Mellody Hobson on Finding Security in Knowledge

Mellody Hobson, Co-CEO and President of Ariel Investments, is responsible for management, strategic planning and growth for all areas of Ariel Investments, the largest minority-owned investment firm in the US. Mellody also currently serves as Chair of the Board of Starbucks Corporation and is the first black woman to chair a Fortune 500 board. She is also a director of JP Morgan Chase. In this conversation with Reid Hoffman, Mellody shares highlights from her career as an investor, board member, financial educator and philanthropist, and discusses the fundamental changes necessary to diversify corporate America. shares her solutions-oriented approach to expanding diversity, financial literacy, and opportunity. This interview is part of Greylock's Iconversations speaker series. You can find a transcript of this episode here: https://greylock.com/greymatter/secur... You can listen to the podcast of this episode here: https://soundcloud.com/greylock-partn... Chapters 0:00 Introduction 1:41 Upbringing & Professional Career 4:47 Early Mornings 5:32 Entering the Financial World 7:45 Joining Ariel 10:45 John Roger’s Grasshopper 14:37 From Mentee to Mentor 17:30 Being an Ally 22:23 Building a Network 24:02 The Foray into Private Equity 30:47 The State of Corporate Boards 33:41 Effective Boards 38:00 Financial Literacy 44:32 Diversity Recruiting 49:37 Lessons Learned 53:55 Lightning Round