I was honored to join the CNBC SquawkBox team on November 14th, 2025, along my friend Joseph Otting, Executive Chairman & CEO of 100B+ asset Flagstar Bank, to announce our first new investment together. 

Flagstar Bank and Truist Bank are both lead investors in the first round of the first CIM-BGV Affordable Housing Impact Fund.  City National Bank is also amongst the first group of prominent banks which have made CRA bank investments in Fund I.  What we shared on air on CNBC is part of a larger, also just announced major commercial partnership called CIM-BGV Impact Ventures. The first phase of our work is outlined below. It’s time to build. 

30B+ asset CIM Group, a leading real estate and infrastructure owner, operator, lender and developer, and Bryant Group Ventures (BGV), founded by influential leader and entrepreneur John Hope Bryant, announced today the launch of CIM-BGV Impact Ventures, an impact-driven partnership to address the immense need for affordable housing and to deliver community and economic value to underserved markets throughout the United States.

The partnership’s CIM-BGV Affordable Housing Impact Fund (AHIF) completed its first closing on October 17, 2025, securing over $250 million in total investment capacity through fund equity and access to loan capacity. This strong start positions the fund to achieve its target within one year, which will enable approximately $1 billion of total capacity for affordable housing investments. Anchor investors include Flagstar Bank and Truist Bank, with additional equity support from City National Bank and other leading financial institutions, signaling strong institutional support for this impact-driven platform.

The AHIF has a deep pipeline of opportunities and expects to commence closing transactions in initial key markets of Southern California, Georgia, the Washington D.C. Metro, New York Metro and Florida within the next few months.

CIM-BGV Impact Ventures combines CIM’s vertically integrated expertise in real estate, credit, and infrastructure investment and operations with Mr. Bryant’s strong track record of business and investment expertise, with a strategic focus on inclusive economic growth and financial empowerment. Over the last 30 years, organizations that Mr. Bryant leads have helped guide more than $4 billion in capital to underserved individuals and communities.

Specifically, the partnership will invest in opportunities that create and preserve affordable multifamily housing in markets across the U.S. primarily through the acquisition of existing properties as well as ground-up development. It plans to deploy capital in markets where CIM and BGV have an existing presence and also where affordability has declined.

The partnership is focused on providing access to programs that support financial literacy education and promote long-term financial security and well-being. It also looks forward to contracting with local vendors for property-related services.

With a focus on affordable housing creation and preservation and community impact initiatives, CIM-BGV Impact Ventures is also designed to offer Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) credit opportunities for U.S. financial institutions.

The initial closing of CIM-BGV Ventures AHIF has drawn strong support from leading financial institutions, whose commitments reflect a shared belief in the power of impact-driven investment to address the affordable housing crisis.

“We’re committed to expanding access to affordable housing and economic opportunities in the communities we serve,” said Kathy Farrell, Head of Truist Asset Finance. “We’re proud to support partners who share our purpose to drive lasting change through investments that empower individuals and strengthen neighborhoods.”

“Too many families across the country are struggling to find stable, affordable housing. We see CRA investments as part of a broader solution, helping communities expand access to housing, stability, and opportunity,” said Joseph Otting, Chairman, President & CEO, Flagstar Bank. “Our investment in the CIM-BGV Affordable Housing Impact Fund is one way we’re working to break down these barriers, supporting a fund guided by a dedicated Community Impact Committee and focused on measurable impact and inclusive economic growth. Earlier this year, we convened nonprofit and community leaders across housing, small business, and underserved communities to help reimagine our CRA engagement—this investment is a direct reflection of that shared vision in action.”

“City National Bank is proud to support the CIM-BGV Affordable Housing Impact Fund as part of our expanded commitment to help address local community needs through innovative partnerships. We view this fund as a strategic opportunity to advance housing stability and promote financial mobility for low-to-moderate income individuals and families, consistent with our focus on driving meaningful impact in the communities we serve,” said Adey Tesfaye, Head of Community Reinvestment, City National Bank.

For more information, visit www.cimbgvimpactventures.com.

About CIM Group

CIM is a community-focused real estate and infrastructure owner, operator, lender and developer. Since 1994, CIM has sought to create value in projects and positively impact the lives of people in communities across the Americas by delivering more than $60 billion of essential real estate and infrastructure projects. CIM’s diverse team of experts applies its broad knowledge and disciplined approach through hands-on management of real assets from due diligence to operations through disposition. CIM strives to make a meaningful difference in the world by executing key environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives and enhancing each community in which it invests. For more information, visit www.cimgroup.com.

