John Hope Bryant

Presenting the Operation HOPE Business in a Box, Atlanta Pilot Program Competition

 

This short video says it all. It is the "magic" that we have been talking about. That I have been dreaming about, ever since I came up with the vision of and for HOPE Business In A Box this time last year on my my birthday.  My birthday is February 6th, 2013, and seeing this vision made real is the best birthday present that this "proud pappa" could have (smile).

Thank you to Mary Hagerty, president of the HOPE Youth Empowerment Group, the Atlanta team, led by Jay Bailey, Tara Dennis (youth agenda) and others there, along with everyone who helped to make this real.  

A special thank you to Ms. Natasha L. Foreman, MBA, dedicated HOPE Corps volunteer, small business owner and the HOPE Business In A Box coordinator in Atlanta, Georgia.  She worked tirelessly to see this through from concept to reality for these bright young kids (our leaders for the future) in Atlanta.  

From the Credit Union Times: Entrepreneurial Spirit Continues to Swell Among Students: Gallup/Operation HOPE

BY MICHELLE A. SAMAAD

January 30, 2013 • Reprints

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With more schools offering classes on how to start and run a business, students in fifth through 12th grade are very optimistic about becoming entrepreneurs one day.

According to findings from the 2012 Gallup-HOPE Index, a joint project to encourage entrepreneurial development among youth, based on a nationally representative survey of 1,217 students, 43% said they plan to start their own businesses.

The poll also found that students understood the value of education, with 93% agreeing that there is a relationship between the level of education and earning potential.

Fifty-nine percent said their school offers classes on how to start and run a business.

“The results from this year's Gallup-HOPE Index show that there's a lot of entrepreneurial spirit among our young people, but we need to provide them with better access to the tools they need to succeed,” said Jim Clifton, chairman and CEO of Gallup.

Many of the students surveyed were familiar with credit unions. Fifty-four percent said they have a credit union or bank account. The 26% of students in grades nine through 12 who said they work at a paying job, likely park their earnings in those accounts. Seven percent of all students polled said they are currently interning with a local business.

The study also found that 32% of students surveyed said their parents or guardians have started a business. 

“Educated, engaged, hopeful kids are the future entrepreneurs of America,” said John Hope Bryant, founder and CEO of Operation HOPE. “This information helps us tailor programs to foster young entrepreneurs, helping them develop an idea into a business,” he added on the Gallup-HOPE Index.

Initiated in 2011, the GHI is part of Gallup's 100-year commitment with Operation HOPE to assess the attitudes and behaviors often ascribed to entrepreneurs and to provide government and business leaders with data about student sentiment nationwide, the organizations said.

Original article here.

 

A Personal Letter from Operation HOPE Founder, Chairman, and CEO John Hope Bryant and Ambassador Andrew Young

Operation HOPE is "the private banker to the working poor, the underclass, and the struggling middle-class," and the impact of our work can be felt on-the-ground, everywhere we operate.  Our mission is 'silver rights,' or making free enterprise and capitalism work for all.  Financial literacy is the tool, financial dignity is the goal and financial inclusion is the way. 

2012 marked new heights for HOPE's silver rights movement as it continued to reach out and empower underserved populations in new and innovative ways. HOPE divisions currently serving the community include:

 

• Banking on Our Future, focused on keeping the most at-risk youth from repeating the cycles of poverty and despair that has trapped so many in their families and communities by teaching them basic financial literacy, or what we call "the global language of money." 

 

• HOPE Business-In-A-Box/Gallup-HOPE Index, focused on inspiring a generation of young people to become future American assets of economic energy, small business and entrepreneurship.

