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John Hope Bryant, a visionary entrepreneur and global authority on financial literacy and economic empowerment, has dedicated his career to transforming economic systems for underserved communities.
Named to the prestigious Forbes BLK50 List in December 2024 and TIME Magazine’s inaugural The Closers List for his work to close the racial wealth gap, Bryant’s mission is to ensure inclusive growth, particularly in the burgeoning AI-driven future.
Bryant’s entrepreneurial journey began at age 10 in Compton, California, sparked by a banker’s visit to his elementary school. Inspired to “get rich legally” by making loans to entrepreneurs, he embarked on a lifelong path in business, building more than 40 organizations and companies with a foundational belief that “persistence and resilience are more powerful than pedigree and raw intelligence.”
He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Operation HOPE, Inc., recognized as the nation’s largest on-the-ground financial literacy and economic empowerment nonprofit. Under his leadership, Operation HOPE has directed over $4.2 billion in capital into marginalized communities, establishing hundreds of financial empowerment centers nationwide. Beyond Operation HOPE, Bryant founded John Hope Bryant Holdings, Bryant Group Ventures, and Bryant Group Advisors. He successfully recapitalized The Promise Homes Company in 2021 with a $200 million credit facility, marking one of the largest capital raises by a Black-owned company in over a decade.
As a best-selling author, Bryant is one of the few Black thought leaders globally writing on economics and business leadership, with six books to his name, including “Financial Literacy for All” (2024). He serves as a CNBC contributor, hosts the iHeart Radio podcast “Money & Wealth with John Hope Bryant,” and is a member of both the CNBC Global Financial Wellness Council and the CNBC CEO Council. Referred to as the “Conscience of Capitalism” by Fortune 500 CEOs, Bryant’s advocacy was instrumental in making financial literacy official U.S. federal policy under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
He also successfully led efforts to rename the U.S. Treasury Annex as the Freedman’s Bank Building, honoring Abraham Lincoln’s unfinished economic work for formerly enslaved people.
Recognizing that AI will define the future economy, Bryant pioneered national efforts to bridge the AI opportunity gap for Black and Brown communities. In December 2024, he unveiled the AI Literacy Pipeline to Prosperity Project (AILP³) at the HOPE Global Forum, tied to the AI Ethics Council that he co-founded with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. AILP³ aims to equip underserved communities with AI literacy, workforce training, and digital skills, emphasizing that financial and technological literacy must go hand in hand.
Bryant asserts that closing the AI knowledge gap is the new civil rights movement, believing those who master AI will control future jobs, businesses, and economies.
In 2024, Bryant authored “The Business Plan for America,” a blueprint for inclusive economic growth, and launched the American Aspiration Tour to promote financial literacy nationwide. He also initiated the Corporate Inclusion Initiative, working to place qualified minority candidates on corporate boards to ensure corporate America reflects the nation’s diversity at the highest levels.
His commitment extends to practical community support, as evidenced by a July 24, 2025, announcement of a new financial wellness initiative for Atlanta’s firefighters, providing free financial coaching and incentives in partnership with the Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation.
Born Feb. 6, 1966, in Los Angeles, California, Bryant now resides in Atlanta with his wife, Chaitra Dalton Bryant. His extensive impact has been recognized with numerous accolades, including Oprah Winfrey’s “Use Your Life” Award, American Banker’s “Innovator of the Year,” and inclusion in TIME’s 50 Leaders for the Future.
A LinkedIn Influencer with over 3 million social media followers, his “Straight Talk with John Hope Bryant” series has garnered over 300 million views across digital platforms.
Bryant’s life mission, supported by long-time mentor and friend Andrew Young, who serves as Global Spokesman for Operation HOPE, is to help America live up to its promise—one financially and technologically empowered person at a time.
