John Hope Bryant

John Hope Bryant is an entrepreneur, author, advisor, and one of the nation’s most recognized empowerment leaders. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Companies, and, as the author of Love Leadership: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey– Bass, 2009), is the only African-American best-selling business author in America. Mr. Bryant serves for President Barack Obama as chairman of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability, Subcommittee on the Underserved and Community Empowerment.

Mr. Bryant is the cofounder of the Gallup– HOPE Index, the only national research poll on youth financial dignity and youth economic energy in the United States. He also is a cofounder of Global Dignity, with Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Professor Pekka Himanen of Finland. Global Dignity is affiliated with the Forum of Young Global Leaders and the World Economic Forum.

Mr. Bryant is a thought leader represented by the Bright- Sight Group for public speaking and serves on the board of directors of Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation (NYSE: ACRE), a specialty finance company managed by an affiliate of Ares Management LLC, a global alternative asset manager with approximately $59 billion in committed capital under management as of December 31, 2012.