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We’re thrilled to announce that Jennifer Hudson — award-winning singer, actor, and daytime television show host — will be joining us as a keynote speaker at Talent Connect this fall. Talent Connect, LinkedIn’s premier event for global talent leaders and practitioners, will be coming to you from Phoenix, Arizona, in late October and early November — both as an exclusive in-person event for invited senior industry leaders and as a global broadcast event that’s free and open to everyone. 

Whether you’ll be joining us in Phoenix or watching from your home or office, you’ll be able to hear inspiring keynote addresses, including Jennifer’s conversation with Andrew Monu, a senior director of marketing for LinkedIn Talent Solutions. 

Jennifer rose to fame in 2004 as a contestant on American Idol. Even though she was eliminated from the show, audiences fell in love with Jennifer and her high, clear, powerful voice, which she put to use again as Effie White in the movie Dreamgirls. She won an Oscar for that role in 2007 and followed it up over the next decade or so with two Grammy Awards. By 2022, Jennifer had become only the 17th person ever to claim a coveted EGOT (an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award), joining the ranks of such legends as, well, John Legend, Whoopi Goldberg, and Audrey Hepburn. 

But as successful as her career has been, Jennifer may be even more inspiring for the way she has overcome adversity throughout her life. Jennifer started her professional career singing on Disney Cruise Lines and then made it to American Idol, only to be told by Idol judge Simon Cowell that she was “out of her depth.” She finished seventh in that competition but proved Cowell wrong with her Oscar-winning performance in Dreamgirls.  

And her grit, determination, and faith made such an impression on Aretha Franklin that the legendary singer handpicked Jennifer to star in her official biopic, Respect, which was released in 2021. In 2022, Jennifer launched her daytime television talk show, The Jennifer Hudson Show, where she brings fun, uplifting conversations to the forefront and shines a light on extraordinary stories, talents, and passions. 

Her first guest? Simon Cowell!

“As my mother used to say, ‘Jenny, I don’t care what’s going on, how negative things may be, you always seem to find the positive,’” Jennifer told Black Enterprise magazine. “It’s greatness in everything. Even when it doesn’t seem like it’s going the best, it’s still a lesson, which is still positive because it will help us grow.” 

At Talent Connect, Jennifer will recount her inspirational journey, highlighting the discovery and development of her unique talents, the role of self-belief and resilience in realizing what’s possible, and the pivotal moments that have shaped her career transformation.

The mainstage at Talent Connect will also feature other phenomenal speakers, including Mel Robbins, best-selling author and one of the world’s most widely followed podcasters and TED Talkers; Laura Fuentes, chief human resources officer at Hilton; and Allie K. Miller, AI entrepreneur and former global head of machine learning for startups and venture capital at Amazon Web Services. 

And, of course, we’ll feature speakers from LinkedIn, such as CEO Ryan Roslansky; VP of talent Jennifer Shappley; VP of talent acquisition Erin Scruggs; and VP of product Hari Srinivasan. 

It’s a great lineup and we hope you’ll join us and enjoy all of the insights, inspiration, and laughs that will be shared on this year’s Talent Connect mainstage. Keep an eye on the Talent Blog for more information about breakout sessions and special Talent Connect Show content. Registration for the Show is now open. Click here for more details.

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