John Rogers, chairman and chief executive officer of Ariel Investments. Christopher ... [+] Goodney/Bloomberg © 2017 Bloomberg Finance LPWhen Chicago-based investment firm Ariel Investments was founded by John W. Rogers Jr. in 1983, it was a breakthrough on Wall Street as the first black-owned mutual fund firm in the country. Mega firms like Apple, JPMorgan and Bank of America BAC committed billions of dollars to close the racial wealth gap. For Ariel’s founder John Rogers Jr., the national discussion came full circle. After graduating Princeton University and spending a few years at Chicago investment firm William Blair, Rogers broke down his own barriers, founding Ariel as the first black-owned mutual fund firm.

Source: Forbes February 17, 2021 15:39 UTC