Unlike past years, Schwarzenegger was not interrupted by protesters inside the conference, although the California Nurses Association staged a protest outside the convention center.
After a few more complimentary words about women, including his wife Maria and his two daughters, who introduced him, Schwarzenegger had these parting words:
'One of the things I've learned (is that) when women on a mission get together: smart men stay out of the way.' The governor was followed by Stewart, who talked about her career from aspiring architect to stock broker to caterer to building a multimillion-dollar image and reputation.
'I have not been motivated by money,' she said early in her speech.
Shriver discussed her experiences as First Lady and talked about organizing the conference.
The first two conferences were shrouded in politics, with Schwarzenegger in a political war with public employee unions and his failed special election hanging over the events.
'He got what we politely call the comeuppance in the polls,' Shriver said of the election.
Last year her mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, fell and broke her hip the night before the conference. This year the elder Shriver suffered another accident, falling on Friday and breaking a knee and ribs.
Cameras turned to Eunice Shriver, who was in a wheelchair near the front of the audience, and
flashed a large image of her on the big screens.
'Stop it. Stop. Stop,' she mouthed, as if embarrassed by her daughter's remarks.
Maria Shriver discussed her life and transition from television anchorwoman and author to mother and caretaker of her elderly parents.
Turning the subject to Schwarzenegger, as a governor who is 'having the time of his life,' she said, 'I think he's doing a great job at that, and I'm really proud of him.'
The luncheon session was led off by Russert of NBC's 'Meet the Press,' who talked about his father, who worked two full-time jobs, and his mother, who died last year.
'She taught me that you don't have to make a lot of noise for people to pay attention to you,' he said.
Columnist Anna Quindlen's message was that one must help people as well as help themselves.
'A lot of women in this room want to do well, but if we do not do good too, doing well is not good enough,' she said.
Ferguson brought with her to the podium a little red-headed rag doll, which she said was in her office in the World Trade Center when it was destroyed in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
A firefighter later found it in the rubble and put it in his hat, and it was identified by talk show host Larry King as Ferguson's doll, which she calls 'Little Red.'
The doll is used as the logo for her 'Chances for Children' charity, she said.
'She's a fighter, she's a survivor, she's a woman and she's here to tell the tale,' she said of the doll.
At age 12, Ferguson's mother left her to be with a man in Argentina, she said.
'I never saw her again in England,' Ferguson said, adding that the situation caused her to build a fortress 'and everybody knows it as Fergie.'
She went on to discuss the compulsive eating problem she developed.
'My only friend was food,' said Ferguson, who is now a spokeswoman for Weight Watchers.
Despite, or because of, being left by her mother, Ferguson, a mother of two, said she places great importance on motherhood.
'I believe that mother(hood) is everything,' Ferguson said.
Shriver presented her Minerva Awards for women who made contributions to the state, with a lifetime Minerva Award going to Sally Ride, the first woman astronaut.
Ride, who has worked to encourage girls and young women to study science, gave a can-do speech.
'When I was a little girl, I always dreamed of flying into space, and amazingly, that dream came true,' she said.
The Dalai Lama closed the conference with a three-minute meditation session, which commanded a deep silence from the large crowd.
People closed their eyes or bowed their heads and took calculated breaths at his instruction. He asked people to either reflect on their religion or to focus on their mother's compassion.
He then exited with thanks to the audience, his hands clasped.
Shriver closed the conference with a few quick words.
'If Arnold wins the election, I'll be back,' she said. 'Otherwise, see you later.' 
