John Hope Bryant

John Hope Bryant Speaks to Parents, Youth About MAKING SMART COOL, Stay in School

 

I recorded this important video message after visiting a Georgia school, and talking to youth (of all races) about the "dumbing down of America," and how it is their mission to MAKE SMART COOL again.  Check it out, and pass it on!  The 5MK movement is in full-effect.

 

John Hope Bryant is a thought leader, founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Companies, Inc. Magazine/CEO READ bestselling business author of LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass) the only African-American bestselling business author in America, and is chairman of the Subcommittee for the Under-Served and Community Empowerment for the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability, for President Barack Obama.  Mr. Bryant is the co-founder of the Gallup-HOPE Index, the only national research poll on youth financial dignity and youth economic energy in the U.S. He is also a co-founder of Global Dignity with HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Professor Pekka Himanen of Finland. Global Dignity is affiliated with the Forum of Young Global Leaders and the World Economic Forum. 

Why I Do What I Do

I do it for THIS reason.  To see THIS expression on a young person's face.  Just look at this ~ it is literally priceless. And all I had to do here was to sign and give him a copy of my bestselling business book LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass).  Did you "get" what I just said?  I gave the young man a BUSINESS book.  Not fiction (all good by the way), or a comic, or some rap lyrics (all good too).  But a book on business and leadership, and inspired in the right way, this young man just lit up like a Christmas tree.

This is why I do what I do, and why I believe so passionately in our work in financial dignity at Operation HOPE, and the promise of the silver rights movement.

Our young people increasingly don't have something tangible of even aspirational to believe in, and as a result, we are losing them.

Operation HOPE Joins The White House for Special Announcement for Youth Jobs Now!

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

January 4, 2012

 We Can’t Wait: The White House Announces Federal and Private Sector Commitments to Provide Employment Opportunities for Nearly 180,000 Youth

Today, the White House announced Summer Jobs+, a new call to action for businesses, non-profits, and government to work together to provide pathways to employment for low-income and disconnected youth in the summer of 2012. The President proposed $1.5 billion for high-impact summer jobs and year-round employment for low-income youth ages 16-24 in the American Jobs Act as part of the Pathways Back to Work fund. When Congress failed to act, the Federal government and private sector came together to commit to creating nearly 180,000 employment opportunities for low-income youth in the summer of 2012, with a goal of reaching 250,000 employment opportunities by the start of summer, at least 100,000 of which will be placements in paid jobs and internships. Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of executive actions the Obama Administration is taking to strengthen the economy and move the country forward because we can’t wait for Congress to act.  

“America’s young people face record unemployment, and we need to do everything we can to make sure they’ve got the opportunity to earn the skills and a work ethic that come with a job.  It’s important for their future, and for America’s.  That’s why I proposed a summer jobs program for youth in the American Jobs Act – a plan that Congress failed to pass.  America’s youth can’t wait for Congress to act.  This is an all-hands-on-deck moment.  That’s why today, we’re launching Summer Jobs+, a joint initiative that challenges business leaders and communities to join my Administration in providing hundreds of thousands of summer jobs for America’s youth,” said President Obama.

“While young people who are currently disconnected from school or work are not contributing to our economy, we see these young people as ‘Opportunity Youth’ – because of the untapped potential they bring to the Nation.  Today, the White House challenged all sectors to go all-in and work together in creating pathways to youth employment.  Summer jobs are an important step – and to stay on the path to success, Opportunity Youth need social supports and access to relevant education, mentoring and training.  This spring, the White House Council for Community Solutions will participate in community discussions nationwide to learn from best efforts by youth, families, government, business, educators, and nonprofits to connect young people to meaningful career opportunities,” said Patty Stonesifer, Chair of the White House Council for Community Solutions (WHCCS).

The Administration also announced its intention to launch, within 60 days, the Summer Jobs+ Bank, a one-stop search tool for youth to access postings for any participating employers seeking to reach them where they are online. The search tool builds upon an open standard, the JobPosting schema endorsed by schema.org in November, 2011 in support of the Veterans Jobs Bank, and will include technical and promotional support by Google, Internships.com, AfterCollege, LinkedIn and Facebook. Today the Corporation for National and Community Service released a new toolkit created in collaboration with the WHCCS and employers to support businesses and communities in their efforts to help young people become productive citizens and connect to greater opportunities, both of which are critical for the long-term strength and competiveness of the Nation.

Today’s announcements build on previous commitments from the Obama Administration to support summer youth employment. In 2009 and 2010, communities across the country used Recovery Act funds to directly support summer work opportunities for over 367,000 young people. In the summer of 2011, the Department of Labor brought together private sector commitments to employ over 80,000 youth.

