Soledad O'Brien

4.5 out of 5

Broadcast Journalist & Media Entrepreneur; Host of "Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien"; Chairwoman of Starfish Media Group

New York, NY, USA
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Soledad O'Brien Biography

Soledad O'Brien is a broadcast journalist, executive producer, and media entrepreneur known for her work in television news, documentary filmmaking, and independent media production. O'Brien began her career at WBZ-TV in Boston as a reporter, associate producer, and news writer. She later joined NBC News in New York City as a field producer for "Nightly News" and "Today," before moving to San Francisco's NBC affiliate KRON as a reporter and bureau chief. O'Brien was among the original hosts at MSNBC, where she led "The Site," one of the first news programs focused on computers and the internet. She later joined CNN, co-anchoring "American Morning" and anchoring the morning news program "Starting Point."

At CNN, O'Brien worked as a morning anchor, field reporter, and documentary filmmaker. She reported on major international events, including the Japan earthquake and tsunami, the London terrorism attacks, and the Southeast Asia tsunami. O'Brien contributed to CNN's documentary division, working on "Special Investigations Unit" and the "In America" franchise, including the "Black in America" and "Latino in America" series. These documentary series addressed topics such as race, identity, and opportunity in the United States. O'Brien is the author of two books: "Latino in America" and the memoir "The Next Big Story: My Journey through the Land of Possibilities."

O'Brien is chairwoman of Starfish Media Group, a multiplatform media production company and distributor. She also founded Soledad O'Brien Productions, which focuses on producing content about social issues. O'Brien hosts "Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien," a nationally syndicated weekly talk show produced by Hearst Television. Her production company has produced documentaries such as the Peabody Award-winning "The Rebellious Life of Rosa Parks," which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and streams on Peacock, and the multi-part series "Black and Missing," which won Independent Spirit and NAACP awards and streams on HBO. Additional projects include the HBO documentary "The Devil Is Busy," the Netflix documentary "The Perfect Neighbor," and the iHeart podcast "Who Killed JFK" with Rob Reiner. Both "The Perfect Neighbor" and "The Devil Is Busy" received nominations at the 98th Academy Awards.

O'Brien's work has been recognized with 10 Emmy Awards and three Peabody Awards. She has also received four Gracie Awards, two Cine Awards, and an Alfred I. duPont Award. O'Brien has been honored with the NAACP's President's Award, the Soledad O'Brien Freedom's Voice Award from Morehouse School of Medicine, and the Goodermote Humanitarian Award from The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She was named Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists and inducted into the Broadcasting and Cable Hall of Fame. O'Brien was recognized by Newsweek as one of "10 People who Make America Great" and has served as a Distinguished Fellow at Harvard University. She is a member of the Peabody Awards board of directors. O'Brien's career spans broadcast news, documentary filmmaking, and independent media, with a focus on social justice, diversity, and storytelling in journalism.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 10/02/2026.

Soledad O'Brien Speaking Topics

  • Mentoring: The Benefits And Challenges

    Believing strongly in education as a means to achieve, Soledad O'Brien is a powerful advocate of mentoring as a way to keep young people motivated and hopeful. A product of mentoring herself, she discusses how mentoring allowed her to find her way in the world and learn the values of determination and hard work as a means to a greater end.

  • An Evening With Soledad O'Brien: Her Life Stories

    Good luck and hard work can take you a long way, and in the case of celebrity speaker and CNN special correspondent Soledad O'Brien, good fortune was only a part of the winning combination that has led to her tremendous success. Driven by a desire to be the best at her profession, O'Brien has excelled by pushing her own limits. Touching on her secrets to a successful career, O'Brien emphasizes her belief in a strong work ethic and a never-give-up attitude.

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Soledad O'Brien Videos

Soledad O'Brien on Representation and the Accuracy of Storytelling

Soledad O'Brien on Representation and the Accuracy of Storytelling

In 2022, the award winning broadcast journalist and executive producer, Soledad O'Brien produced the documentary "The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa...

Telling Stories That Matter with Soledad O'Brien

Telling Stories That Matter with Soledad O'Brien

Before she became one of America’s most recognizable journalists, Soledad O’Brien was a young woman growing up on Long Island—the daughter of...

2025 AmDocs Event: Boxer O'Brien and Soledad O'Brien discuss rights and the political landscape

2025 AmDocs Event: Boxer O'Brien and Soledad O'Brien discuss rights and the political landscape

Former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer and reknown journalist Soledad O'Brien have a lively discussion to highlight the 2025 American Documentary and...

  • How do I book Soledad O'Brien to speak at my event?

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  • What topics does Soledad O'Brien speak about?

  • Where does Soledad O'Brien travel from?

    Soledad O'Brien generally travels from New York, NY, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
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Soledad O'Brien is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Mentoring: The Benefits And Challenges, An Evening With Soledad O'Brien: Her Life Stories, From CNN's "In America" Unit and Diversity: On TV, Behind The Scenes And In Our Lives. The estimated speaking fee range to book Soledad O'Brien for your event is available upon request. Soledad O'Brien generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Geena Davis, Misty Copeland, Rita Moreno, Jane Fonda and Reshma Saujani. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Soledad O'Brien for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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