John Rogers

Active Investor

Founder, Chairman, Co-CEO and Chief Investment Officer at Ariel Investments

Chicago, Illinois

John Rogers, Founder, Chairman, Co-CEO and Chief Investment Officer at Ariel Investments is an active investor based in Chicago, Illinois. This profile covers what John Rogers backs, at which stage, and how founders can reach out in 2026.

Mr. John Rogers serves as Board Member and Member of Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability & Governance Committee at Nike. He serves as Trustee at The University of Chicago Office of Investments.He is a Board Member at Ryan Specialty Holdings. He serves as a Board Member & Member of the Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility Committee at McDonald's. He is a Member of Nike's Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability & Governance Committee. He serves as a Board Member at The New York Times. He also serves as an Advisory Board Member at KB Partners. He serves as an Advisor at Rapunzel Investments. He is the Founder and serves as Chairman, Co-Chief Executive Officer & Chief Investment Officer, Lead Portfolio Manager of Ariel Fund & Co-Portfolio Manager of Ariel Small Cap Value, Ariel Small Cap Value Concentrated, Ariel Small/Mid Cap Value, at Ariel Investments. He serves as a Board Member at Ariel Alternatives. He also serves as a Board Member at Ryan Specialty Group. He served as an Advisor at Rapunzel Investments. He is also a High-net-worth investor. His interest in equities grew at Princeton University, where he majored in economics, and over the two-plus years, he worked as a stockbroker for William Blair & Company. He sits on Exelon and McDonald's corporate boards and serves as a trustee to the University of Chicago. Nationally, he is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a director of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. Following the election of President Barack Obama, he served as co-chair for the Presidential Inaugural Committee in 2009, and more recently, he joined the Barack Obama Foundation's Board of Directors. He received an AB in economics from Princeton University. Director since 2018, is Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Investment Officer of Ariel Investments, LLC, a privately-held money management firm he founded in 1983, which serves individual and institutional investors through its mutual funds and separate accounts. Mr. Rogers is a Trustee of Ariel Investment Trust, the investment company consisting of the five mutual funds his firm manages.

Investor type: AngelPE
Stages: Early Stage Venture
Invests in: SaaS & EnterpriseDeveloper Tools & DataEdTechImpact & Social Enterprise
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Typical check: $500K
Past investments: 3

Notable investments

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How to reach John Rogers

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does John Rogers invest in?

John Rogers invests in SaaS & Enterprise, Developer Tools & Data, EdTech and Impact & Social Enterprise, typically at Early Stage Venture. Match your sector and stage, then reach out with a personalized pitch.