Mellody Hobson: The True Superhero of Boardroom Bravery

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From a very early age Mellody Hobson was learning vital lessons about the importance of financial stability, and throughout her stellar career she’s made time to share that knowledge with others, doing what she can to help other families avoid the insecurity and anxiety that plagued her own childhood. She’s also become a trailblazer for black women in business and her message of ‘color bravery’ is a vital rallying cry that seeks to shake up the passive, stale boardroom of corporate America.

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An insecure childhood

Mellody was born in 1969 in Chicago; her father left before she was born and she was raised by her mother, Dorothy, who had five older children by a different father. Dorothy was a real estate speculator who bought and sold property in the Chicago area, but according to her children she lacked the ruthless streak necessary to thrive in the cut-throat world of residential property. She couldn’t bring herself to evict non-paying tenants and also suffered from the illegal and discriminatory practice of redlining by mortgage brokers. As a consequence, she often struggled to provide a stable home for her own family. Mellody recalls that they would frequently move house, often living in one or two rooms of unfinished and unfurnished properties that her mother was trying to sell, and forced to heat water for baths on the stove. These experiences motivated Mellody’s future endeavors, instilling in her both a fear of financial insecurity and a determination to help herself - and others - avoid similar circumstances in future.

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