About Bryant Group Ventures

Bryant Group Ventures (BGV) is the primary business leadership and engagement platform tied to John Hope Bryant Enterprises (JHBE), which is a family of companies, organizations, and associated enterprises founded by entrepreneur and philanthropist John Hope Bryant. As the strategic umbrella for several mission-driven organizations—including Operation HOPE, Bryant Group Advisors, and BG Digital Media, which platforms his highly successful podcast with iHeart Media, his best-selling book series, and Straight Talk Live Video Series with more than 900 million views since 2023, BGV blends purpose with performance to create lasting social and economic change. Through public-private partnerships, thought leadership, and scalable ventures, JHBE and Bryant Group Ventures champion what Bryant calls the “silver rights movement”—the next chapter in the fight for opportunity, ownership, and dignity. Bryant’s associated ventures are responsible for more than $4B in deployed capital in underserved communities nationwide.

The post 30B+ Asset CIM Group and Bryant Group Ventures Launch Joint Venture, Announce First Fund appeared first on John Hope Bryant Blog.

This week’s episode of Money & Wealth was and is especially important – for two reasons.  One, Joe Baratta is a new friend of mine and a very, very good man, by my estimations.  And secondly, because he happens to run the largest single private equity platform in the world, with more than $1.2 trillion in assets under management, and this fact alone — matters to us all.  

Blackstone is widely regarded as the largest private equity firm in the world based on certain industry rankings, particularly the PEI 300 list that measures private equity firms by the amount of private-equity capital raised. In that ranking, Blackstone holds the #1 spot globally. 

Blackstone as a whole is the world’s largest alternative investment firm with over $1.2 trillion in assets under management, including private equity, real estate, credit, hedge funds, and other strategies.  Most people simple do not understand what ‘private equity’ is, yet alone what it means and how it operates in the world.  How it effects individuals, communities, cities and a country.  what it means to business and the free enterprise system. 

In this episode I sit down with my friend Joe Baratta.  Joe is the Global Head of Private Equity at Blackstone, the world’s largest alternative asset manager. Baratta shares his remarkable journey from a modest upbringing in Sacramento to leading one of the most powerful private equity platforms in the world. Together we explore the real meaning of access, aspiration, relationship capital, and to quote our friend Michael Milken, ‘why talent and intelligence is universal, but opportunity is not.’

Additionally, as you listen from beginning to end, you will get the very real sense that Joe Baratta is a real person, who cares deeply about communities, and people.  As successful as he is, he is still ‘one of us.’  This was the most inspiring part of our session together. 

This episode is both a masterclass in economic empowerment and a reminder that the American Dream still exists, especially when leaders choose to widen the table and share the climb. 

Tell your friends about it, and listen intently yourself.  Here is a link to the full episode. All things are possible.  

John Hope Bryant

The post Money & Wealth Podcast Features the Leader of the Largest Private Equity Platform in the World – Joe Baratta appeared first on John Hope Bryant Blog.

ATLANTA—November 19, 2025 – Operation HOPE is proud to announce that its Founder, Chairman and CEO John Hope Bryant has been named one of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Leaders in Business in 2025. The annual designation recognizes 25 influential leaders across business, education, public service and healthcare who exemplify the leadership qualities Americans value most. Mr. Bryant joins a distinguished group of honorees this year including notable changemakers such as Mark Cuban, Dolly Parton, Sal Khan, Jose Andres, Michael J. Fox, and MacKenzie Scott, among others.

“I am deeply honored to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report alongside so many extraordinary leaders,” said Mr. Bryant. “This distinction affirms the values that guide our work at Operation HOPE – empathy, generosity and belief in the potential of every individual. Our team is committed to expanding financial opportunity, building financial resilience, and helping underserved communities take control of their economic future,” said Mr. Bryant.

Mr. Bryant was selected as a Best Leader based on leadership traits identified in a nationally representative survey conducted by The Harris Poll, including empathy, generosity, and humility. After survey findings were published, visitors to the U.S. News website were invited to nominate leaders they believed embodied those qualities. A panel of expert judges representing diverse industries evaluated submissions and selected 25 honorees.

