John Hope Bryant

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. He served as vice-chair of President Bush's Council on Financial Literacy, the vice chair on the U.S. President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy and as the chairman of the Committee on the Underserved.

Early life Bryant was born on February 6, 1966, in Los Angeles, California, to Johnnie Will Smith He was born John Bryant Smith. Bryant was raised primarily in Compton, and in the South Central area of Los Angeles. He graduated from Santa Monica High School in 1984.

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.

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

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

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. Bryant was previously married to Sheila Jenine Kennedy-Bryant.

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. 2005: Crystal Heart Award from the University of Southern California School of Social Work for his work in community service. 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." 2010: Newsmax magazine named him for his work at Operation HOPE, as one of their 2010 Heroes. 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. 2016: Innovator of the Year by American Banker magazine Member, Phi Beta Sigma fraternity 2025: Honoree at Black Enterprise XCEL Summit for Men 2026: Forbes 250 Greatest Self-Made Americans, No. 145 Oprah Winfrey's Use Your Life Award TIME's 50 Leaders for the Future