Carol Roth
Carol Roth | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1973 Northern suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Media personality, author, entrepreneur, radio personality, investor |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Known for | Judge on America's Greatest Makers; bestselling author; business advisor and investor |
Carol J. Schneiderman Roth (born 1973) is a prominent American media figure, bestselling author, entrepreneur, radio personality, and investor. She frequently appears on major cable networks such as Fox Business, CNBC, CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC. Roth was a judge on Mark Burnett's America's Greatest Makers and contributed as a weekly panelist on the business program Bulls & Bears. She also hosted The Noon Show on WGN Radio and has written three books, two of which became The New York Times bestsellers.
Describing herself as a "recovering" investment banker, Roth has facilitated over $2 billion in capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, and related financial transactions. Additionally, she actively invests in private enterprises.
Early life
Born in the northern suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, Roth attended Deerfield High School. Her father Bernie was a union electrician who retired before passing away in May 2013. During her high school years, her parents divorced. Roth’s mother Sheri succumbed to leukemia in 1998, and her stepmother passed away from lung cancer in 2004. She graduated with magna cum laude honors from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1995.
Career
Roth is a staunch supporter of entrepreneurship and small business, recognized as one of the Top 100 Small Business Influencers by Small Biz Trends consecutively from 2011 through 2015. She has provided numerous television segments and authored articles focused on small business issues and led the New York Times Small Business Summit as a moderator in 2012.
In her roles as business advisor, investor, and director, Roth has served on the board of a publicly traded company and currently sits on the board of a private technology firm.
Inspired by her father’s passing, Roth created Future File, a product designed to assist with legacy planning and documenting personal wishes.
Investment banking
Roth launched her career at Montgomery Securities, an investment bank based in San Francisco, starting in 1995 as a financial analyst within the consumer corporate finance division. By age 25, she had advanced to become an officer at the firm.
Books
Her debut book, The Entrepreneur Equation (2010), earned spots on bestseller lists including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. It also received an Axiom Gold Medal Business Book Award. The book is recognized for its straightforward approach and practical "reality checks" tailored for entrepreneurs. Although the cover featuring Roth’s photograph sparked some initial debate, she chose to retain it. To promote the book’s launch, an action figure modeled after Roth was produced as a marketing tool.
Her second work, The War on Small Business, explores governmental reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic and highlights the shift of wealth from Main Street to Wall Street.
Roth’s most recent publication, You Will Own Nothing, which also achieved bestseller status across several lists including The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, delves into obstacles faced by the middle class in wealth accumulation amid worldwide economic transformations. In July 2023, The Next Big Idea Club recommended it as essential reading; however, Kirkus Reviews described it as an "alarmist manifesto" that questions certain anecdotes presented within.
Television
Since 2010, Roth has been featured on television, notably as a permanent judge on TBS's reality competition series America's Greatest Makers. She has also taken on roles as a guest, co-host, and panelist across several national cable news channels. Her recurring appearances include Fox Business programs such as Bulls & Bears, Cavuto Coast-to-Coast, Making Money with Charles Payne, and Varney&Co, where she frequently co-hosted the show's second hour.
Her television presence further includes CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight, CNBC's Closing Bell, MSNBC's Your Business, along with various Fox News shows like Fox & Friends, America's Newsroom, and America Live with Megyn Kelly. Roth has also been featured on Fox Business’s The Tom Sullivan Show and The Willis Report. Her expertise in business and economic matters was highlighted during panel discussions throughout the 2012 U.S. elections, where she interviewed celebrities, presidential hopefuls, and business executives.
Additionally, Roth hosted the concluding season of Microsoft's Office Small Business Academy and appeared in the digital series BOOKD, offering analysis of Michael Lewis' The Big Short alongside Steve Kroft from 60 Minutes, investor Peter Schiff, and others.
Radio
Roth functions as a substitute host and co-host on several radio stations in Chicago and New York, including AM560 and 710WOR. From January to June 2013, she led "The Noon Show" on WGN Radio. Earlier in her career, she co-hosted episodes of American Entrepreneur Radio alongside Suzanne Caplan, concentrating on topics related to entrepreneurship and business.
Movies
Roth was featured in the documentary film Live Another Day, which explores the auto industry bailouts.
Columns and articles
Roth is a frequent contributor of opinion pieces to FoxNews.com and FoxBusiness.com. She formerly maintained a prominent blog titled "Make Your Pitch" for The New York Times and contributed articles to Huffington Post and Entrepreneur.com, addressing subjects spanning business, politics, and women's issues. In 2011, she published Sober Entrepreneurship, a manifesto released through Change This. Roth also authored an article for CNBC.com advocating for the legalization of insider trading.
Personal life
Roth lives in Chicago with her husband and is an avid supporter of the Chicago Bears as well as NFL football in general.