2025 Best Leaders in Business are:

• Dario Amodei, Ph.D., CEO and Co-Founder, Anthropic
• John Hope Bryant, Entrepreneur; Founder, Chairman and CEO, Operation HOPE
• Mark Cuban, Co-Founder, Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company; Entrepreneur; Star of NBC’s “Shark Tank”
• Judy Faulkner, Founder and CEO, Epic Systems
• Alison Moore, CEO, Chief
• Ron Vachris, President, CEO and Director, Costco Wholesale Corp.

A full list of this year’s honorees can be found here.

Mr. Bryant was recognized alongside fellow recipients on November 18 at a reception in Washington D.C.

About Operation HOPE, Inc.

Since 1992, Operation HOPE has empowered more than 4 million individuals with financial literacy, credit and money management coaching, home ownership, and small business support—advancing “silver rights” to help low- and moderate-income Americans achieve economic dignity. Through its award-winning HOPE Inside model, the organization has helped generate over $4.2 billion in economic activity. We operate in nearly 300 cities serving 1,500 locations throughout the United States. Learn more at OperationHOPE.org.

Contact

Operation HOPE Contact:

Sarah Troutt, Mendel Communications

sarah@mendelcommunications.com

The post Operation HOPE Founder, Chairman and CEO John Hope Bryant Recognized as One of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Leaders in 2025 appeared first on John Hope Bryant Blog.

Realtists have been part of such a movement for generations.

For 65 years, the Empire Board, part of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), the oldest Black real estate trade organization in America, has stood on the front lines of what they call “democracy in housing.” Long before it was popular, and long before policymakers caught up, Realtists were fighting to make homeownership possible for families who were told, directly or indirectly, that the American Dream wasn’t meant for them.

What struck me was just how deep and wide this work is, and it’s a constant reminder of why this work matters. 

Homeownership is still the first rung of the economic ladder.

For many families, the first real asset they ever hold is a mortgage. That one decision, to own instead of rent, often determines whether a family merely survives… or begins to build wealth that can be passed down. You have to understand that for most, a home is more than just a home. It becomes, in a very real sense, stability. Or dignity. Or a seed for a better future for a family born or yet to be born.

But that’s only possible if people have access, information, and fairness.

That’s where Realtists come in, and for more than 30 years, that’s where Operation HOPE comes in. And that’s where our missions intersect.

Financial literacy is the gateway to economic mobility.

I’ve said it many times: In America, the color that matters most isn’t Black or white. It’s green.

But you can’t get to green if no one teaches you how money or credit works, or how to think through and navigate the most complicated purchase of your life.

Realtists don’t just sell homes; they translate and demystify systems. They advocate and bring families into rooms where, historically, their names were never called.

In that way, they are cousins to our work at Operation HOPE. We’re all trying to close the same gap: the gap between what people dream and what they can access.

A standing ovation is nice. A standing commitment is better.

As the room rose in applause, I didn’t see it as a celebration of me. I saw it as validation of a shared blueprint:

• Pair financial coaching with fair housing.

• Pair aspiration with access.

• Pair dignity with opportunity.

• Turn keys into catalysts for hope.

The American Dream was never meant to be the exclusive property of anyone. It was intended to be public domain.

The work continues. And we must continue together.

Suppose we want a stronger America, one where families thrive, communities stabilize, and wealth is built instead of wished for. In that case, we must double down on the basics of financial literacy, fair housing, and an unwavering belief that everyone deserves a chance to rise.

So to the EMPIRE Realtists and the entire NAREB family: thank you for the honor. But more importantly, thank you for the work. Thank you for making sure that “democracy in housing” isn’t just a slogan, but a standard.

We have more to build, more historical inequities to address, and more opportunities to unlock for millions of Americans. And we’re just getting started. So join us. 

Visit www.operationhope.org to join us in our campaign to transform America through financial literacy and opportunity.

The post Why Homeownership Still Matters: Reflections from the EMPIRE Realtists 65th Anniversary appeared first on John Hope Bryant Blog.

PNEx has always been about connection, but this year’s theme, Building Intergenerational Networks, hit at the heart of something deeper: wealth that outlives us, and gives freedom, not just income.

Financial Literacy Is Infrastructure

For years, I’ve been saying that financial literacy isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a must have. It’s our foundation and our core infrastructure.  

Just as roads, broadband, and clean water determine whether communities grow or get left behind, so does financial literacy. You cannot participate in an AI-driven economy if you don’t understand money, credit, capital, or ownership. You cannot build generational wealth if your financial life feels like chaos or guesswork.

