Jump to content

John Hope Bryant

Edit links
Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Hope Bryant
Born (1966-02-06) February 6, 1966 (age 60)
Los Angeles, California
Alma materSanta Monica High School
OccupationsEntrepreneur, businessman
SpouseChaitra Dalton Bryant (2025) Sheila Jenine Kennedy-Bryant (2008)

John Hope Bryant (born February 6, 1966) is an American financial literacy entrepreneur and businessman. Bryant is the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of nonprofit Operation HOPE.[1] He served as vice-chair of President Bush's Council on Financial Literacy,[2] a member of President Obama's Advisory Council on Financial Capability,[3][4] the vice chair on the U.S. President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy[5] and as the chairman of the Committee on the Underserved.[6][7][8]

Early life

Bryant was born on February 6, 1966, in Los Angeles, California, to Johnnie Will Smith[9] and Juanita Smith,[9][10] He was born John Bryant Smith. Bryant was raised primarily in Compton, and in the South Central area of Los Angeles.[9]

At age 15 attended the Hollywood Professional School.[11] He graduated from Santa Monica High School in 1984.[9]

Career

Bryant has organized and led over 15 bankers bus tours since HOPE's inception in 1992, including the cities of Los Angeles, Maywood and Oakland, California, Anacostia, D.C. and Atlanta, Georgia, with the purpose of encouraging financial investment in low-to-mod communities.[12][13][14]

On June 13, 2004, U.S. President George W. Bush appointed Bryant to a four-year term on the non-partisan U.S. Community Development Advisory Board for the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund), at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.[15]

On January 22, 2008, Bryant was appointed vice-chairman of the president's Council on Financial Literacy by U.S. President George W. Bush.[2] He continued this work under President Barack Obama as part of the U.S. President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability (PACFC).[16]

In September 2008, he was selected to be a member of the Global Agenda Council for the World Economic Forum in Geneva.[17]

On January 29, 2010, he became a part of President Barack Obama's Advisory Council on Financial Capability.

Personal

Bryant is married to Chaitra Dalton Bryant,.[18] Bryant was previously married to Sheila Jenine Kennedy-Bryant.[9]

Honors and awards

  • 1994: 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.[19]
  • 2005: Crystal Heart Award from the University of Southern California School of Social Work for his work in community service.[20]
  • 2010: Latvian President Valdis Zatlers received Bryant on behalf of the Republic of Latvia as the second speaker for the Latvia Presidential Speaker Series at Latvia University, on the topic of "The Economic Reset, Love Leadership in a fear-based world, and financial literacy as a new civil right."[21]
  • 2010: Newsmax magazine named him for his work at Operation HOPE, as one of their 2010 Heroes.[22]
  • 2011: Operation HOPE and Bryant received the Marcus Garvey Bridge Builder in the Diaspora Award during the 16th Annual Caribbean Multi-National Business Conference in Jamaica.[23]
  • 2016: Innovator of the Year by American Banker magazine[24]
  • Member, Phi Beta Sigma fraternity[25]
  • 2025: Honoree at Black Enterprise XCEL Summit for Men[26]
  • 2026: Forbes 250 Greatest Self-Made Americans, No. 145[27]
  • Oprah Winfrey's Use Your Life Award[28]
  • TIME's 50 Leaders for the Future[29]

Bibliography

  • Capitalism for All: Inclusive Economics and the Future-Proofing of America,[30] Bryant, John Hope, Wiley (publisher), 2026, ISBN 978-1-394-40910-5
  • Financial Literacy for All: Disrupting Struggle, Advancing Financial Freedom, and Building a New American Middle Class,[31] Bryant, John Hope, Wiley (publisher), 2024, ISBN 978-1-394-20902-6
  • Five Rules for Your Economic Liberation, Bryant, John Hope Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2017, ISBN 978-1-523-08456-2
  • How the Poor Can Save Capitalism Bryant, John Hope Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2014, ISBN 978-1-626-56032-1
  • Love Leadership:The New Way To Lead In A Fear-Based World Bryant, John Hope Jossey-Bass, 2009, ISBN 0-470-42878-3, ISBN 978-0-470-42878-8
  • Actions Speak Loudest: Keeping Our Promise For A Better World [32] McKinnon, Robert, Williams, Juan The Lyon Press, 2009, ISBN 978-1-59921-486-3, ISBN 1-59921-486-5
  • Banking on our Future: a Program for Teaching You and your Kids about Money[33] by Bryant, Beacon Press, 2002, ISBN 978-0-8070-4717-0
  • Fixing the Jericho Road: The Silver Rights Movement and the Good Samaritan [34]
  • Silver Rights Movement in Africa[35]
  • The Ownership Society[36]
  • Racism and the Silver Rights Movement[37]
  • Banking on Our Future: The Promise for America's Unbanked [38]
  • The Silver Rights Movement[39]

