Catherine D. Wood, known as Cathie Wood, founded ARK Investment Management LLC in 2014 and serves as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer. Born in 1955 to Irish immigrant parents, Wood graduated summa cum laude from USC in 1981 with degrees in finance and economics, studying under economist Arthur Laffer. She began her career as an assistant economist at Capital Group before working 18 years at Jennison Associates as chief economist and portfolio manager. Wood co-founded hedge fund Tupelo Capital Management in 1998 and joined AllianceBernstein in 2001 as CIO of global thematic strategies. She left AllianceBernstein in 2014 after her active ETF concept focused on disruptive innovation was considered too risky, leading to ARK's founding. Wood has focused on thematic investing strategies since 1990 and received the Women in Finance Outstanding Contribution Award in 2016. She brings over 40 years of experience in theme-based investing and is recognized for her passionate advocacy of efficient investing approaches focused on disruptive innovation.

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ARK Investment Management LLC specializes in thematic investing in disruptive innovation across sectors and geographies. ARK defines 'disruptive innovation' as technologically enabled products or services expected to change industry landscapes. The firm's investment strategies target companies driving innovation in artificial intelligence, robotics, energy storage, DNA sequencing, blockchain technology, and space exploration. ARK's investment process combines top-down research identifying disruptive innovations with bottom-up analysis focusing on stock selection, valuation, and risk monitoring. The firm utilizes an Open Research Ecosystem combining traditional research with social media insights and external expert networks. ARK emphasizes capitalizing on market inefficiencies by investing in overlooked or misunderstood innovations. The firm's mission includes generating growth while contributing to a more sustainable and accessible future through innovation. ARK targets companies expected to double in value over five years, emphasizing transparency through published research. The firm organizes analysts by cross-sector innovation themes rather than traditional industry classifications to better identify technological convergence opportunities.

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