Reese Witherspoon keynote speaker

Reese Witherspoon, an award-winning actress and producer, has created the kinds of unforgettable characters that connect with critics and audiences alike. She won an Academy Award for her portrayal of "June Carter Cash" in Walk The Line and was later nominated for her performance in Wild, which she also produced. She starred in beloved films Sweet Home Alabama, Legally Blonde, and Election, among others. Witherspoon continues to utilize her Hollywood platform to drive the production of female-centric content with Hello Sunshine, a cross-platform media brand and content company, which she founded.

Witherspoon can be seen starring alongside Ashton Kutcher in the Netflix romantic comedy Your Place Or Mine, which she also produced. She also starred in and executive produced season two of Apple’s The Morning Show, under her Hello Sunshine banner. The Morning Show has earned eight Emmy nominations, a SAG Award, and a Critics Choice Award for its first season, and also garnered Witherspoon an Emmy nomination for season two.

Witherspoon also played the dual role of actress and producer in the hit Hulu series Little Fires Everywhere. One of the most watched original series on Hulu to date, Little Fires Everywhere earned an Emmy nomination for outstanding limited series. Witherspoon also executive produced and starred in two seasons of HBO's critically acclaimed Big Little Lies, with the first season winning eight Emmy Awards, four Critics’ Choice Awards, and two SAG Awards Witherspoon starred opposite Nicole Kidman, who co-produced the first season under her Blossom Films production banner alongside Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine. David E. Kelley, who adapted the script, also served as an executive producer. The show, originally adapted from the novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty, also starred Meryl Streep, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, Zoe Kravitz, Adam Scott, and Alexander Skarsgard. Hello Sunshine earned a total of 18 Emmy nominations across shows Big Little Lies, Little Fires Everywhere, and The Morning Show.

Witherspoon added best-selling author to her list of credits with the release of her book Whiskey in a Teacup, which debuted at #1 on the New York Times best sellers list. The book invites readers to share in Witherspoon’s Southern heritage through her signature style, staple recipes, and favorite traditions. She also released her book Busy Betty in the fall of 2022, a children’s book about a young, energetic girl who has big dreams for the future. The book will receive a sequel Busy Betty & the Circus Surprise.

Founded by Reese Witherspoon, Hello Sunshine is a media company that puts women at the center of every story it creates, celebrates, and discovers. Hello Sunshine tells stories across all platforms—scripted and unscripted television, feature films, animated series, podcasts, audio storytelling, and digital series—all shining a light on where women are now, and helping them chart a new path forward. Hello Sunshine is also home to Reese’s Book Club and the newly launched RBC app. Fast-growing in reach and influence, this community is propelled by meaningful connections with stories, authors, and fellow members. Recently Hello Sunshine acquired Sara Rea's SKR Production to expand its unscripted content, and also announced the launch of their Kids & Animation Division to create content that celebrates a younger audience. Hello Sunshine was named the #2 Most Innovative Company in Media for 2020 by Fast Company magazine and one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential Companies of 2021.

Hello Sunshine has produced various television series including Truth Be Told, Surface, Daisy Jones and the Six, From Scratch, and Where The Crawdads Sing, based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Delia Owens. Co-produced by Witherspoon and alongside 3000 Pictures, the film earned a People’s Choice Awards nomination for Drama in 2022 and Critics Choice and Golden Globes nominations for Best Original Song by Taylor Swift in 2023. The production company also released the highly anticipated series The Last Thing He Told Me on Apple TV+ starring Jennifer Garner, as well as the new reality competition series My Kind of Country for Apple TV+.

Witherspoon launched Draper James, a retail brand with a focus on fashion, accessories, and home décor inspired by the American South. The brand is named after Witherspoon’s grandparents, Dorothea Draper and William James Witherspoon, who remain amongst her greatest influences today. Draper James launched direct-to-consumer online at DraperJames.com, followed by its first brick-and-mortar store opening in Reese’s hometown of Nashville. The brand has since expanded and now has four stand-alone stores in Nashville, Dallas, Atlanta, and Lexington.

Witherspoon's extraordinary performance as June Carter Cash in the 20th Century Fox biopic Walk the Line earned her the Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, as well as the BAFTA, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, New York Film Critics Award, Broadcast Film Critics Award, People’s Choice Award, and 11 other awards. Other film credits include Disney’s A Wrinkle In Time, helmed by Ava Duvernay; Universal Pictures’ animated musical comedies Sing and Sing 2; the Nancy Meyers-produced feature Home Again, written and directed by Meyers’ daughter, Hallie Meyers-Shyer; Warner Bros. comedy Hot Pursuit starring opposite Sofia Vergara; Paul Thomas Anderson-directed Inherent Vice alongside Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Joaquin Phoenix and Maya Rudolph; Warner Bros’ The Good Lie, directed by Philippe Falardeau; Jeff Nichols’s coming-of-age drama Mud, with Matthew McConaughey; 20th Century Fox’s romantic comedy This Means War, alongside Tom Hardy and Chris Pine; Water For Elephants, with Robert Pattinson and Christoph Waltz; Dreamworks’ Monsters vs. Aliens; hit comedy Four Christmases opposite Vince Vaughn; Sweet Home Alabama, which had the largest opening at the time for a female-driven romantic comedy; breakout hits Legally Blonde and Legally Blonde 2 as the loveable “Elle Woods;” Mira Nair's Vanity Fair; Gary Ross' Pleasantville; Alexander Payne’s Election as “Tracy Flick;” and the teen cult classic, Cruel Intentions.