A new analysis released today by the WHCCS showed that in 2011 alone, taxpayers shouldered more than $93 billion in direct costs and lost tax revenue to support young adults disconnected from school and work. Over the lifetime of these young people, taxpayers will assume a $1.6 trillion burden to meet the increased needs and lost revenue from this group.Read the full analysis here.  

Businesses, non-profits and government can accept the President’s call-to-action by directly hiring youth as well as providing corporate mentorship experiences, internship, and other opportunities that connect young people to jobs. The three key ways organizations can engage are:

• Learn and Earn: Provide youth jobs for the summer of 2012 in the form of paid internships and/or permanent positions that provide on-the-job training. Of the roughly 180,000 job commitments announced today more than 70,000 are Learn and Earn commitments.

• Life Skills: Provide youth work-related soft skills, such as communication, time management and teamwork, through coursework and/or experience.  This includes resume writing or interview workshops and mentorship programs.

• Work Skills: Provide youth insight into the world of work to prepare for employment.  This includes job shadow days and internships. More information about this initiative can be found at dol.gov/summerjobs

As the nation continues to recover from the deepest recession since the Great Depression, American youth are struggling to get the work experience they need for jobs of the future. According to the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (Current Population Survey):

• 48.8 percent of youth between the ages of 16-24 were employed in July, the month when youth employment usually peaks. This is significantly lower than the 59.2 percent of youth who were employed five years ago and 63.3 percent of youth who were employed 10 years ago. 

• Minority youth had an especially difficult time finding employment this past summer. Only 34.6 percent of African American youth and 42.9 percent of Hispanic youth had a job this past July.

In addition to the organizations making commitments for the summer of 2012, the Department of Labor will honor UPS, We Are Golf, Wells Fargo, and Jamba Juice for their strong participation in their 2011 summer jobs effort and the Corporation for National and Community Service will honor Bank of America, State Street, Viacom, Deloitte, and JP Morgan for their leadership in corporate mentoring over the past year.

Commitments Announced Include:

Inspired By President' Obama's Call for Youth Jobs Now, Operation HOPE Announces Special Youth Opportunity Commitment tied to Gallup-HOPE Index Cities Initiative

Inspired by President Barack Obama's call to leading private sector and community-based organizations to act now, helping to create youth business internships, jobs and opportunity, Operation HOPE stepped forward and made a unique commitment to actually operationalize the Gallup-HOPE Index Cities Initiative, which is built around our recently launched Gallup-HOPE Index National Poll.  

Operation HOPE was honored to step forward, and to develop something that can show real results in real communities.  Here is how it works. 

On October 13th, 2011, Gallup and Operation HOPE (HOPE) released a first-ever national data poll around youth financial literacy and youth economic energy in America.  Complete summary national Index data findings can be found at http://www.gallup.com/poll/150077/students-entrepreneurial-energy-waiting-tapped.aspx.

"The short-term goal is youth jobs, but the long-term goal #1, in every major urban city, is moving cities from 77/5, to 77/20." 

The national poll had a 3% margin of error and covered the Q34 breakthrough questions, as designed by Gallup social scientists.  All of the results were both telling and compelling, and further confirmed both Gallup and HOPE's fundamental belief that aspirations, hope and opportunity, and focusing on youth's 'strengths,' rather than their weaknesses, is the key to get young people to both enroll and to become real stakeholders in their own future success. 

77/5

One of the most compelling data stat groups that seemed to jump out and distinguish itself from the national raw data, was youth responses to two critical questions:

1. 77% of all youth report that they want to be their own boss.
2. 5% of all youth report that they currently have a business internship or business mentor.

Summary Wrap Up From First Ever Gallup-HOPE Index Forum, Washington, DC

 

This video is a solid summary of the inaugural Gallup-HOPE Index Forum held on October 13th, 2011, at the Gallup Building in Washington, D.C.

The Forum featured, amongst others, Derek Douglas and Jon Carson of the White House, representing the President, Joshua Wright from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Jim Clifton, chairman and CEO of Gallup, Jennifer Thibeaux from the Operation HOPE Office of Innovation, Research & Assessment, myself and others.  Earlier in the day Mr. Clifton and I spent some quality time meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Tony Miller in a private pre-meeting.

Watch the video, let us know what you think, and spread the word. The Gallup-HOPE Index is coming to a city, township and community of change near you!

 

John Hope Bryant is a thought leader, founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Companies, Inc. Magazine/CEO READ bestselling business author of LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass) the only African-American bestselling business author in America, and a Member of the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability for President Barack Obama.  Mr. Bryant is the co-founder of the Gallup-HOPE Index, the only national research poll on youth financial dignity and youth economic energy in the U.S. He is also a co-founder of Global Dignity with HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Professor Pekka Himanen of Finland. Global Dignity is affiliated with the Forum of Young Global Leaders and the World Economic Forum. 