This is why Operation HOPE has spent decades embedding financial empowerment into the places where people already live, work, worship, and learn.

And why we’ve helped move more than $4.2 billion in capital into neighborhoods the economy has historically ignored.

Networks Are the New Superpower

Black entrepreneurs don’t need more inspiration. They need information, access, relationships, capital, and a network strong enough to support real growth. Places like PNEx and HOPE Global Forums create that environment and help facilitate community. 

This is how we keep wealth moving through our own communities for longer than a single paycheck.

The post Why Black Wealth Requires More Than Inspiration appeared first on John Hope Bryant Blog.

The ongoing federal government shutdown has become a financial crisis for millions of families living paycheck to paycheck. Many are missing paydays, seeing critical programs like SNAP delayed, or watching their savings disappear faster than they can rebuild.

That’s why Operation HOPE is stepping in with compassion, structure, and action.

Through our Hope Is On The Way initiative, we’re offering no-cost financial relief services to help stabilize individuals and families impacted by the shutdown.

These services include:

• Financial counseling and credit coaching
• Emergency budgeting and money management
• Help negotiating with creditors
• Foreclosure prevention support
• Financial education and recovery workshops

We’ve seen this before and we know what to do. From natural disasters to economic disruptions, HOPE has always shown up to help people rebuild not just their finances, but their confidence.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about people.

If you’re one of the millions feeling the strain, know this: you are not alone, and you are not powerless.
Financial dignity means having the tools, the knowledge, and the belief that you can bounce back stronger than before.

HOPE coaches across the country are ready to help you assess your situation, protect your credit, and prepare for the road ahead at no cost.

Call 1-888-388-HOPE or visit OperationHOPE.org to get started.

Because when the system shuts down, HOPE stays open.

The post Hope Is On The Way: Standing with Americans Impacted by the Government Shutdown appeared first on John Hope Bryant Blog.

That’s what I mean when I say, “Being in a race car is like Buddhism at 160 miles an hour.” It centers you. It strips everything away until only your discipline, presence, and purpose remain.

Recently, I had the chance to share that experience with my friend Tobi Lütke, the founder and CEO of Shopify, during the Petit Le Mans endurance race at Road Atlanta. We recorded an episode of my podcast, Money & Wealth, right there at the track surrounded by the roar of engines, the smell of rubber, and the hum of excellence in motion.

And what we found was simple: the racetrack and the boardroom speak the same language.

Every Race Team Is a Business

Each trailer in the paddock is its own LLC — complete with a P&L statement, insurance, sponsors, and supply chains. Racing is entrepreneurship at its purest form: high risk, high focus, high accountability.

As Tobi pointed out, his team of engineers monitors real-time data — telemetry lines moving like heartbeats on a screen — to make instant adjustments. It’s a masterclass in feedback and iteration. That’s something every business can learn from.

“Latency makes everything hard to relate to,” Tobi told me. “The faster you get feedback, the faster you improve.”

Speed, in leadership, doesn’t come from motion alone. It comes from clarity.

The Power of Smooth

There’s an old saying in racing: You can’t win a race in the first corner, but you can lose it there.
It’s a reminder that strategy and patience will always beat panic and speed.

In life and business, we tend to oversteer — jerking the wheel when things feel uncertain. But great drivers, like great leaders, stay smooth. They focus on the long game, on alignment, not chaos. Smooth is fast.

Faith, Focus, and Fear

In endurance racing, especially at night, you can’t always see what’s ahead. You have to trust that the road is still there, that your preparation holds, that your team has your back.

That’s faith in motion.
It’s the same in business and life. Courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s what you do in spite of it.
When I first got in a race car, I was terrified. But fear is proof of growth. You can’t evolve without being uncomfortable.

Constant Improvement

In racing, there’s a theoretical “perfect lap” no human will ever achieve. The gap between that and your actual lap time is the sum of your imperfections.

But the beauty of it? You get to go again. Another lap, another chance to improve.

That’s what leadership really is — a loop of learning, feedback, and refinement.

As Tobi said near the end of our conversation:

“Try to do hard things surrounded by friends.”

That’s the essence of leadership. Build something that challenges you, that scares you a little, and that makes you better with every lap.

Listen to the full episode:
Money & Wealth with John Hope Bryant
“The Secrets of Racing with Shopify’s Tobi Lütke” — available now on the Black Effect Podcast Network and iHeartRadio.

