December 17, 2024

Mellody Hobson

Co-CEO & President / Ariel Investments

Mellody Hobson addressed The Economic Club of Chicago on December 17, in front of a live audience. The conversation was moderated by entertainer and entrepreneur Queen Latifah. Topics ranged from the power of early financial literacy, the responsibilities of board membership and her guiding principles of investing, mentoring and leading a fulfilling life.

People with great wealth fear the conversation because they think their kids will be entitled. People with less means fear the conversation because they think their kids will have great anxiety over it and as a result both groups avoid the topic and as a result of that most kids don’t grow up being socialized around this concept.

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Mellody Hobson on the vicious cycle when it comes to the conversation about money with children.

Speaker

Mellody Hobson

Co-CEO & President / Ariel Investments

As Co-CEO, Mellody is responsible for management, strategic planning and growth for all areas of Ariel outside of research and portfolio management. Additionally, she serves as chairman of the board of trustees of Ariel Investment Trust, the company’s publicly traded mutual funds. Prior to being named Co-CEO, Mellody spent nearly two decades as the firm’s President. In 2021, she co-founded Ariel Alternatives, LLC—a new enterprise offering a patient, focused and non-consensus approach to private equity investing. Its first fund, Project Black, has a mission to scale sustainable minority-owned business enterprises to serve as Tier 1 suppliers to Fortune 500 companies—driving economic growth and equality from the entry-level to the boardroom. Outside of Ariel, Mellody has been a leader in corporate boardrooms. She is the former chairman of Starbucks Corporation and its current lead independent director. Mellody also serves as a director of JPMorgan Chase. She was a long-standing board member of the Estée Lauder Companies and chairman of the board of DreamWorks Animation until the company’s sale in 2016. Mellody is a well-recognized financial literacy advocate. She wrote a New York Times bestselling children’s book, Priceless Facts about Money, to demystify money for young readers. Her community outreach includes her role as chairman of After School Matters, a Chicago non-profit that provides area teens with high-quality after-school and summer programs. Mellody is also co-chair of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and a board member of Bloomberg Philanthropies, the George Lucas Educational Foundation, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Center for Strategic & International Studies. She is a member of the Executive Committee of the Investment Company Institute, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and past chair of the Economic Club of Chicago. Mellody earned her AB from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs. In 2019, she was awarded the Woodrow Wilson Award, the university’s highest honor presented annually to a Princeton graduate whose career embodies a commitment to national service. Mellody has also received honorary doctorate degrees from Howard University, Johns Hopkins University, St. Mary’s College and the University of Southern California. In 2015, Time Magazine named her one of the “100 Most Influential People” in the world.

Speaker

Queen Latifah

Entertainer & Entrepreneur

Queen Latifah is a Grammy and Emmy award-winning and Oscar-nominated musician, actress, producer, label president, author, and entrepreneur. Her previous film credits include JUNGLE FEVER, SET IF OFF, CHICAGO, BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE, THE LAST HOLIDAY, BEAUTY SHOP, LIFE SUPPORT, BESSIE, GIRLS TRIP, and END OF THE ROAD. Her television credits include Living Single and Star. Latifah starred in the live television adaptations of The Wiz Live! for NBC and The Little Mermaid Live! for ABC. Latifah, along with Shakim Compere, owns and operates their production company Flavor Unit Entertainment. Latifah has earned six Grammy Award nominations, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Solo Rap Performance in 1994. In 2004, she was nominated for Best Female Rap Solo Performance for “Go Head.” In 2005, she was nominated for Best Jazz Vocal Album for “The Dana Owens Album,” and in 2008, she was nominated for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for “Trav’lin Light.” Latifah currently stars and is an executive producer on the CBS series reboot of The Equalizer, which quickly became TV’s #1 scripted series and just premiered its fifth season.

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