John Hope Bryant

Poverty Factoid

There are more poor whites in America, than poor anyone else.

Operation HOPE Launches Arabic Version Financial Literacy Curriculum

I was honored to be in Morocco recently, speaking as the closing keynote for the annual meeting of the African Securities Exchange Association and before 22 CEOs for their respective country's stock exchanges, throughout the whole of Africa.  More than 400 delegates attended from countries beyond the African continent, and I was also thrilled to again spend some time with my friend and our HOPE Global Board of Advisors' Chairman, Mr. Sean Cleary, whom I lovingly refer to as the "South African James Bond."  Mr. Cleary, a legend in South Africa who helped to draft the South African Constitution, was also a featured speaker.  The conference was organized, hosted and held by my friend and fellow global advisory board member Karim Hajji, CEO of the Casablanca Stock Exchange.

The launch the Arabic contextualized version of our Banking on Our Future financial literacy curriculum, and a featured part of our Wikia-HOPE Global Money, Morocco Initiative, was no small feat. The actual work to get this done came through the staff of the CSE (for whom I and we are very thankful), but the importance of getting this done, and at this particular time and place in history cannot be understated.

John Hope Bryant Quote of the Day

"There is not a welfare mother in America that doesn't want her child to grow up to be intelligent, hard working, and even tax paying -- if for no other reason than to feel proud of them. But we cannot give what we do not have.

Out of love, and ignorance, we pass down bad habits from one generation to another.

It's what we don't know, that we don't know, that's killing us. But we think we know..."

John Hope Bryant


John Hope Bryant is founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE and bestselling author of LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass).

- Posted from my iPhone

Lovingly Frustrated with my African Family

I was really proud to travel last year as a guest of the Ugandan Financial Literacy Week organizing committee, and to speak on what I call the new civil rights issue for all people, and the spark for a new global silver rights movement -- or financial literacy, and financial dignity empowerment for all.  I saw so much promise, and very real opportunity, while there in the country.  I have said before, that if I didn't have a full agenda based in North America, I would spend most of my time in Africa -- helping her to develop herself, and moving on the incredible untapped potential and opportunity that lies almost everywhere you look. I could even live, in Africa.

That said, I was reflecting today on my visit to one African country, Uganda, and the frustration that gathered inside of me as my hosts recounted the fairly common tale of what is happening along the lines of small business and entrepreneurship in many African cities, and villages.  My host explained to me that even an hour or two outside of the capital city of Kampala, Uganda, where there are no paved roads and public services are spotty at best, you have Chinese businessmen and entrepreneurs, selling fruits and vegetables from karts and stores on corners in these small towns and villages.  Not only do I have no problem with my Chinese brothers and sisters doing this (selling in towns and townships in Africa), I commend them too. What a sense of enterprise.  

My frustration lies with my African brothers and sisters, and specifically, my Ugandan African family.  

John Hope Bryant Quote of the Day

"The Bible suggests, be hot or be cold, but if you are lukewarm I will spat you out. Translation: even God doesn't like mediocrity. Be passionate about something, anything, and if possible everything that you do."

John Hope Bryant, speaking at 16th Annual Caribbean Multi-National Business Conference, Jamaica


John Hope Bryant is founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE and bestselling author of LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass).

- Posted from my iPhone

Tyrese Kicked Out of Radio Station for Speaking Against Liquor Stores in Urban Communities

"Quincy Jones says, it takes 20 years to change a culture. In the last 20 years, we have made dumb sexy. In the next 20 years, we need to make smart sexy again." John Hope Bryant, speaking at launch of 5 MILLION KIDS, with 5MK Ambassador Tyrese Gibson.

Okay, my mentee, brother, friend and 5MK Ambassador Tyrese Gibson just improved his already positive image in my mind, heart and spirit (as well as that of the community), and radio station WJKS Kiss 101.7 just took a wrong moral and ethical turn, that will haunt its legacy for years to come. If I ever have anything to do with it, this radio station will never benefit from the economics I control, and those corporate CEO leaders that rely on me for counsel. Unless I hear from station ownership otherwise, what I have to say is this -- "invest in, and advertise on, anything but them." The station's actions seem to suggest that they are interested in getting paid, but not building wealth. Wealth is not about money, nor short-term gain.

