The Women’s Fund of Southwest Iowa, an initiative of the Community Foundation for Western Iowa, is the catalyst for lasting, positive change relative to the challenges facing women in southwest Iowa. The Fund Steering Committee is hosting this event to raise awareness and benefit women in the following counties in Iowa: Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby.

Marlee Matlin is one of the most powerful and engaging keynote speakers on the global stage, captivating audiences with her dynamic presence, authentic storytelling, and unshakable advocacy. With presentations tailored to a wide range of audiences, Matlin draws from her extraordinary life, from her groundbreaking Hollywood debut to her tireless work as a champion for diversity and inclusion.

In one of her signature talks, Matlin offers a heartfelt journey through the triumphs and challenges of her acting career and her lifelong fight for equality. In other presentations, she challenges audiences to rethink what it means to be inclusive, urging them to lead lives rooted in empathy and acceptance. Attendees leave her talks not only moved, but also empowered to spark real change.

Marlee made cinematic history with her debut in Children of a Lesser God, earning an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Actress. At just 21, she became the youngest recipient of the Oscar in that category and one of only a few to win for a debut performance. Her career has since spanned decades of celebrated work on screen and stage, with standout roles in The West Wing, The L Word, Quantico, Switched at Birth, and Seinfeld, earning her four Emmy nominations.

In 2021, she received another Oscar nomination as Executive Producer of the Live Action Short, Feeling Through, and in 2022, her Apple TV+ film CODA won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. That same year, she made history again as the first Deaf director of a network television drama, helming an episode of Fox's Accused.

Beyond acting, Marlee has broken barriers on Dancing with the Stars, developed a best-selling ASL teaching app (Marlee Signs), and authored three children's books along with her acclaimed memoir, I'll Scream Later. Her advocacy has brought her to the White House under Presidents Clinton and Obama, and in 2022, she was elected to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Board of Governors.

A fearless role model who has never let obstacles define her, Marlee Matlin lives her message: "The only thing I can't do is hear. The rest is there for the taking."