Gbowee, winner of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, is a Liberian peace activist, social worker and women’s rights advocate. Gbowee’s leadership of the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace – which brought together Christian and Muslim women in a nonviolent movement that played a pivotal role in ending Liberia’s civil war in 2003 – is chronicled in her memoir, Mighty Be Our Powers, and in the award-winning documentary, Pray the Devil Back to Hell.
“Jessica Alba and John Jacobs personify the special combination of business smarts and desire for social change that is so important to those who attend our Conference,” said Leslie Stiles, Board President of the Pennsylvania Conference for Women. “Along with the incredible Gloria Steinem, Leymah Gbowee, and Marquesha Babers, our speakers will help create an electrifying day of professional and personal growth and we know that attendees will leave inspired and motivated to create change.”
The 12th annual Conference hosts thousands of women for a full day of networking, inspiration, professional development and personal growth. The Conference features keynote addresses, and breakout sessions led by experts in the fields of business, philanthropy, health, finance, media and professional development.
The 150-plus speakers also include world-renowned leadership coach Gloria Mayfield Banks; Jessica Jackley, co-founder of Kiva and Profounder; Mary Spio, CEO of Next Galaxy Media and author of It’s Not Rocket Science: 7 Game-Changing Traits for Uncommon Success; Aliza Licht, DKNY PR GIRL and author of Leave Your Mark: Land Your Dream Job, Kill It in Your Career, Rock Social Media; Elizabeth Thornton, author of The Objective Leader: How to Leverage the Power of Seeing Things As They Are; and many more.
The nonprofit, nonpartisan event draws women of all ages and backgrounds who are interested in building communication skills, leadership strategies and work-life balance tools.
The Pennsylvania Conference for Women is generously underwritten by sponsors including: Beneficial Bank; Bristol-Myers Squibb; PPL Corporation, Cisco; Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business; Morgan Lewis; PwC; QVC, Inc.; Cancer Treatment Centers of America; DuPont; Johnson and Johnson; Mercer; Santander; State Street Corporation; ACME; Amtrak; The Dow Chemical Company; United Airlines; iHeart Media; Philadelphia Magazine; Philadelphia Media Network; Tierney; and WPVI-TV 6abc.
“Beneficial Bank was founded in the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation in a church basement more than 160 years ago. We know from experience that great things arise from coming together for conversation,” said Joanne Ryder, Chief Administration Officer, Beneficial Bank. “We are proud to sponsor the Pennsylvania Conference for Women for a third year, and look forward to another successful event where women can connect and develop their personal passions and skills.”
Tickets are available now for the Conference.
To register or learn more about the 12th annual Pennsylvania Conference for Women, visit our website at www.PAConferenceforWomen.org.
