Mellody Hobson is in her third year as an owner of the Denver Broncos in 2024 as part of the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group.
A Co-CEO for Ariel Investments, Hobson is responsible for management, strategic planning and growth for all areas of the firm outside of research and portfolio management. Additionally, she serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ariel Investment Trust—the company's publicly traded mutual funds.
Prior to being named Co-CEO of Ariel, Hobson spent nearly two decades as the company's president. She started as an intern in 1989 and has helped grow the firm's assets under management from $1.2 billion to $17.8 billion.
A nationally recognized voice on financial literacy, Hobson is well known for her philanthropy, speeches and writing on issues related to income inequality, financial literacy, race and education.
In 2021, Ariel Investments launched "Project Black" with a mission to scale sustainable minority-owned businesses that can serve as Tier 1 suppliers to Fortune 500 companies. The project aims to close the racial wealth gap by generating jobs, economic growth and equality within underrepresented groups.
In addition to her roles with the Broncos and Ariel, Hobson's leadership has been invaluable to corporate boardrooms across the nation. She currently serves as Chair of the Board of Starbucks Corporation and is also a director of JPMorgan Chase.
Hobson previously was Chairman of the Board of DreamWorks Animation until the company's sale and was also a long-standing board member of the Estée Lauder Companies.
Serving as Chairman of After School Matters, Hobson is involved in this Chicago non-profit that provides area inner-city teens with high-quality after school and summer programs. Additionally, she is vice chair of World Business Chicago, co-chair of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and a board member of the George Lucas Education Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Hobson also serves on the board of trustees of both the Center for Strategic & International Studies and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Rockefeller Foundation Board of Trustees while also serving on the executive committee of the Investment Company Institute.
Hobson earned an A.B. from Princeton University's School of International Relations and Public Policy. In 2019, she was awarded the university's highest honor, the Woodrow Wilson Award, presented annually to a Princeton graduate whose career embodies a commitment to national service.
She also has received honorary doctorate degrees from Howard University, Johns Hopkins University, St. Mary's College, William & Mary and the University of Southern California.
Born and raised in Chicago, Hobson is the youngest daughter of a single mother to six children. Married to George Lucas, she is an enthusiastic sports fan and dedicated athlete who enjoys running, swimming and working out.
