Actress, Singer, & Author Vanessa L. Williams And Carnival CEO Arnold Donald To Speak At The 2016 Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit

NEW YORK, Jan. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- BLACK ENTERPRISE hosts its 11^th annual Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit on Wednesday, March 9^th to Saturday, March 12^th at The Diplomat Resort & Spa Hollywood, Curio Collection by Hilton in Hollywood, Florida. The Summit, hosted by ADP, is the leading executive development conference for women of color and annually welcomes more than 1,000 mid- to senior-level power players and C-suite executives from across the country.

Vanessa L. Williams joins the 2016 speaker lineup along with her mother Helen Williams to discuss the costs and sacrifices that come with success in their session "You Have No Idea!" On Thursday, March 10^th, the singer, actress, and author will be among the recipients of the esteemed Women of Power Legacy Award. Also honored will be legendary golf pioneer Renee Powell, and N. Joyce Payne, Ph.D., founder of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund who will receive the Barbara Graves Legacy Award.

Now in its 11^th year, the Women of Power Summit features influential speakers and one-on-one keynote sessions with top executives—many of whom are women of color themselves. In addition, the Summit offers more than 20 hours of lifestyle, leadership, and professional development workshops with countless opportunities to network with like-minded peers. Attendees will be empowered, inspired, and equipped with the necessary tools to implement a strategy for success beginning the moment the conference concludes.

"When we first launched the Women of Power Summit, the field for this sort of event was wide open. The women who attended weren't sure what to expect, but they walked away thrilled.  Eleven years later, the women's empowerment space is very competitive but there is still nothing like this, which speaks right to the hearts of business women of color. Every year, the Summit offers plenty that's new: speakers, sponsors, topics that tap into emerging issues, and the unique challenges we face," says Editorial Director of the Women of Power Summit, Caroline V. Clarke, who is confident in the Summit's ability to consistently tackle these issues and challenges. In fact, the Women of Power Summit's year-over-year success led to the launch of Women of Power TV for which Clarke serves as host. "What never changes is our commitment to this audience's success and their need for greater connection with each other.  This event is relevant, resonant, and unparalleled, and we are so excited about this year."

Also named among the ranks of this year's Women of Power Summit speakers is Carnival Corp. President and CEO Arnold Donald. No stranger to the executive suite, Donald will be interviewed by BLACK ENTERPRISE President and CEO, Earl "Butch" Graves Jr. Their discussion on playmaking in the power suite will engage and inspire Women of Power attendees and is sure to assist them in developing their own actionable plan to carve out their path to the corner office.

The host sponsor of the 2016 Women of Power Summit is ADP. Presenting sponsors include Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Chevrolet, EMC, Macy's, PepsiCo, State Farm, and Walmart. Platinum Sponsors are Cigna, Intel, and Southwest Airlines; and Corporate Sponsors are Abbott, Carnival Corp., FedEx Express, Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB, and Hilton Worldwide.

Confirmed speakers include:

Amy DuBois Barnett, Media Executive & Author
Hon. Joyce Beatty, U.S. House of Representatives, 3^rd District of Ohio
Arnold Donald, CEO, Carnival Corp. & plc
Debbie Dyson, Corporate Vice President, Client Experience and Continuous Development, ADP
Pam El, EVP & CMO, NBA
Carol Fulp, President & CEO, The Partnership Inc.
Bridgette Heller, former EVP & President, MERCK Consumer Care
Karen Horne, SVP, Programming Talent Development & Inclusion, NBC Entertainment and Universal Studios 
Dawn Hudson, CMO, NFL
Tiffany Hunt, Vice President, Business Transformation Office, Nationwide 
Debra Lee, Chairman & CEO, BET Networks 
Wonya Lucas, CEO, Public Broadcasting Atlanta
Cynthia Marshall, Chief Diversity Officer, AT&T
Racquel Oden, Managing Director, Merrill Lynch
Sherice Torres, Marketing Director, Google Commerce (Android Pay)
Tracey Travis, EVP & CFO, Estee Lauder
Vanessa L. Williams, Actress, Singer, Author 
Carmen Rita Wong, CEO, Malecon Productions

Attendees of the 2016 Women of Power Summit will also have the opportunity to tap into all the latest BLACK ENTERPRISE developments taking place in and around the Summit courtesy of the dedicated BE Events app. Available for free on Android, iOS, and other smartphones (attendees with Windows and BlackBerry devices can go here), the app allows visitors to access the full event schedule, browse the event social media updates, receive information on all the speakers taking part in the Summit, as well as develop a personal event planner to remind them of their must-attend sessions. It also features a detailed interactive floor plan to help attendees navigate the session rooms as well as keep attendees fully up-to-date with the latest developments through a link to the #BEWPS social media tag. Attendees will also receive push notifications of giveaways.

The Summit begins Wednesday, March 9^th and concludes the evening of Friday, March 11. To register and find out more information, visit www.blackenterprise.com/wps and follow @BlackEnterprise on Twitter.

BLACK ENTERPRISE, your ultimate source to build Wealth for Life, is the premier business, investing, and wealth-building resource for African Americans. Since 1970, BE has provided essential business information and advice to professionals, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and decision makers. Every month, BLACK ENTERPRISE magazine provides 6 million readers with information on entrepreneurship, careers, and financial management. A multimedia company, BE also produces television programming, business and lifestyle events, Web content, and digital media. Visit www.blackenterprise.com for more information.

SOURCE BLACK ENTERPRISE

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