Boston Marathon bombing survivor to keynote Women’s Leadership Conference

Adrianne Haslet, a survivor of the bombing at the Boston Marathon in 2013, will be a keynote speaker at the 10th annual Women’s Leadership Conference, hosted by MGM Resorts Foundation.

The event is slated for Aug. 8 and 9 at the MGM Grand.

The registration fee for the two-day conference is $450. The event, which is open to both women and men of all professions, offers workshops to develop career skills.

The fee covers conferences, workshops, a networking reception and meal catering.

Haslet, a professional ballroom dancer, lost part of her left leg when the bombs went off near the Boston Marathon finish line in 2013. That same year, she was named one of the most powerful women by Cosmopolitan magazine.

She recently competed in the 2016 Boston Marathon, where she and the team #AdrianneStrong raised $45,000 for Limbs for Life, a nonprofit organization in Oklahoma City that provides prosthetic care for people who can’t afford it.

Dawn Christensen, program manager, said Haslet is one of a number of recognizable keynote speakers that will be announced in the coming weeks.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to hear her story of resilience and the challenges and obstacles that she’s faced,” Christensen said. “We’re very excited about the caliber of speakers for the 10th anniversary conference.”

CNN anchor Natalie Allen is returning to host the event.

In 2014, the event sold out, with more than 850 participants. Last year, there were more than 1,000 participants, both men and women, who attended.

Christensen said they anticipate the tickets to sell out, as they have frequently for the past few years.

The conference donates event proceeds, after covering costs, to one or more local nonprofits that promote the welfare of women and children. Last year, the event donated $30,000 to Southern Nevada Children First.

For more information about the conference, go to http://www.mgmresortsfoundation.org/womensleadershipconference.

Contact Melissa Gomez at mgomez@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0278. Follow @melissagomez004 on Twitter.