Award-winning journalist, documentarian and bestselling author Soledad O’Brien will headline an inspiring symposium on women, philanthropy and leadership on March 9 at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts at the University of California, Davis. Tickets are on sale now. 

The event will feature a one-on-one conversation with O’Brien, a trailblazing media figure who is a leading voice on social issues today. Two dynamic leaders will also give thought-provoking presentations: Anna Maria Chávez, former CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, and Amishi Jha, Ph.D. ’98, a renowned neuroscientist and mindfulness expert. 

The event is sponsored by Women & Philanthropy at UC Davis, a group that aims to ignite connections, nurture curiosity and unite women as leaders. The event will also feature the announcement of the 2025 Women & Philanthropy Impact Award winner. 

The donor-funded award honors a UC Davis faculty or staff member for contributions to the advancement of women, exemplary leadership, and significant impact on local and global university communities. It comes with a $25,000 prize to be directed to a UC Davis fund of the winner’s choice. Read more about the last recipient, engineering professor Colleen Bronner, who allocated the award winnings to the UC Davis Undocumented Student Resource Center.

This is the third Wisdom of Women symposium, following the previous event with principal ballerina Misty Copeland in 2023. 

An impactful storyteller

O’Brien has a powerful national presence through her podcasts, social media, books and influential speeches. She anchors Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien, America’s No. 1 nationally syndicated public affairs news magazine, and gave a congressional testimony on media disinformation.

In 2013 she founded Soledad O’Brien Productions, a media production company dedicated to telling empowering and authentic stories on a range of social issues. Her work has earned numerous accolades, including four Emmys and induction into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in 2023. 

She runs the PowHERful Foundation with her husband, helping dozens of young women get to and through college while also connecting thousands more with resources through regional mentoring conferences. She also works with major foundations, like the Ford Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to produce impactful documentaries on topics like hunger, race and education.

Presenters, moderator

• Anna Maria Chávez, former CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA. The first woman of color to lead the iconic Girl Scouts of the USA in their 104-year history, Chávez is a renowned leadership expert who harnesses the power of technology and her passion for public service to transform organizations. She now serves as the president and CEO of the Arizona Community Foundation, where she continues to drive meaningful change.
• Amishi Jha, Ph.D. ’98, director of contemplative neuroscience and professor of psychology at the University of Miami. She leads groundbreaking research on the neural bases of attention and the effects of mindfulness-based training programs on cognition, emotion, resilience and performance in education, corporate, elite sports, first-responder and military contexts. She is also the author of the national bestseller Peak Mind, which provides practical tools to improve focus and attention.
• Event moderator Pamela Wu ’95, director of News and Media Relations for UC Davis Health. Her career spans the fields of broadcast journalism, public relations and communications training. In 2021, Wu received an Emmy award in the category of health/medical long-form content. She continues her work in broadcasting as a substitute host for Capital Public Radio, Sacramento’s NPR station.

Women & Philanthropy

The Wisdom of Women series presented by the Women & Philanthropy initiative celebrates and recognizes women’s leadership, generosity and their role their role in improving communities around the world.