AOL’s MAKERS today announced The 2016 MAKERS Conference February 1-3, 2016, at the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. Building on the success of the inaugural MAKERS Conference in February 2014, the exclusive experience will be livestreamed for the first time to viewers around the globe on Verizon’s go90 platform and on MAKERS.com.

Confirmed participants include Academy Award-winning actress, producer and businesswoman Reese Witherspoon, award-winning journalist and co-founder of Stand Up to Cancer Katie Couric, Caitlyn Jenner, Treasurer for the U.S. Rosie Rios, Marvel’s director of content development and Ms. Marvel co-creator Sana Amanat, comedian and performer Bridget Everett, American soccer player and two-time Olympic gold medalist Abby Wambach, students from STEM education not-for-profit Black Girls Code and FDNY firefighter Regina Wilson.

Returning to the stage are activist and author Gloria Steinem, Facebook and Lean In’s Sheryl Sandberg, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith and returning conference emcee, Re/Code’s Kara Swisher. Additional participants to be announced in the coming weeks.

The theme of The 2016 MAKERS Conference will be #TheTimeIsNow with sessions focusing on tangible solutions and calls-to-action around gender equality. The conference will feature exclusive announcements, as well as personal stories from MAKERS, influencers and experts. Attendees will leave with a better understanding of how to make positive and lasting changes at work and in their own personal lives.

“We can no longer just talk about the issues facing women today, we need to act,” said Dyllan McGee, MAKERS founder and executive producer. “Over 36 hours, we will profile a diverse group of women who are doing just that—from setting records on the playing fields to coding solutions to changing society, the time is now.”

The 2016 MAKERS Conference will once again bring together the groundbreaking MAKERS profiled on MAKERS.com with influencers, not-for-profit industry leaders and key policy-makers for a three-day dialogue on setting an agenda for change. Attendees, including over 40 MAKERS@ partners–a program designed to celebrate and acknowledge female leaders within leading companies and organizations— will leave connected to a dynamic network of remarkable women and inspired to take their careers to the next level.

“At MAKERS our mission is to shine a light on the groundbreaking women who inspire us, and ultimately inspire the next generation to follow in their footsteps,” said Samantha Leibovitz, MAKERS Vice President and Creative Director.

For more information on MAKERS and to sign up for the weekly newsletter, visit MAKERS.com. Follow @MAKERSwomen on Twitter and Instagram, on Facebook at Facebook.com/makerswomen, and using the hashtags #TheTimeIsNow and #MAKERS2016.

About AOL

AOL is a media technology company with a mission to simplify the internet for consumers and creators by unleashing the world's best builders of culture and code. As one of the largest online properties in the U.S., with approximately 200 million monthly consumers of its premium brands, AOL is at the center of disruption of how content is being produced, distributed, consumed and monetized by connecting publishers with advertisers on its global, programmatic content and advertising platforms. AOL's opportunity lies in shaping the future of the digitally connected world for decades to come.

About MAKERS

AOL’s MAKERS is a women’s leadership platform that highlights the stories of groundbreaking women today to create the leaders of tomorrow. It is the largest and most dynamic collection of women’s stories ever assembled. MAKERS encompasses broadcast documentaries, web and mobile-first video content, and live events. Today, MAKERS.com features original interviews with over 300 MAKERS and includes over 3,000 videos (and growing!).