ReeseWitherspoon joins Amal Clooney in women’s conference speakers lineup
Reese Witherspoon, a leading Time’s Up proponent who has remade her Academy Award-winning career as an actress into the powerhouse producer of “Big Little Lies” and other series, will join Amal Clooney as part of a formidable lineup of keynote speakers at the Watermark Conference for Women Silicon Valley on Feb. 23.
The conference, which will be held at the San Jose Convention Center, is sold out. It is expected to draw more than 6,500 attendees, making it the largest of its kind on the West Coast.
Witherspoon will be part of the lineup of speakers whom the conference calls “inf luential champions of women” of- fering up inspirational messages.
The other speakers include international human rights attorney Clooney and Jodi Kantor, the New York Times reporter who co- authored the first report on sexual misconduct allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
Kantor’s reporting helped spark the # TimesUp social media phenomenon and launch the Time’s Up anti- sexual harassment initiative, led by Witherspoon and other prominent women in the entertainment industry.
Ann Barlow, chair of Watermark and West Coast president of Pep- percomm, said in a statement that the conference comes at a particularly crucial time as t he #MeToo and Time’s Up movements shine the national spotlight on gender equity and workplace culture.
“This is a critical time in our nation, with women at all levels standing up to be heard. We are proud to help elevate this national dialog,” Barlow said. “We hope that these outstanding speakers will inspire attendees to make their mark as leaders in their companies, careers and communities.”