Every now and then I have one of those 'moments,' where I clearly see, feel and understand the power and impact of our work in the lives of real people. Real people in the communities we serve. Such was the case this week when I traveled to the Bay Area for a round of meetings, and then wrapped it up with remarks and thanks given to a HOPE Board Member (Brian Tippens) and partner (Hewlett Packard) that donated new computers for our HOPE Inner-City Cyber Cafe. While at the HOPE Financial Dignity Center, Oakland, a partnership with Bank of the West, a gentleman named Karl Seabrook. And that is where I my 'moment.'
Karl explained to me how he had lost a job in the tech space a while ago, and had invested his time sense then hanging with our team at the HOPE Center, and mining job and career opportunities online at our HOPE Inner-City Cyber Cafe. It was then that he thanked me, and handed me his business card. It said 'Senior Quality Engineer,' and he now works at one of the fastest growing tech companies in the country, GoPro. The 'moment' came when he told me he found that job sitting right there in our Cyber Cafe, working with my incredible team there which is led by Tyrone Cosey, market president for HOPE Oakland. I could not have prouder in that moment, or more pleased.
This is what we are here for, and this is what Love Leadership is all about.
May there be 1,000 more Karl Seabrook's, who secure a GOOD JOB with benefits at and through Operation HOPE. We want to either help you find a job through our Inner-City Cyber Cafe, or create one through our HOPE Office of Small Business & Entrepreneurship.
Okay, let's go…
John Hope Bryant is a thought leader, founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE, Bryant Group Companies, Inc. Magazine/CEO READ bestselling business author of LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass) the only African-American bestselling business author in the U.S., and is chairman of the Subcommittee for the Under-Served and Community Empowerment for the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability, for President Barack Obama. Mr. Bryant is the co-founder of the Gallup-HOPE Index, the only national research poll on youth financial dignity and youth economic energy in the U.S. He is also a co-founder of Global Dignity with HRH 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 serves on the board of directors of Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation, an NYSE Euronext publicly traded company, and a division of $54 billion Ares Capital.
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