Women & Philanthropy at UC Davis
A Conversation with Soledad O’Brien
With Special Guests Anna Maria Chávez & Dr. Amishi Jha
Sunday, March 9, 2025
1:00pm
Jackson Hall
Join us for a symposium featuring an exclusive conversation with award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien, alongside inspiring presentations by Anna Maria Chávez, former CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, and Dr. Amishi Jha, renowned neuroscientist and mindfulness expert. Be part of a thought-provoking event celebrating connection, leadership and impact.
Soledad O’Brien is an award-winning documentarian, journalist, speaker, author, philanthropist and founder of Soledad O’Brien Productions, a media production company dedicated to telling empowering and authentic stories on a range of social issues. She anchors and produces Matter of Fact with Soledad O’Brien, a nationally syndicated Hearst Television public affairs news magazine that reaches 95% of U.S. markets. She was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in May 2023.
O’Brien has a national impact through her podcasts, social media, speeches and books, including her critically acclaimed memoir The Next Big Story and her 1.3 million followers on X. She gave Congressional testimony on media disinformation and has anchored shows and specials on CNN, MSNBC, Nat Geo, BET, ABC, and CBS, co-anchored NBC’s Weekend Today, and reported for PBS NewsHour and HBO Real Sports.
Her most recent projects include her top-rated iHeart podcast Who Killed JFK with Rob Reiner and her documentary The End of Affirmative Action. She is the Executive Producer of the Peabody-Award-winning documentary The Rebellious Life of Rosa Parks, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, and the multi-part series Black and Missing, which won the Independent Spirit and NAACP awards. 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.
O’Brien’s work has been recognized with four Emmy awards, three times with the George Foster Peabody Award, four times with the Gracie Award, which honors women in media, twice with Cine Awards for her work in documentary films, twice with Telly Awards and with an Alfred I. DuPont Award.
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.
This program is part of the Wisdom of Women (WoW) event series presented by Women & Philanthropy at UC Davis, which unites women as leaders dedicated to using our collective talents and resources for the good of all.
Women & Philanthropy empowers women by convening communities and amplifying stories of achievement and impact. We have a dynamic vision for the world we want to build, and the determination to do so.
This event is not eligible for a Mondavi Center subscription package and is not part of the UC Davis Student One Free Ticket or Student Rush deals
Also Speaking:
Anna Maria Chávez
Former CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA
Anna Maria Chávez
The first woman of color to lead the iconic Girl Scouts of the USA in their 104-year-old 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.
Dr. Amishi Jha, Ph.D. ’98
Director of Contemplative Neuroscience and professor of Psychology at the University of Miami
Dr. Amishi Jha, Ph.D. ’98
Dr. Jha 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.
Pamela Wu '95 (Moderator)
Director of news and media relations, UC Davis Health
Pamela Wu '95 (Moderator)
Pamela Wu’s career spans the fields of broadcast journalism, public relations, and communications training. Wu is the director of News and Media Relations for UC Davis Health. In 2021, she received an Emmy Award in the category of Health/Medical Long-Form Content. Wu continues her work in broadcasting as a substitute host for Capital Public Radio, Sacramento’s NPR station.