The post The Secrets of Racing with Shopify’s Tobi Lütke — And What It Teaches Us About Leadership appeared first on John Hope Bryant Blog.

CIM-BGV Impact Ventures’ First Affordable Housing Impact Fund Announces Milestone First Closing of $250M+ in Total Investment Capacity

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–CIM Group, a leading real estate and infrastructure owner, operator, lender and developer, and Bryant Group Ventures (BGV), founded by influential leader and entrepreneur John Hope Bryant, announced today the launch of CIM-BGV Impact Ventures, an impact-driven partnership to address the immense need for affordable housing and to deliver community and economic value to underserved markets throughout the United States.

The post CIM Group and Bryant Group Ventures Launch Impact-Driven Partnership to Invest in Affordable Housing with Anchor Investments from Flagstar Bank and Truist Bank appeared first on John Hope Bryant Blog.

A Future Built by the Curious

For years, we’ve been hearing that “artificial intelligence is coming!” For most of us, artificial intelligence, or AI, is a hallmark of science fiction, and even before its popularity in the news cycle for the last five years or so, we’ve already been relying on it heavily in our everyday lives. But the power and extent to which AI has, can, and will affect us haven’t yet been fully embraced.

Artificial Intelligence isn’t coming — it’s here, and likely here to stay.

But, if we’re being honest, there’s a lot of noise floating around surrounding the topic. So I’ll say the quiet part out loud. At this stage, it’s less about machines, robots, and technology replacing people. The moment that we’re in demands that people replace their fears of AI (founded and unfounded alike) with focus.

For the last hundred years, progress has belonged to the industrialists —those with factories, money, and access. The next hundred will belong to the curious — the ones who decide to learn, to adapt, and to build with new tools in their hands.

In my latest episode of Money & Wealth, I talk about what I call The Great AI Rebuild, where I discuss how the entire world is being rewritten, and how every small business, entrepreneur, and dreamer can take part in it.

“Your job won’t be replaced by AI. It’ll be replaced by someone who knows how to use it.”

Understand this, and this is supremely important for younger generations whose cultural value system may differ from many veterans in the workforce, this new era doesn’t require wealth to start — it requires work ethic.

This is the new pick-and-shovel economy. Be the one handing out the tools, not always on the receiving end.

Listen to “Rebuilding the World with AI: Million-Dollar Opportunities Hiding in Plain Sight.” Please share it with someone who needs a reason to stop fearing the future and start building it.

Faith, Freedom, and the Work That’s Still Ahead

Recently, I joined Ambassador Andrew Young on The Breakfast Club. Any time I sit beside him, I’m reminded just how far we’ve come as a nation and community, and just how far we have to go. As we transition eras and take up causes similar to those of our heroes and sheroes, we must remember that, as inheritors of this legacy, we are called to manage and build on the hard-fought progress won for us. If we don’t take it up, no one else will.

We talked about the legacy of Dr. King, about the unfinished business of economic justice, and about the power of a new generation to lead through ownership, not outrage.

Ambassador Young said something that stayed with me:

“The movement didn’t end with civil rights. It’s still happening — in how we build businesses, how we raise families, how we serve one another.”

He’s right.

Because the next phase of freedom builds on protests and demands for equal opportunity and grows into conversations about ownership and production. It’s about showing our children that leaders can wear a hoodie, run a company, and write checks that change communities, just the same as a man or woman in a suit.

Watch the full conversation on The Breakfast Club.

Elevating Excellence — The 2025 XCEL Awards

Last week, I was deeply honored to receive the 2025 XCEL Award from Black Enterprise, standing alongside leaders I deeply respect: Robert F. Smith , Troy Taylor, Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Larry Fitzgerald Jr., and Dr. George Frazier.

These men embody excellence, purpose, and a true sense of leadership.

“The outstanding individuals selected for XCEL Award recognition represent both extraordinary achievement and undeniably positive impact on behalf of others.” — Earl “Butch” Graves Jr.

Read more about this year’s XCEL honorees.

The Real Rebuild

We are actively rebuilding the world. Others are already building. Will you have the courage to participate and create a better future for us all?

The question isn’t whether technology will change your life. It’s whether you’ll let it change your possibilities.

The next generation is watching. Let’s give them something worth inheriting.

The post Rebuilding the World with AI appeared first on John Hope Bryant Blog.