 

SPECIAL FROM THE HUFFINGTON POST: The Gallup-HOPE Index and How America Wins the Coming Global Jobs War

 

John Hope Bryant

Bestselling business leadership author and philanthropic entrepreneur

 

 

 

 

I believe this article articulates the single best weapon (our 50 million youth, grades 5th-12th) to address what many have called America's coming China challenge, but really, this article is not about America's future China challenge. This is about us, and what we need to do to sustain, extend, and grow our own organic success well into the future.

This is about how we manufacturer more of that amazing American "special sauce," that has made people all around the world want to come to this incredible place for more than 100 years.

It's also about our confidence, in ourselves.

America's GDP is still approximately $15 trillion today. That means that even with Chinas GDP at $5.8 trillion, and adding the two next largest economies (Japan at $5.2 trillion and Germany at $3.28 trillion) together, you still have room within the U.S. economy to add more. We are still the biggest economy in the world by a long-shot, so we must remember that we still have a lot of what the world needs to succeed. Our problem is our confidence in ourselves.

And even with China's recent runaway success, there are serious internal social, economic and what I call "value" issues -- inside the borders of China -- that they will have to deal with before they truly emerge as a true global leader on the world stage. This will take a minute to sort out.

America's problem is also her opportunity - it is within you and me.

Read the complete Huffington Post article here.

 

Bryant Speaks Today at Thunderbird University Global Business Conference, Arizona

Later today I am scheduled to speak before the a global business (outlook) conference at Thunderbird University for my friend and fellow YGL family member Dr. Angel Cabrera, its president.  

Featuring practical solutions found in the global work of Operation HOPE and the leadership solutions found in my Inc. Magazine-CEOREAD bestselling business book LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass), we will explore the topic Economic Empowerment:  More Workers, More Jobs, More Money – Why Spreading the Wealth is Good for Global Business. 

In addition to talking about what comes next after this Reset of the global economy, and conquering fear, I will also share some of the findings from the recent Gallup-HOPE Index.

My fellow panelists during this session include Ms. Mia Haugen, Executive Producer of TheStreet as moderator, and my friend Caroline Casey- Founder and Social Entrepreneur, Kanchi, Shelly Esque- Vice President, Corp. Affairs & President, Intel Foundation, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon- Bestselling Author of “ The Dressmaker of Khair Khana,” and James M. Kramer- Vice President, International Franchising McDonald’s Corporation.

Okay, let's go.

 

John Hope Bryant is a thought leader, founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Companies, Inc. Magazine/CEO READ bestselling business author of LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass and the only African-American bestselling business author in America, and a Member of the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability for President Barack Obama.  Mr. Bryant is a co-founder of Global Dignity with HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Professor Pekka Himanen of Finland. Global Dignity is affiliated with the Forum of Young Global Leaders and the World Economic Forum.

 

 

Bryant and Operation HOPE to Co-Lead a White House Q&A Today at 1pm EST

Today at 1pm EST, I am pleased to join Jon Carson, director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, for a special White House Twitter Q & A Session from the White House, and immediately following my U.S. President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability public meeting at the U.S. Treasury Department.

Please join the discussion today at 1pm EST, and send your questions to me for Operation HOPE, and Jon Carson for the President, to @WhiteHouse, @OperationHOPEWH, @OperationHOPE, @JohnCarson44 or to me @johnhopebryant, and we will try to answer as many as we can.

Questions should include items such as the pending American Jobs Act, financial literacy, financial dignity, entrepreneurship, urban entrepreneurship, the economic empowerment of the under-served, and SOLUTIONS for and in black and brown communities.

Okay, let's go.


John Hope Bryant is a thought leader, founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Companies, Inc. Magazine/CEO READ bestselling business author of LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass), and a Member of the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability for President Barack Obama. Mr. Bryant is a co-founder of Global Dignity with HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Professor Pekka Himanen of Finland. Global Dignity is affiliated with the Forum of Young Global Leaders and the World Economic Forum.

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Ambassador Andrew Young and Jim Clifton Engage Operation HOPE Conversation on "The Future of Leadership & Jobs"

Ketchum Family Commits $20,000 to Fuel New Gallup-HOPE Index Local Study

Personal contribution by Rick and Mary Beth Ketchum paves way for other individual donors

DALLAS--Rick and Mary Beth Ketchum’s $20,000 contribution to Operation HOPE, the leader in economic empowerment and financial dignity, will help fuel a study with global research-based consultancy, Gallup, Inc that will gauge the entrepreneurial aspirations and energy that could help drive future job creation in America and is based on the Banking on Our Future curriculum.

The Ketchum contribution will focus on students in the Dallas Independent School system and support HOPE’s Office of Innovation, Research and Assessment.
 
“We will never succeed in addressing our equity or global competitiveness challenges until we provide our youth of all economic backgrounds with the knowledge, tools and will to succeed,” shared Mr. Ketchum.

Read the complete story here.