John Hope Bryant

Source: http://johnhopebryant.typepad.com/john_hope_bryant_/

I've had the opportunity to share the stage with John at one conference and listen to him at another. He is truly incredible individual and speaker. He has achieved massive success in for-profit arena and is now dedicating his life to poverty eradication. He has a blog, which I would highly recommend.

Below is his bio and credentials:

A national community leader cited by the past four sitting U.S. presidents for his work to empower low-wealth communities across America and author of BANKING ON OUR FUTURE, a book on youth and family financial literacy by Beacon Press, John Bryant is a noted business builder, corporate-to-community bridge builder, social entrepreneur, Presidential appointee and advisor to governments, and one of the most authoritative and compelling advocates for poverty eradication in America today. John Bryant has a powerful and clear vision for the eradication of poverty in the 21st Century, which he calls "The Silver Rights Movement". To the producer of the NBC Weekend Today Show, John Bryant is ?a revolutionary of our times,? and to U.S. President George W. Bush, John Bryant is ?a social entrepreneur.?

Three times during the 20th Century TIME Magazine has compiled a list of America?s future leadership. On December 5th, 1994, John Bryant was 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.
On October 18th, 2004, the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, nominated John Bryant as one of 237 young leaders selected from around the world to serve as a member of the new Forum of Young Global Leaders. Chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan, the Forum of Young Global Leaders is comprised of ?a community of extraordinary leaders who are 40 years old or younger, clearly exceptional on a global level, and (those who) will have a visible opportunity to have significant impact on world affairs.?

On June 13th, 2004, John Bryant became a Presidential appointee when U.S. President George W. Bush appointed him to a 4-year term on the non-partisan U.S. Community Development Advisory Board for the CDFI Fund at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and on May 8th, 2004, John Bryant received an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Human Letters from Paul Quinn College in Dallas, Texas, for his work around education and poverty eradication.

Always the activist bridge-builder, on June 5th, 2003, John Bryant brought U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan into an inner-city Washington, D.C. area classroom, as they teamed up to co-teach a Banking on Our Future financial literacy course, bringing needed attention to the growing national importance around financial literacy education in this country, as well as other countries around the world.

Once again, on April 24th, 2002, John Bryant joined former U.S. President William Jefferson Clinton in a Harlem, New York area classroom as they teamed up to co-teach a Banking on Our Future financial literacy course, while simultaneously announcing a partnership between Operation HOPE and the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Foundation ?to educate every child in Harlem in financial literacy over 5-years.? That same week, on April 29th, 2002, John Bryant brought current U.S. President George W. Bush into South Los Angeles, hosting America?s elected leader amongst a diverse gathering of respected community leaders, in commemoration of the rebuilding of community on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the worst urban civil unrest in U.S. history.
John Bryant has received more than 400 awards and citations for his work to educate, inspire and empower low-wealth communities nationwide. Awards include a special honor from Oprah Winfrey on May 7th, 2001, where he was selected by Ms. Winfrey and her Oprah?s Angel Network Foundation to receive the Use Your Life Award on the Oprah Winfrey Show, being named a ?Community Hero? by People Magazine on April 29th, 2002, as it marked the 10th anniversary of the worst urban civil unrest in U.S. history, and being named ?One of America?s 25 Most Generous Young Americans? by WORTH Magazine on December, 2002.

At the age of 38, John Bryant is today the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Operation HOPE, America?s first non-profit social investment banking organization and a leading national self-help provider of economic empowerment tools and services for the under-served and the wealthless. Since its founding in 1992, John Bryant has raised more than $30 million in grant funding for his effort and more than $200 million in lending commitments for low-wealth homeownership and small business creation. As chairman and chief executive officer of Operation HOPE John Bryant works in active partnership with more than 250 banks, insurance companies, credit unions and corporations, along with government and community leaders, and directs the activities of nine non-profit Operation HOPE initiatives operating in nine states, 15 cities and the District of Columbia.

In his role as a private sector businessman John Bryant runs Bryant Group of Companies, and has served on several corporate boards, including the corporate board of directors for 3-Day Blinds, Inc. and Southern Pacific Bank. John Bryant currently serves on the community board for Wells Fargo & Co., the Telecommunications Consumer Advisory Panel for SBC Communications, the advisory board for First American Corporation and the Board of Governors for the Kravis Leadership Institute at Claremont McKenna College.

In the community John Bryant serves on the board of trustees for First A.M.E. Church, the oldest Black church in Los Angeles, California, the national board for the Black Leadership Forum, the board of governors for the City Club on Bunker Hill, the board of directors of the Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games, the national honorary board for the Underground Railroad Freedom Center, the advisory board for the FAME Renaissance Program, the Center for Community Partnership at UCLA, and the John & Sheila Kennedy-Bryant Family Foundation.

John Bryant has served as goodwill ambassador to the U.S. for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva, Switzerland, and on May 4, 1998, became the first African-American in history to be knighted by German nobility and the royal House of Lippe.

John Bryant was born on February 6th, 1966, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, California, and resides in Los Angeles with his wife Mrs. Sheila Jenine Kennedy-Bryant.

Chronological Bryant Career Highlight

2004

On October 18th, 2004, the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, nominated John Bryant as one of 237 young leaders selected from around the world to serve as a member of the new Forum of Young Global Leaders. The Forum of Young Global Leaders is chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan.

On September 27th, 2004, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Citizen Corps publicly announced their endorsement and co-branding of the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit, or EFFAK, created and pioneered by John Bryant and Operation HOPE.

On September 27th, 2004, John Bryant received the President?s Volunteer Service Award for Lifetime Achievement, in recognition of his charitable activities, and his contribution of more than 4,000 hours towards public service. This is the highest award possible for lifetime public service by the President.