 

• HOPE Financial Dignity Centers, including our newest HOPE Financial Dignity Center at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr''s Ebenezer Church in Atlanta, Georgia, are where we approve clients day one, subject to the resolution of their primary denial factors, and raise credit scores on average 120 points over 18 months of active counseling. We call it the 700 Credit Scores Communities Initiative.  The HOPE Center at Ebenezer marks our 11th HOPE Center across the nation, and is the proud anchor for the new Martin Luther King. Sr. Community Resource Complex next to Ebenezer Church.  Most people know that Daddy King, as he was lovingly called, co-pastored Ebenezer Church with his son, Dr. King, but what they don't know is that Daddy King served on the board of a bank for 40 years.  Even more than 50 years ago, the King legacy was alive with civil rights, and silver rights empowerment, too. A special thank you to our HOPE Center signature partners, including Bank of the West and Union Bank on the west coast, E*TRADE FINANCIAL in New York City and Washington, DC, and at Ebenezer in Atlanta, FINANCIAL SERVICES ROUNDTABLE members SunTrust Bank, State Farm Insurance, LPL Financial/NestWise, Wells Fargo Bank,MasterCard, and BMO Harris Bank, along with supporting partners including the Coca-Cola Company,Kaplan University, Equifax, the United Way of Greater Atlanta, amongst others.

 

• HOPE Coalition America, which is the national partner with FEMA around emergency financial disaster preparedness, response and recovery, or the "economic Red Cross" for the nation.  HCA responded to, and served, more than 200,000 survivors following Hurricane Katrina, and we are responding to Hurricane Sandy now. 

 

• HOPE Government Relations & Public Policy, and HOPE Forums, which both advance responsible public policy and help to shape, engaged public opinion.  The recent HOPE Global Financial Dignity Summitfeaturing U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, with more than 1,500 delegates from 30 countries, covered by 50 major media outlets, is but one example of our focus here.

Read the complete personal letter on the HOPE Blog here.

Imagine If We Can Spread This Energy School To School Across America?

This photo just stopped me.  It almost requires no words at all.  To look at the emotions, the inspiration, the hope in the "everything" of these two young ladies at an inner-city school in Atlanta, says it all.

These two young ladies were readying themselves for their 2 minute "pitch" opportunity at our HOPE Business In A Box event at Jean Childs Young Middle School, in Atlanta, Georgia.  This pitch event was part of a HOPE Business In A Box pilot we conducted in Atlanta, Denver and Oakland public schools.

Stay tune for more to come.  This initiative has transformational potential.  Just look at these young ladies, to understand why.

HOPE Business In A Box is the premiere Operation HOPE intervention strategy that will drive changes in the Gallup-HOPE Index annual behavorial economic results for our nation's youth and future economic leaders.

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), 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.  Mr. Bryant is a though leader represented by the Bright Sight Group for public speaking. Mr. Bryant serves on the board of directors of Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation, an NYSE Euronext publicly traded company, and a division of $54 billion Ares Capital.

2012 Gallup-HOPE Index Findings Show Gap Between Entrepreneurship Aspirations and Work Experience for American Youth

Education experts convene to discuss solutions to capitalize on economic energy of students

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Silver rights" nonprofit Operation HOPE, a leader in financial dignity, joined with Gallup to announce findings from the 2012 Gallup-HOPE Index (GHI), a joint project to encourage entrepreneurial development among youth. The organizations also co-hosted a panel discussion on comprehensive solutions to encourage economic and entrepreneurial achievement for America's youth.

The GHI is an annual survey that measures engagement, hope and economic energy of fifth through 12^th grade students in the U.S. Through exploration of students' future aspirations and their access to the necessary education and experience needed to achieve these goals, the study can inform educational programs and resources to help students become meaningful participants in the nation's economy. Initiated in 2011, the GHI is part of Gallup's 100 year commitment with Operation HOPE to assess the attitudes and behaviors often ascribed to entrepreneurs and to provide government and business leaders with data about student sentiment nationwide.

Results from the 2012 GHI reveal that America's youth are optimistic about the future and many have entrepreneurial ambitions. The results, based on a nationally representative survey of 1,217 students, show that 43 percent of students plan to start their own businesses. The poll also found that students understand the value of education, with 93 percent agreeing that there is a relationship between level of education and earning potential. Fifty-nine percent said their school offers classes in how to start and run a business.

