From 2003-2010, Shriver served as California’s First Lady and, during that time, she spearheaded what became the nation’s premier forum for women, The Women’s Conference. Under Shriver’s direction and vision, it grew into the world’s premier forum for women. The Women’s Conference was an iconic destination for world opinion leaders, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, visionaries, spiritual figures, authors, journalists, and women from all walks of life to realize their potential to become Architects of Change.
With Shriver at the helm, The Women’s Conference became a force for change, directly funding millions of dollars in charitable programs serving women on the front lines of humanity and funding the re-emergence of The California Museum. The Women’s Conference awarded $6 million in grants to organizations that provided women with microloans, financial literacy training, domestic violence counseling, and college scholarships. and funded a three-day free health clinic for women and a first of its kind March on Alzheimer’s.
In 2004, Shriver also created The Minerva Awards and Minerva Prize to recognize and reward remarkable women who stepped forward and changed the world with their courage, wisdom, and strength.
