Emmy award-winning journalist Connie Chung will be the keynote speaker at an annual event that supports women’s economic prosperity programs.

The 2011 WomenVenture Annual Event will take place October 14 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The organizer-St. Paul-based nonprofit WomenVenture-hopes the event will help raise funds that it needs to continue to provide programs and services that help women develop careers, navigate job loss and changes, start and grow small businesses, and effectively manage their economic resources.

Last year’s event attracted 1,078 attendees, and WomenVenture said that it hopes to attract about the same number this year.

Keynote speaker Chung started her journalism career in 1969 and became the first Asian and the second woman to anchor a major American network newscast-The CBS Evening News. Besides CBS, she has worked for networks including ABC, NBC, and CNN and has won three Emmys and a Peabody among several other accolades.

An advocate of equality and diversity in the workplace, Chung will talk about how she overcame challenges on her rise to success.

The event will be emceed by WCCO radio host Jearlyn Steele. The program also includes awards for pioneering local businesswomen in four categories-Nothing Ventured/Nothing Gained, Lifetime Achievement, Pioneer, and Unsung Hero.

Corporations and organizations can host a table at the event’s luncheon and recognize their own women leaders and emerging leaders. WomenVenture will also showcase several women-owned businesses that it has helped in the past.

WomenVenture bills itself as the only Minnesota nonprofit dedicated to helping women gain economic prosperity through efforts such as start-up loans and mentoring programs. The organization says it has helped more than 97,000 women since its inception in 1978. It also claims that last year, its business development clients together created 325 jobs in the Twin Cities, resulting in an estimated $2.9 million in new salaried income and more than $200,000 in individual income tax.

Learn more about this event and other upcoming networking opportunities for businesspeople in Twin Cities Business’ October issue.