<p>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. </p><p>She was inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in May 2023, is authored a critically acclaimed memoir <em>The Next Big Story,</em> and has 1.4 million followers on social media. She has given Congressional testimony on media disinformation. </p><p>Most recently, she served as Executive Producer of the Oscar-nominated HBO documentary short <em>The Devil Is Busy </em>and the Oscar-nominated Netflix documentary feature film The Perfect Neighbor. She also reported the documentary War on La Radio for Scripps and The End of Affirmative Action for CBS Reports and Paramount+, and co-hosted the IHeart podcast <em>Who Killed JFK</em> with the late Rob Reiner which debuted #1 on Apple with 9 million listeners </p><p>She anchored and produced <em>Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien</em>, a national Hearst political magazine for 10 years. She was a founding anchor at MSNBC, anchored NBC’s <em>Weekend Today,</em> anchored CNN’s morning show for more than a decade and later its documentary unit, and served as a correspondent for HBO <em>RealSports. </em></p><p>O’Brien’s work has been recognized over the years with ten 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, fourteen times with Telly Awards in 2025, and with an Alfred I. DuPont Award. </p><p>Her documentary and longform work have appeared on Netflix, CNN, Nat Geo, BET, CBS, Paramount +, Peacock, and HBO. She led SO’B Productions’ efforts on the Peabody-Award-winning documentary, <em>The Rebellious Life of Rosa Parks </em>which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and streams on Peacock, and the multi-part series <em>Black and Missing,</em> which won the Independent Spirit and NAACP award and streams on HBO. She works with major foundations such as the Ford Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to create award-winning content on topics like hunger, race, and education.</p><p>She runs the PowHerful foundation with her husband, which has helped dozens of young women get to and through college, and connects thousands of others with assistance through regional mentoring conferences.</p>
Award-Winning Journalist and Documentarian, Entrepreneur and Host of the Weekly Syndicated Political Show <i>Matter of Fact</i>
<ul><li><strong>The Power of the Story: Navigating Truth, Business, and Pivotal Moments</strong></li><li>Soledad O’Brien has spent her award-winning career reporting from the frontlines of major news events, interviewing world leaders, and producing documentaries that shape public discourse. In this compelling keynote, she explores how storytelling influences the way we lead, communicate, and respond to change—whether in business, media, or times of crisis. With insight drawn from decades of high-stakes journalism, Soledad reveals how authentic narratives can cut through noise, build trust, and drive strategy. Audiences will walk away thinking more critically, communicating more intentionally, and better equipped to lead with clarity and purpose in a rapidly shifting world.</li><li><strong>Matter of Fact</strong></li><li>As host of the weekly political magazine show Matter of Fact, Soledad O’Brien expanded the conversation around the day’s most important issues by engaging in a more inclusive dialogue with decision makers who are shaping the new American political landscape. She shared her commitment to introducing the under-voiced into the national conversation and offers powerful insights on the impact of highlighting these perspectives on individuals across the country. As Soledad reflects on her goal to bring the news above the noise created by the traditional media cycle, audiences take away a renewed outlook on the issues and dialogue that matter most to them.</li><li><strong>Communicating in Times of Change</strong></li><li>As an award-winning journalist, documentarian, anchor and producer of the weekly political program Matter of Fact, and founder and CEO of Soledad O’Brien Productions, Soledad has reported from the scene of many disasters over the course of her storied career. From the tsunami in Indonesia, the earthquake in Haiti, and Hurricane Katrina to the mass shooting at Virginia Tech University, she has learned how proactive and effective communication can assist in reassuring those affected by a crisis. She shows leaders how to avoid common communication pitfalls and how to lead their teams confidently in the face of adversity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, O’Brien shared this inspiring virtual message with teams at tech companies ranging from Salesforce to Google and has received rave reviews.</li></ul>