Elevate Your Excellence: Ariel Co-CEO Mellody Hobson Continues Push For Black Economic Empowerment

Hobson is a vocal advocate for financial literacy.

Mellody Hobson is an American investment management executive, business leader, and prominent financial literacy advocate who serves as co-CEO of Ariel Investments and chairman of the Board of Trustees for Ariel Investment Trust.

Known for her extensive service across major corporate and civic boards, Hobson has built a career focused on strategic growth and promoting economic inclusion.

Corporate Leadership and Advocacy

A Chicago native, Hobson joined Ariel Capital Management directly after graduating from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of International Relations in 1991. Despite a substantial drop in managed assets following Ariel’s split from its parent company in 1994, Hobson ascended through the firm’s ranks, serving nearly two decades as president before being named co-CEO. The firm now manages $10 billion in assets. In 2021, she co-founded Ariel Alternatives, LLC and its inaugural private equity fund, Project Black®.

Beyond Ariel, Hobson’s executive stature is affirmed by her service as a director of JPMorgan Chase. Her previous directorial roles included serving on the boards of directors of Estée Lauder Companies and DreamWorks Animation until their sales in 2016.

Hobson is a vocal advocate for financial literacy, having authored the New York Times bestselling children’s book, Priceless Facts about Money. She created and hosted the television show Unbroke: What You Need to Know About Money. In 2015, Time Magazine named her one of the “100 Most Influential People” in the world.

Hobson’s tenure with the coffee giant Starbucks Corporation concluded in January. Just days after informing the company of her decision not to seek re-election, Starbucks announced Hobson’s departure as its lead independent director after nearly 20 years serving on the board.

Her exit comes months after she spearheaded efforts to appoint a new chief executive during a challenging period for the world’s largest coffee chain. Hobson previously served as chair of the Starbucks board.

Education and Philanthropic Endeavors

Hobson’s civic and cultural leadership will be dramatically highlighted by the official opening date of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, where she serves as co-chair. The highly anticipated museum, founded by her husband, filmmaker George Lucas, and designed to celebrate illustrated storytelling as a universal language, is slated to open its doors on Sept. 22, 2026.

On Nov. 12, Hobson shared the good news on Instagram.

“It’s official! Our doors open on September 22, 2026. The Lucas Museum is built on the belief that illustrated storytelling is a universal language. We seek to explore the stories that move us, connect us, and capture the human experience —elevating artists as the essential storytellers of our times. ‘Stories are mythology, and when illustrated, they help humans understand the mysteries of life.’
– George Lucas, Co-founder.

Lucas articulated the museum’s ethos. “Stories are mythology, and when illustrated, they help humans understand the mysteries of life.”

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Hobson received the Woodrow Wilson Award—Princeton University’s highest honor for commitment to national service—in 2019. She holds honorary doctorates from several institutions, including Howard University and the University of Southern California. She was also honored by Black Enterprise with the Barbara Graves Women of Power Legacy Award in 2024.

Her commitment to civic life includes co-chairing the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and serving on the boards of Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and multiple Chicago-based organizations, such as the Chicago Public Library and the Field Museum. In 2025, she founded Project Level® to advance women’s sports.