Harris, Markle headline blockbuster final day of Austin-based The 19th* Represents virtual summit

Two powerhouse women are set to headline the last day of the star-studded The 19th* Represents virtual summit, which wraps up Friday with recent Democratic VP nominee-to-be U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris and the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle.

The interview is Harris' first one-on-one with a reporter since she was added to the Democratic ticket on Tuesday - a decision she said was "on purpose."

The Austin-based news organization at the helm of the summit, The 19th*, launched last week as a newsroom dedicated to news that affects women. Run by women and reported by women, the organization is led by local media trailblazer Emily Ramshaw, former editor of the Texas Tribune.

In a twist on the usual celebrity chat session, Markle will interview Ramshaw about - to put it in superhero terms - the origin story of The 19th*.

Both the launch and the summit, which has seen such influencers as Meryl Streep and Hillary Clinton take the virtual stage, were timed in conjunction with the hundredth anniversary of the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote in the U.S. The asterisk indicates that there is more work to do to achieve equal representation.

Harris is scheduled as the keynote speaker on Friday - and was on the program long before she became presumptive nominee Joe Biden's VP pick earlier this week. Her keynote address today on the intersection of race and gender - both of which, along with her qualifications, were at play when Biden named her as his running mate.