Printable Biography of John Bryant Hope

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A national community leader cited by the past four sitting U.S. presidents for his work to empower low-wealth communities across America and author of BANKING ON OUR FUTURE, a book on youth and family financial literacy by Beacon Press, John Bryant is a businessman, a former United Nations goodwill ambassador to the United States, a partner with former President Clinton in an effort to educate every child in Harlem, New York in financial literacy, a Presidential Appointee for President George W. Bush, a Young Global Leader for the World Economic Forum, the founder of Operation HOPE, and working with HOPE spokesman Ambassador Andrew Young, the author of a new movement in America, and a clear and compelling vision for the eradication of poverty in the 21st century; a movement called the Silver Rights Movement.
John Bryant is one of the most authoritative and compelling advocates for poverty eradication in America today. To the producer of the NBC Weekend Today Show John Bryant is “a revolutionary of our times,” and to U.S. President George W. Bush, John Bryant is “a social entrepreneur.”
Three times during the 20th Century TIME Magazine has compiled a list of America’s future leadership. On December 5th, 1994, John Bryant was selected by TIME Magazine as “One of America’s 50 Most Promising Leaders of the Future,” as part of their 50 for the Future cover story.
On October 18th, 2004, the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, nominated John Bryant as one of 238 young leaders selected from around the world to serve as a member of the new Forum of Young Global Leaders. Chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan, the Forum of Young Global Leaders is comprised of “a community of extraordinary leaders who are 40 years old or younger, clearly exceptional on a global level, and (those who) will have a visible opportunity to have significant impact on world affairs.”
On June 13th, 2004, John Bryant became a Presidential appointee when U.S. President George W. Bush appointed him to a 4-year term on the non-partisan U.S. Community Development Advisory Board for the CDFI Fund at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and on May 8th, 2004, John Bryant received an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Human Letters from Paul Quinn College in Dallas, Texas, for his work around education and poverty eradication.
Always the activist bridge-builder, on June 5th, 2003, John Bryant brought U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan into an inner-city Washington, D.C. area classroom, as they teamed up to co-teach a Banking on Our Future financial literacy course, bringing needed attention to the growing national importance around financial literacy education in this country, as well as other countries around the world.
Once again, on April 24th, 2002, John Bryant joined former U.S. President William Jefferson Clinton in a Harlem, New York area classroom as they teamed up to co-teach a Banking on Our Future financial literacy course, while simultaneously announcing a partnership between Operation HOPE and the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Foundation “to educate every child in Harlem in financial literacy over 5-years.” That same week, on April 29th, 2002, John Bryant brought our 43rd President, U.S. President George W. Bush into South Los Angeles, hosting America’s elected leader amongst a diverse group of respected community leaders, in commemoration of the rebuilding of community, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the worst urban civil unrest in U.S. history.
John Bryant has received more than 400 awards and citations for his work to educate, inspire and empower low-wealth communities nationwide. Awards include a special honor from Oprah Winfrey on May 7th, 2001, where he was selected by Ms. Winfrey and her Oprah’s Angel Network Foundation to receive the Use Your Life Award on the Oprah Winfrey Show, being named a “Community Hero” by People Magazine on April 29th, 2002, as it marked the 10th anniversary of the worst urban civil unrest in U.S. history, and being named “One of America’s 25 Most Generous Young Americans” by WORTH Magazine on December, 2002. On March 6th, 2005, John Bryant received the Crystal Heart Award from the USC School of Social Work for his work in community, along with the awarding of the first John Bryant Scholar, as part of the establishment of the USC John Bryant Scholarship Fund, an annual scholarship award for deserving low-wealth young adults seeking an advanced degree from the USC School of Social Work.
At the age of 39, John Bryant is today the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Operation HOPE, America’s first non-profit social investment banking organization and a leading national self-help provider of economic empowerment tools and services for the under-served and the wealthless. Since its founding in 1992, John Bryant has raised more than $30 million in grant funding for his effort and more than $200 million in lending commitments for low-wealth homeownership and small business creation. As chairman and chief executive officer of Operation HOPE John Bryant works in active partnership with more than 250 banks, insurance companies, credit unions and corporations, along with government and community leaders, and directs the activities of nine non-profit Operation HOPE initiatives operating in nine states, 15 cities and the District of Columbia.