BLACK ENTERPRISE, the nation’s premiere Black digital media brand, presented its highest honor in recognition of the achievements of Black men when it presents the XCEL Awards at the 2025 Black Enterprise XCEL Summit for Men on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in Orlando. FL. The XCEL Summit is a uniquely impactful executive development and corporate leadership conference for men, attracting more than 700 corporate executives, professionals, and business leaders from around the country each year. The XCEL Summit for Men, hosted by FedEx, took place Oct. 15 – 17, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando. 

“The outstanding individuals selected for XCEL Award recognition represent both extraordinary achievement and undeniably positive impact on behalf of others, beyond their personal success,” says Black Enterprise CEO Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. “Our 2025 honorees are living, breathing embodiments of what our company’s 55-year commitment to ‘Elevating Excellence’ is all about, setting an empowering and inspiring standard to which future generations may aspire.”

As the founder and CEO of Operation HOPE, John Hope Bryant is the nation’s foremost champion of the “Silver Rights Movement.” Bryant is an American entrepreneur, prominent thought leader, author, philanthropist, and a global authority on financial literacy, economic empowerment, and inclusive capitalism. 

Referred to as the “Conscience of Capitalism” by Fortune 500 CEOs, Bryant’s advocacy helped make financial literacy the policy of the United States Federal Government under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He also successfully led efforts to rename the U.S. Treasury Annex to the Freedman’s Bank Building, recognizing the unfinished economic work of Abraham Lincoln for freed slaves. 

BLACK ENTERPRISE to Present its Highest Honor in Recognition of “The Best of Who We Are” at the XCEL Summit for Men, hosted by FedEx, in Orlando. 

BLACK ENTERPRISE, the nation’s premiere Black digital media brand, presented its highest honor in recognition of the achievements of Black men when it presents the XCEL Awards at the 2025 Black Enterprise XCEL Summit for Men on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in Orlando. FL. The XCEL Summit is a uniquely impactful executive development and corporate leadership conference for men, attracting more than 700 corporate executives, professionals, and business leaders from around the country each year. The XCEL Summit for Men, hosted by FedEx, took place Oct. 15 – 17, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando. 

“The outstanding individuals selected for XCEL Award recognition represent both extraordinary achievement and undeniably positive impact on behalf of others, beyond their personal success,” says Black Enterprise CEO Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. “Our 2025 honorees are living, breathing embodiments of what our company’s 55-year commitment to ‘Elevating Excellence’ is all about, setting an empowering and inspiring standard to which future generations may aspire.”

As the founder and CEO of Operation HOPE, John Hope Bryant is the nation’s foremost champion of the “Silver Rights Movement.” Bryant is an American entrepreneur, prominent thought leader, author, philanthropist, and a global authority on financial literacy, economic empowerment, and inclusive capitalism. 

Referred to as the “Conscience of Capitalism” by Fortune 500 CEOs, Bryant’s advocacy helped make financial literacy the policy of the United States Federal Government under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He also successfully led efforts to rename the U.S. Treasury Annex to the Freedman’s Bank Building, recognizing the unfinished economic work of Abraham Lincoln for freed slaves. 

BLACK ENTERPRISE to Present its Highest Honor in Recognition of “The Best of Who We Are” at the XCEL Summit for Men, hosted by FedEx, in Orlando. 

BLACK ENTERPRISE, the nation’s premiere Black digital media brand, presented its highest honor in recognition of the achievements of Black men when it presents the XCEL Awards at the 2025 Black Enterprise XCEL Summit for Men on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in Orlando. FL. The XCEL Summit is a uniquely impactful executive development and corporate leadership conference for men, attracting more than 700 corporate executives, professionals, and business leaders from around the country each year. The XCEL Summit for Men, hosted by FedEx, took place Oct. 15 – 17, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando. 

“The outstanding individuals selected for XCEL Award recognition represent both extraordinary achievement and undeniably positive impact on behalf of others, beyond their personal success,” says Black Enterprise CEO Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. “Our 2025 honorees are living, breathing embodiments of what our company’s 55-year commitment to ‘Elevating Excellence’ is all about, setting an empowering and inspiring standard to which future generations may aspire.”

As the founder and CEO of Operation HOPE, John Hope Bryant is the nation’s foremost champion of the “Silver Rights Movement.” Bryant is an American entrepreneur, prominent thought leader, author, philanthropist, and a global authority on financial literacy, economic empowerment, and inclusive capitalism. 

