Opening Session
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A Conversation with Documentarian and Journalist Soledad O’ Brien
4:30 – 6:00 PM
Soledad O’ Brien
ORANGE COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER
WEST A4
Whether it’ s reporting on natural disasters, sporting events, or politics, or creating awardwinning documentaries on the weighty topics of hunger, race, and education, Soledad O’ Brien understands the power of storytelling to inform, illuminate, and inspire.
At the 2025 NAEYC Annual Conference, CEO Michelle Kang hosts a conversation with O’ Brien, a journalist, author, and philanthropist whose media production company is dedicated to telling empowering, authentic stories on a range of social issues.
O’ Brien’ s work, which spans television, podcasts, documentaries, and books, has been recognized with four Emmy awards – including one for her CNN series“ Kids and Race”-- three George Foster Peabody Awards, four Gracie Awards honoring women in media, two Cine Awards in documentary film, and many others.
Along with her husband, O’ Brien also runs the PowHerful foundation, which has helped dozens of young women get to and through college and connects with thousands of others through regional mentoring conferences.
Inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame in 2023, O’ Brien 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. She currently anchors and produces“ Matter of Fact with Soledad O’ Brien,” a political program seen across the country.
Join the Opening Session to hear O’ Brien’ s stories and kick off this year’ s conference, embracing the theme:“ In This Place, We Learn. For Every Child, We Lead.”
2025 2023 NAEYC Annual Conference: In this Place, We Learn. For Every Child, We Lead.
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