Catherine "Cathie" Wood, the founder and CEO of ARK Investment Management, is renowned for her contrarian investments in disruptive technology companies 🚀

Born in 1955 in Los Angeles, California, Wood's fascination with the stock market began at an early age, inspired by her father's stock market discussions 📈

She pursued her passion by studying economics and finance at the University of Southern California, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree 🎓

Wood's career in finance kicked off at Capital Group, where she worked as an assistant economist.

This role laid the foundation for her future success 💼

She later joined Jennison Associates as chief economist, portfolio manager, and managing director, honing her skills in identifying and investing in emerging technologies 🌟

Despite her growing success, Wood faced challenges, including skepticism from peers about her focus on disruptive innovation as a viable investment strategy 🚫

Undeterred, Wood founded ARK Invest in 2014, with the goal of focusing solely on disruptive innovation across sectors like genomics, autonomous technology, and blockchain 🧬🚗💻

Her firm's unique approach and transparent research quickly set it apart, attracting attention and investments from forward-thinking individuals and institutions alike 📊