Referred to as the “Conscience of Capitalism” by Fortune 500 CEOs, Bryant’s advocacy helped make financial literacy the policy of the United States Federal Government under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He also successfully led efforts to rename the U.S. Treasury Annex to the Freedman’s Bank Building, recognizing the unfinished economic work of Abraham Lincoln for freed slaves. 

• Robert F. Smith – As founder, chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, Robert F. Smith has delivered innovative and bold leadership of one of the world’s largest private equity firms. In addition to his extraordinary business leadership, his high-impact philanthropy is making a huge difference in the lives of young people throughout the country.  
• Troy Taylor - As founder, chairman and CEO of Coca Cola Beverages Florida LLC (Coke Florida), Troy Taylor helms one of the nation’s largest Black-owned companies, the sixth largest Coca Cola bottler in America, and a 2025 US Best Managed Companies Gold Standard Winner, with annual revenues of $2 billion. In addition to his achievements as a business leader, Taylor leverages his business success to uplift and create opportunities for others. 
• Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson – For over 50 years of service as Senior Pastor of Mount Vernon, N.Y.’s Grace Baptist Church, Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson has been a voice for the voiceless, challenging systems that are unjust and unfair, and seeking justice for the marginalized and victimized—demonstrating exemplary leadership as the Chairman of the Board at Virginia Union University, and board chairmanships of the National Action Network and Conference of National Black Churches. 
• Larry Fitzgerald – After an extraordinary 17-season NFL career, including selection as a member of the NFL 100 All-Time Team, Larry Fitzgerald continues to deliver positive impact as a prolific venture investor, business leader and philanthropist, as founder of the Larry Fitzgerald Foundation and co-founder of Trenches Capital.  
• Dr. George C. Fraser – Globally recognized motivational speaker and best-selling author George Fraser is one of our nation’s foremost champions of effective and impactful networking. As Founder, Chairman, and CEO of FraserNet Inc., Dr. Fraser leads a global economic development movement for people of African descent. 

BLACK ENTERPRISE to Present its Highest Honor in Recognition of “The Best of Who We Are” at the XCEL Summit for Men, hosted by FedEx, in Orlando. 

BLACK ENTERPRISE, the nation’s premiere Black digital media brand, presented its highest honor in recognition of the achievements of Black men when it presents the XCEL Awards at the 2025 Black Enterprise XCEL Summit for Men on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in Orlando. FL. The XCEL Summit is a uniquely impactful executive development and corporate leadership conference for men, attracting more than 700 corporate executives, professionals, and business leaders from around the country each year. The XCEL Summit for Men, hosted by FedEx, took place Oct. 15 – 17, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando. 

“The outstanding individuals selected for XCEL Award recognition represent both extraordinary achievement and undeniably positive impact on behalf of others, beyond their personal success,” says Black Enterprise CEO Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. “Our 2025 honorees are living, breathing embodiments of what our company’s 55-year commitment to ‘Elevating Excellence’ is all about, setting an empowering and inspiring standard to which future generations may aspire.”

As the founder and CEO of Operation HOPE, John Hope Bryant is the nation’s foremost champion of the “Silver Rights Movement.” Bryant is an American entrepreneur, prominent thought leader, author, philanthropist, and a global authority on financial literacy, economic empowerment, and inclusive capitalism. 

Referred to as the “Conscience of Capitalism” by Fortune 500 CEOs, Bryant’s advocacy helped make financial literacy the policy of the United States Federal Government under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He also successfully led efforts to rename the U.S. Treasury Annex to the Freedman’s Bank Building, recognizing the unfinished economic work of Abraham Lincoln for freed slaves. 

BLACK ENTERPRISE to Present its Highest Honor in Recognition of “The Best of Who We Are” at the XCEL Summit for Men, hosted by FedEx, in Orlando. 

BLACK ENTERPRISE, the nation’s premiere Black digital media brand, presented its highest honor in recognition of the achievements of Black men when it presents the XCEL Awards at the 2025 Black Enterprise XCEL Summit for Men on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in Orlando. FL. The XCEL Summit is a uniquely impactful executive development and corporate leadership conference for men, attracting more than 700 corporate executives, professionals, and business leaders from around the country each year. The XCEL Summit for Men, hosted by FedEx, took place Oct. 15 – 17, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando. 

