Photo courtesy of Kiplingers

Ariel Investments is a Chicago-based investment firm that was founded by John Rogers, Jr. in 1983. John was introduced to finance by his father at an early age and quickly fell in love with investments. Rogers received his degree in economics from Princeton and serves on the Board of Directors for a few Fortune 500 companies.

Ariel Investments has had a track record of out-performing the market in several of its funds by focusing on small and mid-cap U.S. firms. The company has over $13 billion in assets and over 100 employees, with 95% of the company being owned by those employees and board members. Before you look to invest your money in big "brand name" brokerages, check out Ariel Investments! 

Photo courtesy of The Black Detour

Moon Meals is based out of Chicago and is owned by Laforce Baker. Laforce wanted to introduce healthy meals “under the moon” for Chicago professionals to enjoy as a late-night snack. He founded the company in 2012 as a small delivery service.

Their signature Fiesta Wrap™ is a healthy vegan wrap that contains no meat or dairy but is still “meaty and cheesy”. They also offer soups, burgers, Mac & cheese, salads and more. Moon Meals can be found in Chicago Jewel-Osco grocery stores.