John Hope Bryant

NEW
  • Founder, Chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE
  • Vice-Chairman, President’s Council on Financial Literacy
  • American Banker Innovator of the Year
  • TIME Magazine "50 Leaders for the Future"

John Hope Bryant is an American entrepreneur, author, philanthropist, and prominent thought leader on financial inclusion, economic empowerment and financial dignity. Referred to as the Conscience of Capitalism by Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines and James Herbert, Chairman and CEO of First Republic Bank, most recently Bryant was named one of Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “Most Influential Atlantans”, one of Georgia Trend Magazine’s “Notable Georgians” and one of LinkedIn’s “Top Voices” in 2020.  Bryant was also recognized as one of the “Most Admired CEOs” in 2018American Banker magazine 2016 "Innovator of the Year”, INC.’s “The World’s 10 Top CEOs” (honorable mention), and one of Time magazine’s “50 Leaders for the Future” in 1994.  

Mr. Bryant is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Operation HOPE, Inc. the largest non-profit, best-in-class provider of financial literacy, and economic empowerment services in the United States for youth and adults.  He is also the Chairman and CEO of Bryant Group Ventures and Founder and Principal of The Promise Homes Company, which is the largest minority-controlled owner of single-family rental homes in the United States.  Both Operation HOPE and The Promise Homes Company have experienced explosive growth under Bryant’s leadership, 553% from 2014-2018, and 303% from May 2017 to present, respectively.  Five former U.S. presidents have recognized his work, and he has served as an advisor to three sitting U.S. presidents from both political parties. He is responsible for financial literacy becoming the policy of the U.S. federal government.  In January 2016 Bryant became the only private American citizen to inspire the renaming of a building on the White House campus, when the U.S. Treasury Annex Building was renamed the Freedman’s Bank Building. The Freedman’s Bank was founded by President Abraham Lincoln.  Its legacy has become the narrative of the work of Operation HOPE—to help all people in the "Invisible Class" become fully integrated into our nation’s economy.  

Mr. Bryant has received hundreds of awards and citations for his work, including Oprah Winfrey’s Use Your Life Award, and the John Sherman Award for Excellence in Financial Education from the U.S. Treasury.   

He is the author of bestselling books Up From NothingThe MemoHow the Poor Can Save Capitalism and Love Leadership

 


John Hope Bryant photo 3
John Hope Bryant photo 2
John Hope Bryant headshot
Past Hosts Include:
  • The Chair Academy
  • Coca-Cola
  • UPS
  • Clinton Global Initiatives
  • Emory University
  • Chick-fil-A
  • World Economic Forum
  • Federal Reserve Bank
  • NAACP
  • Kaplan University
Rave Reviews About John Hope Bryant as a Speaker
The man is a presence, and he woke up our participants with his honesty and overall message. I'm especially grateful he made the trip halfway around the world to speak to our group of leaders. I know he has changed some lives, and I hope the butterfly effect from that is overwhelmingly positive.

Keynote - What it means to empower one's life through financial dignity | Summit on Race in America [25:41] - Get Sharable Link
Talks & Conversations with John Hope Bryant
Expand all >

Up From Nothing

Facing a challenging economy, too many Americans despair of improving their lives. But John Hope Bryant insists that America is still the Land of Opportunity. Up from Nothing revives the forgotten story of the American Dream. It’s about our beginnings as a nation of go-getters who believed they were ...

Facing a challenging economy, too many Americans despair of improving their lives. But John Hope Bryant insists that America is still the Land of Opportunity. Up from Nothing revives the forgotten story of the American Dream. It’s about our beginnings as a nation of go-getters who believed they were winners before they won.

Using the inspiring story of his own rise from humble beginnings, and that of his parents and grandparents, Bryant shows how individually we can change our mindset from survivor to thriver to winner and move beyond just getting by or being financially independent to becoming wildly successful. Collectively, we need to become a nation of winners once again.

By ensuring that every stakeholder in America has access to the Five Pillars of Success–massive education, financial literacy, strong family structure, self-esteem, and supportive role models–Bryant shows how we can fulfill the promise of America’s greatness. But to do so, we must turn away from distractions–such as political in-fighting or racial and class divisions–and focus on what we can control. This is not a book of tips on how to get a better job or make more money. It’s about adopting a new way of thinking that will do all that for us and more. Up from Nothing is the new (old) business plan to keep us winning as a country.

How the Poor Can Save Capitalism

John Bryant radically redefines the meaning of poverty and wealth and exposes why attempts to aid the poor so far have fallen short and offers a way forward.  ...

John Bryant radically redefines the meaning of poverty and wealth and exposes why attempts to aid the poor so far have fallen short and offers a way forward. 

Financial Dignity

Though many of us are living without it, everyone is entitled to financial literacy, access to capital and equity of opportunity to create a secure future and realize their aspirations.  ...

Though many of us are living without it, everyone is entitled to financial literacy, access to capital and equity of opportunity to create a secure future and realize their aspirations. 

Leadership and Relationship Building

In leadership and relationship management, anger is not a strategy. You can lead effectively without creating a fear-based environment by being mindful of the importance of managing relationships so that even your adversaries are left with their dignity. ...

In leadership and relationship management, anger is not a strategy. You can lead effectively without creating a fear-based environment by being mindful of the importance of managing relationships so that even your adversaries are left with their dignity.

Facebook  Instagram  LinkedIn  Twitter 
(-)
Books by John Hope Bryant
(-)
Biography

John Hope Bryant is an American entrepreneur, author, philanthropist, and prominent thought leader on financial inclusion, economic empowerment and financial dignity. Referred to as the Conscience of Capitalism by Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines and James Herbert, Chairman and CEO of First Republic Bank, most recently Bryant was named one of Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “Most Influential Atlantans”, one of Georgia Trend Magazine’s “Notable Georgians” and one of LinkedIn’s “Top Voices” in 2020.  Bryant was also recognized as one of the “Most Admired CEOs” in 2018American Banker magazine 2016 "Innovator of the Year”, INC.’s “The World’s 10 Top CEOs” (honorable mention), and one of Time magazine’s “50 Leaders for the Future” in 1994.  

Mr. Bryant is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Operation HOPE, Inc. the largest non-profit, best-in-class provider of financial literacy, and economic empowerment services in the United States for youth and adults.  He is also the Chairman and CEO of Bryant Group Ventures and Founder and Principal of The Promise Homes Company, which is the largest minority-controlled owner of single-family rental homes in the United States.  Both Operation HOPE and The Promise Homes Company have experienced explosive growth under Bryant’s leadership, 553% from 2014-2018, and 303% from May 2017 to present, respectively.  Five former U.S. presidents have recognized his work, and he has served as an advisor to three sitting U.S. presidents from both political parties. He is responsible for financial literacy becoming the policy of the U.S. federal government.  In January 2016 Bryant became the only private American citizen to inspire the renaming of a building on the White House campus, when the U.S. Treasury Annex Building was renamed the Freedman’s Bank Building. The Freedman’s Bank was founded by President Abraham Lincoln.  Its legacy has become the narrative of the work of Operation HOPE—to help all people in the "Invisible Class" become fully integrated into our nation’s economy.  

Mr. Bryant has received hundreds of awards and citations for his work, including Oprah Winfrey’s Use Your Life Award, and the John Sherman Award for Excellence in Financial Education from the U.S. Treasury.   

He is the author of bestselling books Up From NothingThe MemoHow the Poor Can Save Capitalism and Love Leadership