On June 13th, 2004, John Bryant was appointed by U. S. President George W. Bush to a 4-year term on the U.S. Community Development Advisory Board of the CDFI Fund at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

On June 1st, 2004, John Bryant served as a featured speaker on behalf of Operation HOPE, Inc. for the first ever national conference of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community-Based Initiatives, on two separate panels, namely ?Community Development Successful Partnerships? and the ?Foundations and Corporations Forum.?

On May 8th, 2004, John Bryant gave the commencement speech before the 132nd graduating class of Paul Quinn College of Dallas, Texas, where John Bryant was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Human Letters.

2003

In July, 2003, edition of Black Enterprise Magazine, John Bryant featured as one of nine leaders for the African-American community for the 21st Century.

In June, 2003, John Bryant was selected to testify before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services in the first ever hearings on financial literacy and the un-banked.

On June 5th, 2003, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, Operation HOPE Chairman John Bryant and President J. Alfred Broaddus of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, co-taught a Banking on Our Future financial literacy session at John Philip Sousa Middle School in South East Washington, D.C., highlighting the national importance of financial literacy in our economy and amongst the nation?s youth.

April-May, 2003, John Bryant conducted a national tour featuring Banking on Our Future program co-teaching sessions with presidents of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Chicago, St. Louis,. Richmond, Dallas and Cleveland respectively, as well as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve System Chairman Alan Greenspan.
In January, 2003, John Bryant was selected by L.A. Focus Magazine as one of the 30 Most Influential Blacks in Los Angeles

2002

On October 15th, 2002, John Bryant served as a participant in the White House Conference on Minority Homeownership.

In June, 2002, John Bryant was selected by Savoy Magazine as part of their cover story on the Power 100, as one of three national community leaders to watch.

On May 7th, 2003, John Bryant was selected by Oprah Winfrey and the Oprah?s Angel Foundation to receive the Use Your Life Award, along with a $100,000 gift, donated to the work of Operation HOPE in Chicago, on the Oprah Winfrey Show.

On April 29th, 2002, John Bryant hosted U.S. President George W. Bush, Jr. in South Central Los Angeles as his guest, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the worst urban civil unrest in U.S. history.

On April 25th, 2002, John Bryant announced a partnership between Operation HOPE and former U.S. President William Jefferson Clinton to educate every child in Harlem, New York in economic literacy.

On April 18th, 2002, John Bryant signed a memorandum of agreement with the FDIC on behalf of Operation HOPE, creating a partnership to educate the whole family in economic literacy.

2001

On July 23rd, 2001, John Bryant was assigned a special consultancy with UNCTAD, Geneva, Switzerland, to help develop a unique and vital global micro-finance marketplace.

On June 20th, 2001, John Bryant was selected by the Bush Administration to serve as a panel participant for the U.S. Labor Department -- 21st Century Workforce Summit, held in Washington, DC.

On May 18th, 2001, John Bryant was selected by the United Nations to serve as a delegate, speaker and co-leader of an official State of California delegation to the UNCTAD III Global Conference on Least Developed Countries, held in Brussels, Belgium.

2000

On June 29, 2000, John Bryant was selected to participate as a forum chairman for the White House Community Empowerment Conference held in Columbus, Ohio.

On April 5, 2000, John Bryant was amongst a select group of leaders from the fields of business, technology, education and the non-profit arena asked to join President Clinton at the White House Conference on the New Economy.

1999

In October, 1999, John Bryant was selected by the Los Angeles Times as one the Top 103 Most Influential People (in Los Angeles).

On June 21, 1999, John Bryant served as a panel participant with then U.S. Vice President Al Gore on the occasion of Family Reunion 8: Family and Community (Policy) Conference, in Nashville, Tennessee.

In June, 1999, John Bryant was appointed a consultant and special advisor to UNCTAD, Geneva, Switzerland.

In May of 1999, at the invitation of the Clinton Administration, John Bryant served as a delegate on the U.S. Presidential Mission to the V African-African American Summit in Accra, Ghana, as well as a Summit speaker.

1998

In 1998, John Bryant participated as a delegate, speaker, and a key member of the planning group for the UNCTAD Partners for Development Summit; Tri-Partite Meeting on Micro-finance, as hosted by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and held November 9-10, 1998, Lyon, France.

In May, 1998, John Bryant was appointed the first ever United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Goodwill Ambassador for Partners for Development to the United States of America.

1997

In 1997, John Bryant participated as a delegate and panel participant in the IV African-African American Summit, focused on economics, health and education, and founded by Dr. Leon H. Sullivan, in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Harare, Zimbabwe.

In May, 1997, John Bryant was selected by Town & Country Magazine as one of the 25 individuals in the country that represented ?The New Breed of Philanthropic Leaders? in America.

1996

On March 18, 1996, John Bryant was selected by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one their 40 Under Forty.

In January, 1996, John Bryant was selected by Swing Magazine as One of the 30 Most Powerful Twentysomethings in America.

1995

In August, 1995, John Bryant co-founded and subsequently served as the first president of The New Leaders organization, a group comprised principally of African-American professionals in Los Angeles, inspired by the life and legacy of former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley to ?do something? for their community.

In August, 1995, John Bryant was selected by Black Enterprise Magazine as One of 25 Future Leaders to Watch.

In June of 1995, United States President Bill Clinton invited John Bryant to be a panel participant in the White House Pacific Rim Economic Conference, held in Portland, Oregon.

1994

John Bryant participated in the 19th Japanese External Trade Organization, Export to Japan Program, as a guest of the Japanese Government.