Mellody Hobson, Co-CEO, Ariel Investments: Everything is Possible

About this episode

Mellody Hobson discusses her journey from childhood economic insecurity to becoming co-CEO of Ariel Investments and her approach to long-term investing.

In this episode of Capital for Good we speak with Mellody Hobson, one of the country's preeminent investors and business and civic leaders. Hobson is the co-CEO of Ariel Investments, a board director of several Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations, and a nationally recognized advocate for financial literacy and economic inclusion. We begin with a discussion of the formative childhood experiences that would shape Hobson's personal and professional trajectory. Hobson recalls how, as a young girl on the South Side of Chicago who regularly experienced economic insecurity, she was driven to work very hard and "to understand money" as a path to economic security for herself and for others. "My purpose was sealed very early," she says. After graduating from Princeton in 1991, Hobson joined the Chicago-based Ariel Investments. In the thirty-five years since, she has traveled from intern to co-CEO, building a $14 billion asset management firm with a mission to "transform the lives of everyone who entrusts us with their financial futures." Hobson walks us through her evolution as a leader, and describes Ariel's signature approach to long-term investing in companies and sectors…

People in this episode

Guest: Mellody Hobson

Topics covered

• investment
• financial literacy
• economic inclusion
• leadership
• asset management

Keywords

• Mellody Hobson
• Ariel Investments
• financial literacy
• economic inclusion
• asset management
• leadership
• investing

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Ariel Investments, Princeton, Fortune 500

Places: South Side of Chicago

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