Mellody is responsible for firmwide management and strategic planning at Ariel Capital Management, LLC, overseeing all operations of Ariel’s business outside of research and portfolio management. Last fall, she was elected Chairman of Ariel Mutual Funds Board of Trustees. Mellody has become an important and nationally recognized voice on financial literacy and investor education. She is a regular financial contributor on ABC’s Good Morning America and a spokesperson for the annual Ariel/Schwab Black Investor Survey, which examines the investing habits of Black and White Americans. Beyond her work at Ariel, Mellody is a director of DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc., The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. and Starbucks Corporation. She is also a board member of many civic organizations including the Chicago Public Library and its foundation, The Field Museum, The Chicago Public Education Fund and the Sundance Institute. She also serves on the Board of Governors of the Investment Company Institute, a trade organization for the U.S fund industry dedicated to protecting shareholder interests and educating the public about investing. Mellody earned her degree from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of International Relations and Public Policy.

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