Further reading

  • "The New Color of Success: Twenty Young Black Millionaires Tell You How They're Making It", by Niki Butler Mitchell, Prima Lifestyles (December 15, 1999), ISBN 978-0-7615-2065-8
  • Face Forward: Young African American Men in a Critical Age, by Julian C.R. Okwu, Chronicle Books (March 1, 1997), ISBN 978-0-8118-1631-1

References

  1. ^ "Operation HOPE - Accelerating Financial Opportunity for All". Operation HOPE. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  2. ^ a b "President Bush creates financial literacy advisory council | Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis". www.minneapolisfed.org. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  3. ^ Michael Barr (October 15, 2010). "President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved December 30, 2010 – via National Archives.
  4. ^ www.whitehouse.gov
  5. ^ U.S. President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy Archived December 30, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Kramer, Katie. "From poverty to prosperity: How to bring back the US middle class". cnbc. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  7. ^ Kadlec, Dan. "How We Can Fix the Economy and Save Capitalism". time. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  8. ^ "John Hope Bryant Says Middle-Class Folks Don't Riot, Poverty Incites Social Unrest". newsone. May 20, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  9. ^ a b c d e The History Makers (December 3, 2008). John Hope Bryant.
  10. ^ Ideas (September 12, 2023). A Statement from John Hope Bryant on the Passing of His Mother, Ms. Juanita Smith. John Hope Bryant.com
  11. ^ John Hope Bryant (2010). Love Leadership: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World. Wiley. pp. 26–27.
  12. ^ "Speech by SEC Commissioner: Remarks at the Operation Hope 15th Anniversary Bankers Bus Tour". SEC. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  13. ^ "Bryant Blog". John Hope Bryant Blog. John Hope Bryant. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  14. ^ "WDCEP". WDCEP. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  15. ^ "U.S. Community development Advisory Board". Cdfifund.gov. Archived from the original on January 8, 2011. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  16. ^ "The President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability". The White House. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  17. ^ Global Agenda Council Archived February 3, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ Deas, Louis (May 24, 2024). Chairman John Hope Bryant, and Wife, Chaitra Dalton Bryant, Attend White House State Dinner. Operation Hope.
  19. ^ "50 Leaders for America's Future Dec. 5, 1994". Time. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  20. ^ "Heartfelt Tribute Honors Community, Academic Leaders". sowkweb. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  21. ^ "John Bryant, American Philanthropist and Businessman, to Speak at President's Lecture Series". Latvijaj Universitate. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  22. ^ "Business Book Authors". actionablebooks. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  23. ^ "Martin Luther King Jr said inspired by Jamaica". jamaicaobserver. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  24. ^ "Innovator of the Year: Operation Hope's John Hope Bryant". American Banker. December 2, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  25. ^ "Dr. Yusef Salaam, Member Of Exonerated Five, To Make State Senate Run". iheart.com. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  26. ^ Edwards, Kandiss (October 1, 2025). "Men Who XCEL: John Hope Bryant To Be Honored At The 2025 'XCEL Summit For Men'". Black Enterprise. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
  27. ^ Knapp, Alex. "Forbes Self-Made 250: The Greatest Living Self-Made Americans". Forbes. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
  28. ^ " This Week's Use Your Life Award". Oprah.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
  29. ^ "John Hope Bryant Biography | Santander International Banking Conference". www.santander.com. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
  30. ^ Bryant, John (2026). Financial Literacy for All: Disrupting Struggle, Advancing Financial Freedom, and Building a New American Middle Class. Wiley, 2026. ISBN 978-1-394-40910-5.
  31. ^ Bryant, John (2024). Financial Literacy for All: Disrupting Struggle, Advancing Financial Freedom, and Building a New American Middle Class. Wiley, 2024. ISBN 978-1-394-20902-6.
  32. ^ "Keeping Our Promise For A Better World". Actions Speak Loudest. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  33. ^ Bryant, John (2002). Banking on Our Future: A Program for Teaching You and Your Kids about Money. Beacon Press, 2002. ISBN 9780807047170.
  34. ^ "Fixing the Jericho Road". Huffingtonpost. March 18, 2010. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  35. ^ Johnson, Marquis. "John Hope Bryant: The Man Fighting for Our 'Silver Rights'". empowermagazine. Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  36. ^ "The Ownership Society". Johnhopebryant.com. February 23, 2006. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  37. ^ "From the Lecturer: Bringing Silver Rights to the Underserved". chqdaily. July 2, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
  38. ^ "Banking on Our Future: The Promise for America's Unbanked". Johnhopebryant.com. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  39. ^ "John Hope Bryant on silver rights movement". Global Envision. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Hope_Bryant&oldid=1360543466"