(RALEIGH, NC) - Acclaimed actor, producer, and director, Tyler Perry, has signed on to be this year’s headliner at the 2014 Women’s Empowerment Conference and Networking Event, Saturday, March 15 at PNC Arena in Raleigh. 2014 marks the 20th year for the conference which quickly sells out each year. As many as 18,000 people from the Triangle will converge at the PNC Arena for a full day of inspiration and empowerment-themed events.

Tickets go on sale today at 10 a.m. at the PNC Arena Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets, by phone 800-745-3000 and online at Ticketmaster.com.

Created in 1995, in honor of Women’s History Month, Women’s Empowerment was designed to enhance the lives of African American women by addressing issues that specifically impact their health, hearts, and pocketbooks. This expo-styled event offers seminars, workshops, demonstrations, sampling and shopping.  Past speakers have included Dr. Joycelyn Elders, former US Surgeon General; Susan Taylor, former editor-in-chief of Essence Magazine; Iyanla Vanzant, noted women’s author and inspirational life coach; Queen Latifah, recording artist and talk show host and Angela Bassett, award winning actress. 2013 Women’s Empowerment was host to pastor, educator, entrepreneur, philanthropist, spiritual advisor and bestselling author, Bishop T.D. Jakes.

“We are honored to have Media Mogul, Tyler Perry, join us this year. He is the personification of empowerment and inspiration,” noted Radio One Regional Vice-President Gary A. Weiss, “We have been blessed to have so many people of influence join us in our mission to “give back” through sharing and communicating and look forward to hearing Mr. Perry’s story.”

Born into poverty and raised in a household scarred by abuse, Perry’s strength, faith and perseverance would later form the foundations of his plays, films, books and shows. A simple piece of advice from Oprah set his career in motion as a diary of his daily thoughts and experiences led to his writing of a musical, “I Know I’ve Been Changed,” in 1992. Five years later with no money left, sleeping in seedy motels and his car, Perry’s faith in himself and God only got stronger, allowing him to forge ahead. In 1998, his perseverance paid off when the play began a limited church run. The community came out in droves and Perry never looked back as he began an incredible run of eight plays in eight years. Madea first debuted in 2000’s “I Can Do Bad All By Myself” and spawned three more plays leading to Perry’s jump to the big screen with 2005’s “Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” which debuted at #1 nationwide. He followed with thirteen more films he wrote, produced and directed in addition to “Alex Cross” in which he starred. All were met with massive fan support and commercial success.

In 2006, Perry’s first book, “Don’t Make A Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea’s Uninhibited Commentaries On Life and Love,” shot to the top of the New York Times bestseller list and claimed two Quill Book Awards. In 2007, Perry expanded his brand to television with the series “House of Payne,” the highest-rated first-run syndicated cable show of all time and followed that up with “Meet the Browns” and “For Better or Worse.” In 2013, he launched two additional shows, “The Haves and the Have Nots” and “Love Thy Neighbor,” in a partnership with OWN. Perry has a busy year ahead of him as well. In 2014, he will release “The Single Mom’s Club” and be seen opposite Ben Affleck in David Fincher’s “Gone Girl.”

But listen to Tyler Perry and you'll hear a man who hasn't forgotten about the people that have helped him reach the top of a mountain he could once only dream of climbing. He has been intimately involved and donated generously to civil rights causes through work with the NAACP and NAN. He also strongly supports charities that focus on helping the homeless, such as Feeding America, Covenant House, Hosea Feed the Hungry, Project Adventure, and Perry Place - a 20-home community that Tyler built for survivors of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. In January 2010, Perry pledged $1,000,000 via The Tyler Perry Foundation to help rebuild the lives of those affected by the earthquakes in Haiti. Tyler Perry practices what he preaches, and what he preaches has endeared him to millions of fans drawn by that unique blend of spiritual hope and down-home humor that continues to shape his inspiring life story and extraordinary body of work. Radio One, is proud and excited to have him as the headliner for Women’s Empowerment 2014.

Radio One, Inc., together with its subsidiaries is a diversified media company that primarily targets African-American and urban consumers. The Company is one of the nation's largest radio broadcasting companies, currently owning and/or operating 54 broadcast stations located in 16 urban markets in the United States. Through its controlling interest in Reach Media, Inc. (http://www.blackamericaweb.com/), the Company also operates syndicated programming including the Tom Joyner Morning Show, the Russ Parr Morning Show, the Yolanda Adams Morning Show, the Rickey Smiley Morning Show, Bishop T.D. Jakes' "Empowering Moments,“ the DL Hughley Show, and the Reverend Al Sharpton Show. Beyond its core radio broadcasting franchise, Radio One owns Interactive One (http://www.interactiveone.com/), an online platform serving the African-American community through social content, news, information, and entertainment. Interactive One operates a number of branded sites, including News One, UrbanDaily, HelloBeautiful and social networking websites, including Urban Grind, BlackPlanet, MiGente, and Asian Avenue. In addition, the Company owns a controlling interest in TV One, LLC (http://www.tvoneonline.com/), a cable/satellite network programming primarily to African-Americans.