Yes, WJKS Kiss 101.7 in Delaware has some explaining to do.

The station allegedly decided to remove the actor Tyrese from the building after he spoke on the air about the liquor stores in urban neighborhoods. Tyrese had appeared on the station to promote his new album, and then spoke about how liquor stores should not be near schools.

“Get them cats out of here,” he said to the DJ. ”Selling alcohol right across from your kids school, homie — put the pressure on them homie … you knowhow to put pressure on dudes selling in your hood.”

That’s the point when the station manager allegedly came to tell Tyrese to leave the building. His argument? Tyrese was “disrespecting” the Delaware community.

Tyrese responded to the incident on Twitter by saying: “I just kicked out of a radio station frm a [program director] who had a problem w/ me speaking on liquor stores that are by elementary schools in Delaware.”

He also said, “If you don’t STAND for something.. You will damn near fall for Anything.”

Read the complete story here.





John Hope Bryant is a thought leader, the founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Companies, Inc., author of Inc. Magazine/CEO READ bestselling business book 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.

Operation HOPE Attends 2011 Clinton Global Initiatives Meeting

I am honored to say that I was part of the founding class of Young Global Leaders (YGLs) for the World Economic Forum, and I was honored to be invited to attend the first and inaugural meeting of the Clinton Global Initiatives, now known around the world as CGI.

Inspired by President Clinton and his key aides Doug Band, Mary Morrison and others, CGI has now grown into a global powerhouse that literally clogs traffic with the best of them (think the UN) in one of the most powerful cities in the world -- New York City. And so goes the ritual; China for the World Economic Forum "Summer Davos" meeting, following by CGI, and dashing back and forth to the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) meeting in Washington, D.C. during the same week.

CGI is more than a meeting. Literally hundreds of billions of dollars, and countless goodwill, has been organized and re-mobilized to help solve a range of problems in the world; from poverty, to the environment, to health, good governance, to the future of philanthropy and overall leadership --- leaders have come together to make compelling and inspiring CGI commitments. Operation HOPE made a first year commitment to launch Operation HOPE, South Africa, and not only did we meet it, but we exceeded it. And more is to come -- with one or two important new CGI commitments this week. Stand by for more.

A special thank you to Mary Hagerty, our global chief of financial literacy, and Jena Roscoe, our chief of government relations and public policy, for staffing me and providing support for these meetings. Thank you to President Clinton's team, led by Bob Harrison, CEO of CGI, for organizing once again a first class annual meeting.



And it goes without saying -- a special thank you to my friend former U.S. President Bill Clinton, who was featured in my now bestselling business book for 2010 -- LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass). President Clinton IS making a difference in our world.

The best is yet to come.

John Hope Bryant is a thought leader, the founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Companies, Inc., author of Inc. Magazine/CEO READ bestselling business book 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.

John Hope Bryant on Wealth & Poverty Quote of the Day

"Riches is outside 'on,' while building wealth is a process of inside, out. When I was growing up, all my friends wanted to get rich, while I somehow knew that I wanted to be wealthy. The wealthy are often also rich, but the rich are seldom also wealthy." John Hope Bryant


John Hope Bryant is a thought leader, the founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Companies, Inc., author of Inc. Magazine/CEO READ bestselling business book 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.

John Hope Bryant "Eradicating Poverty" Quote of the Day

"I said I wanted to eradicate poverty as we know it in my lifetime, not to be poor myself. The best way to solve poverty is to start by not being poor yourself. Quoting my friend and mentor Quincy Jones, 'a pauper is a pitiful philanthropist.' Charity starts at home." John Hope Bryant


John Hope Bryant is a thought leader, the founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Companies, Inc., author of Inc. Magazine/CEO READ bestselling business book 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.

This Is Crazy: A Repost from Tyrese Gibson

Introducing (re-introducing) my mentee, friend and 5MK (5 MILLION KIDS) Ambassador Tyrese Gibson, who has something important to say, and I just wanted to share it with young people everywhere who are lost, and desperately looking for both direction and inspiration in their lives.

First, read Tyrese's post entited This Is Crazy, and then go out and get his book, HOW TO GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY.