WBC recently re-launched www.worldbusinesschicago.com, a comprehensive Website highlighting Chicago’s benefits as a thriving business community with an outstanding quality of life. The site serves as an interactive resource for business decision makers, site selection professionals, the real estate community and media worldwide.

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January CEO Spotlight: Mellody Hobson

World Business Chicago's new Website will feature interviews with the city’s business leaders on why they chose Chicago and what they love about the city. This month the CEO Spotlight is on Mellody Hobson, President of Ariel Capital Management.

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Navigating WBC's New Research Content

WBC is always looking for the most effective ways to communicate what Chicago offers as a place—for live, work and play—to a broad range of audiences.  A breakthrough for us is our Website's graphically informative (and fun to use) new mapping section. 

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Log on and see how Chicago’s economic diversity and quality of life offer all of the resources to build a successful, world-class business: www.worldbusinesschicago.com

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World Business Chicago's new Website will feature interviews with the city’s business leaders on why they chose Chicago and what they love about the city. This month the CEO Spotlight is on Mellody Hobson, President of Ariel Capital Management.

How long have you been in Chicago?
I have lived in Chicago almost all of my life—37 years with the exception of college. After graduating from Princeton University, I returned to Chicago to work at Ariel Capital Management, LLC. During my career, I have been fortunate to travel extensively, yet even after visiting many wonderful cities, I can say Chicago is still my favorite. People often refer to Chicago as “the second city,” but in my view it is second to none.

What is your favorite place to visit in Chicago?
I love to run along the lakefront early in the morning when the city is quiet. It is an ideal time to truly appreciate the city for its beauty and strength. I think anyone who has visited or lived here agrees the views along Chicago’s waterfront are breathtaking and the skyline inspires me. I particularly love jogging south along the lake, admiring the city’s incredible architecture and monuments like the Shedd Aquarium, The Field Museum or the new Millennium Park. They showcase Chicago’s civic patriotism and what is possible when people care about their community. Chicago has an incredible history of philanthropy—of giving back to our city, and the lakefront reminds me of Chicago’s roots and many accomplishments.

What area do you live in and what do you like most about it?
I live in Chicago’s Gold Coast on Michigan Avenue which is just blocks from some of the streets I grew up on. I picked the location because it is in the heart of the city and I love the energy, diversity and vitality of Michigan Avenue. I also picked this spot because it is where I learned to dream big dreams. When I was a little girl, we didn’t have a lot of money. Living in the Gold Coast was an enormous economic stretch for my mother—a single, working mom raising six children on her own. My mother believed that thoughts were things and she wanted to expose me to as much as possible. I certainly credit my mother for opening my eyes and inspiring me to dream as big as possible. When I moved back to Chicago after college, I picked the Gold Coast because so much is happening right outside my front door just waiting to be discovered.

When entertaining business associates, where do you go?
Chicago businesses are fortunate our city has so much to offer which makes it easy to entertain visitors and clients. Truly, there is something for everyone. At Ariel, we always enjoy taking clients to the United Center or Soldier Field. And being hometown to the World Series Champions, the Chicago White Sox—baseball games are always popular. Additionally, Ariel is a sponsor of Chicago’s newest sports team, the Chicago Sky in the Women’s National Basketball Association. Ariel has wonderful court side seats to these games which our clients have really enjoyed.

Chicago also offers world-class museums and culture such as the Shedd, The Field Museum and the Museum of Science and Industry which offers a variety of venues. Most recently, we hosted clients at the opening night gala of The Field Museum’s King Tutankhamun exhibit, a fascinating event. I also love the Symphony and Broadway in Chicago. We are lucky to attract so many incredible shows and have invited many clients and their guests to hits like Wicked, The Lion King as well as 700 Sundays. Ariel frequently takes guests to the CSO. For example, we have participated in Corporate Night which is a great way for us to involve our clients and employees in a very special evening of music while mingling with others in Chicago’s business community. We have sponsored a number of Wynton Marsalis jazz concerts over the years. Additionally, this year, we plan to be very involved with the new Harris Theater of Music and Dance at Millennium Park. So, we feel very fortunate to have such expansive array of choices to showcase Chicago hospitality.

To read more from our interview with Mellody Hobson, click here. 

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Navigating WBC's New Research Content

Chicago’s Market Access

WBC is always looking for the most effective ways to communicate what Chicago offers as a place—for live, work and play—to a broad range of audiences.  A breakthrough for us is our Website's graphically informative (and fun to use) new mapping section. 

Its purpose is to demonstrate a number of the strategic factors that we’ve found to be of particular relevance to businesses looking at relocating or expanding operations in the Chicago area. The common theme of this material is Chicago’s access to markets. Be it at the global scale via our air transportation and advanced telecommunications networks, access to the U.S./Canadian marketplace within a one- or two-day truck drive, or to a qualified pool of talent within the metro area. 

Much like the content provided in our new Info Center (a consolidation and update of the research content from our previous Website), the material in the mapping section is meant to serve as both an introduction to Chicago’s economy as well as an example of the kinds of work and analysis that WBC is capable of providing.

At a Glance

The research content of our Website is typically drawn from multiple data sources that get updated at varying times throughout the year. Consequently, it isn’t always apparent which material has been changed recently.

We’ve created a new At a Glance section on the site in an effort to highlight new and updated data that might otherwise go unrecognized. You can access this new feature from the homepage.

Feedback

WBC would like to hear from you.

Over the course of the next year we’ll be making refinements to these sections of the site as well as adding new research material.  And, we’d like to hear your thoughts—especially in regards to the functionality and organization of the new sections, the clarity of the content and suggestions for additional material. Please email us at wbc@worldbusinesschicago.com or log on to www.worldbusinesschicago.com and visit the Contact Us page to provide your feedback.

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