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Is an American businesswoman who is President and co-CEO of Ariel Investments, and the chairwoman of Starbucks Corporation.
She is the former chairwoman of DreamWorks Animation, having stepped down after negotiating the acquisition of DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc., by NBCUniversal in August, 2016.
In 2017, she became the first African-American woman to head The Economic Club of Chicago.
She was also named to chair the board of directors of Starbucks in 2021, making her one of the highest profile corporate directors.
On December 26, 2020 it was announced she was being named the chairwoman of Starbucks Corp., the first black woman to be chairperson of an S&P 500 company.
Mellody Hobson was inducted as a Laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and awarded the Order of Lincoln (the State's highest honor) by the Governor of Illinois in 2018.
Hobson began dating film director and producer George Lucas in 2006, after they met at a business conference.
Hobson and Lucas announced their engagement in January 2013, and were married on June 22, 2013, at Lucas' Skywalker Ranch.
They have one daughter together, Everest Hobson Lucas, who was born via surrogacy in August 2013.