Gallup -HOPE Index 2012 Results Announced Today: U.S. Students' Entrepreneurial Aspirations Still Undeveloped

Children of business owners more entrepreneurially inclined

by Valerie J. Calderon and Shane Lopez

WASHINGTON D.C. -- Entrepreneurial aspirations among fifth- through 12^th-graders in the U.S. remained high and stable over the past year, according to the 2012 Gallup-HOPE Index. About four in 10 students (43%) say they plan to start their own business. Similarly, four in 10 students (42%) say they will invent something that changes the world.

Girls (46%) were slightly more likely to agree they plan to start their own business than boys (40%). Boys (45%) were slightly more likely than girls (40%) to say they will invent something that changes the world.

Read and download the complete report here at Gallup.

 

Youth Hope and Restoring America Quote of the Day

"New American military man that'll save America is not 20 years old, armed with a gun, but a 10 year-old, armed with hope, opportunity and education, and a power (business) mentor."

John Hope Bryant


John Hope Bryant is a thought leader, founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE, 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 the U.S., 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. Mr. Bryant serves on the board of directors of Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation, an NYSE Euronext publicly traded company, and a division of $54 billion Ares Capital.

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Our Post Inaugural Contribution: The Gallup-HOPE Index Forum 2013, Tomorrow

The partying will be over tonigt, and the work fo restoring America with the silver rights they deserve, will begin again tomorrow.

If you are in Washington, D.C. for Presidential Inaugurational festivities, please join us tomorrow, January 9am-10:30am, at the Gallup Building (and the Operation HOPE Washington, D.C. Regional Office).

RSVP to Jodi Brockington, and see you there.

Okay, let's go restore America, together.

After We Inaugurate Our President, Welcome Our New Entrepreneurship Generation: Join Us for the Gallup-HOPE Index Forum, Washington, DC, 2013

For those interested in learning more about the Gallup-HOPE Index Forum, 2013, contact Jodi Brockington, deputy director of HOPE Forums.

 

 

Join Us! Jean Childs Young Middle School is Ready to Shine at the HOPE Business In A Box Pitch Competition

Jean Childs Young Middle School is Ready to Shine at the HOPE Business In A Box Pitch Competition

Students at Jean Childs Young Middle School in Atlanta are excited and ready to shine tomorrow at the HOPE Business In A Box pitch competition. Several sixth and seventh grade class rooms finished the HOPE Business In A Box entrepreneurship training program on December 19, 2012. There were almost 60 teams that competed during their classroom semi-final round that day. Now 29 teams have made it to tomorrow's final pitch competition.
These 29 teams have been practicing the past several days on refining their business ideas and working on their presentation skills. They are eager to showcase their talents, highlight their proposed businesses, and compete for the chance to earn a HOPE Business In A Box youth entrepreneurship grant, six weekly sessions with a Business Role Model, a savings account, and other resources to help launch their business.

Operation HOPE invites you to join us tomorrow as we cheer on these 29 teams one-by-one, because we all know that every single one of these students are already winners! We hope to see you bright and early tomorrow inside the school auditorium. Be sure to spread the word to everyone you know!

HOPE Business In A Box Youth Pilot Pitch Competition
Wednesday, January 16th
9:30am-11:30am
Jean Childs Young Middle School
3116 Benjamin E. Mays Drive SW, Atlanta, GA 30311
Cross street: Lynhurst Drive
(404) 802-5900
Competition held inside auditorium

Be sure to also check out our video and website for more details about HOPE Business In A Box.


John Hope Bryant is a thought leader, founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE, 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 the U.S., 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. Mr. Bryant serves on the board of directors of Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation, an NYSE Euronext publicly traded company, and a division of $54 billion Ares Capital.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad