Judy Smith, the crisis management expert portrayed by actress Kerry Washington on ABC’s hit series “Scandal,” will deliver the keynote address at the Women’s Empowerment Luncheon during the 28th Annual Entrepreneurial Woman’s Conference presented by the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC), on Wednesday, September 17, 2014, from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Chicago’s McCormick Place-West, 2301 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Smith is the founder and president of Smith & Company, a leading strategic and crisis communications firm with offices in Washington, D. C. and Los Angeles. She honed her skills through experiences with some of the most historic and sensational events of our time, including the Iran Contra investigation, the 1991 Gulf War, the U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Justice Clarence Thomas; the President Clinton scandal involving Monica Lewinsky, and the General Petraeus CIA scandal. She has also provided counsel to several heads of state and numerous Fortune 500 corporations.

In addition to the luncheon, the Entrepreneurial Woman’s Conference – themed “Your Growth Is Our Business” – will feature an Opening Night Awards Reception honoring successful female entrepreneurs and supporters of women’s economic development. For more information, visit www.WBDC.org/EWC.