“The outstanding individuals selected for XCEL Award recognition represent both extraordinary achievement and undeniably positive impact on behalf of others, beyond their personal success,” says Black Enterprise CEO Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. “Our 2025 honorees are living, breathing embodiments of what our company’s 55-year commitment to ‘Elevating Excellence’ is all about, setting an empowering and inspiring standard to which future generations may aspire.”

As the founder and CEO of Operation HOPE, John Hope Bryant is the nation’s foremost champion of the “Silver Rights Movement.” Bryant is an American entrepreneur, prominent thought leader, author, philanthropist, and a global authority on financial literacy, economic empowerment, and inclusive capitalism. 

Referred to as the “Conscience of Capitalism” by Fortune 500 CEOs, Bryant’s advocacy helped make financial literacy the policy of the United States Federal Government under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He also successfully led efforts to rename the U.S. Treasury Annex to the Freedman’s Bank Building, recognizing the unfinished economic work of Abraham Lincoln for freed slaves. 

BLACK ENTERPRISE to Present its Highest Honor in Recognition of “The Best of Who We Are” at the XCEL Summit for Men, hosted by FedEx, in Orlando. 

BLACK ENTERPRISE, the nation’s premiere Black digital media brand, presented its highest honor in recognition of the achievements of Black men when it presents the XCEL Awards at the 2025 Black Enterprise XCEL Summit for Men on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in Orlando. FL. The XCEL Summit is a uniquely impactful executive development and corporate leadership conference for men, attracting more than 700 corporate executives, professionals, and business leaders from around the country each year. The XCEL Summit for Men, hosted by FedEx, took place Oct. 15 – 17, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando. 

“The outstanding individuals selected for XCEL Award recognition represent both extraordinary achievement and undeniably positive impact on behalf of others, beyond their personal success,” says Black Enterprise CEO Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. “Our 2025 honorees are living, breathing embodiments of what our company’s 55-year commitment to ‘Elevating Excellence’ is all about, setting an empowering and inspiring standard to which future generations may aspire.”

As the founder and CEO of Operation HOPE, John Hope Bryant is the nation’s foremost champion of the “Silver Rights Movement.” Bryant is an American entrepreneur, prominent thought leader, author, philanthropist, and a global authority on financial literacy, economic empowerment, and inclusive capitalism. 

Referred to as the “Conscience of Capitalism” by Fortune 500 CEOs, Bryant’s advocacy helped make financial literacy the policy of the United States Federal Government under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He also successfully led efforts to rename the U.S. Treasury Annex to the Freedman’s Bank Building, recognizing the unfinished economic work of Abraham Lincoln for freed slaves. 

BLACK ENTERPRISE to Present its Highest Honor in Recognition of “The Best of Who We Are” at the XCEL Summit for Men, hosted by FedEx, in Orlando. 

BLACK ENTERPRISE, the nation’s premiere Black digital media brand, presented its highest honor in recognition of the achievements of Black men when it presents the XCEL Awards at the 2025 Black Enterprise XCEL Summit for Men on Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in Orlando. FL. The XCEL Summit is a uniquely impactful executive development and corporate leadership conference for men, attracting more than 700 corporate executives, professionals, and business leaders from around the country each year. The XCEL Summit for Men, hosted by FedEx, took place Oct. 15 – 17, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando. 

“The outstanding individuals selected for XCEL Award recognition represent both extraordinary achievement and undeniably positive impact on behalf of others, beyond their personal success,” says Black Enterprise CEO Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. “Our 2025 honorees are living, breathing embodiments of what our company’s 55-year commitment to ‘Elevating Excellence’ is all about, setting an empowering and inspiring standard to which future generations may aspire.”

As the founder and CEO of Operation HOPE, John Hope Bryant is the nation’s foremost champion of the “Silver Rights Movement.” Bryant is an American entrepreneur, prominent thought leader, author, philanthropist, and a global authority on financial literacy, economic empowerment, and inclusive capitalism. 

Referred to as the “Conscience of Capitalism” by Fortune 500 CEOs, Bryant’s advocacy helped make financial literacy the policy of the United States Federal Government under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He also successfully led efforts to rename the U.S. Treasury Annex to the Freedman’s Bank Building, recognizing the unfinished economic work of Abraham Lincoln for freed slaves. 

The post JOHN HOPE BRYANT, FOUNDER, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF OPERATION HOPE, NAMED AMONG 2025 XCEL AWARD HONOREES BY BLACK ENTERPRISE appeared first on John Hope Bryant Blog.