By Clark Atlanta University,
Clark Atlanta University (CAU) President George T. French, Jr., Ph.D., announced today that financial literacy entrepreneur and businessman John Hope Bryant has been appointed the first Entrepreneur Scholar-in-Residence at CAU’s School of Business Administration, commencing this month.
Bryant is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Atlanta-based Operation HOPE, Inc., a leading national non-profit dedicated to financial literacy and economic empowerment. He is also the Founder of The Promise Homes Company and a bestselling author of books on economics and leadership. Bryant has served as a member of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy under President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama. At the recommendation of Mr. Bryant, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew renamed the former U.S. Treasury Annex Building the Freedman’s Bank Building.
“John Hope Bryant is a global leader in the areas of financial literacy, financial inclusion, and a champion for providing economic empowerment tools and services for youth and adults alike,” said President French. “He has been a consistent partner to the University, most recently through Operation HOPE’s One Million Black Business (1MBB) entrepreneur initiative, where our students are being provided with tools to support their aspirations of building successful careers and businesses.”
“Mr. Bryant brings a wealth of knowledge and experience as a founder and serial entrepreneur who will bridge innovation and entrepreneurship within our university,” said Dr. Silvanus Udoka, Dean of the School of Business Administration. “I believe his presence on our campus will help our scholars bring their work, disruptive ideas and creativity to a wider audience.”
CAU’s Entrepreneur Scholar-in-Residence program brings experienced private sector leaders to the School of Business Administration to advise and assist students and faculty as they launch startups or explore the commercialization of research. During his tenure, Mr. Bryant will provide mentorship and guidance to the CAU community on business strategy and design, and social impact. In addition, Bryant will help connect investors with inventors, developers, and researchers, with assistance from Clark’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development (CIED) staff, to support students as they accelerate their ideas.
“Entrepreneurship is the bedrock of American culture and its economic success for generations,” said Mr. Bryant. “It is an honor to join Clark Atlanta University’s School of Business to enhance opportunity for tomorrow’s business leaders as a means of positively impacting economic equality. And, I consider my mission is to help educate and inspire this generation of future leaders— in the spirit of W.E.B. Du Bois, to preserve the legacy of HBCUs as an incubator for innovative ideas that will ultimately change the world.”
Celebrating its 75th Anniversary this year, the CAU School of Business Administration has produced and continues to graduate a large number of African American MBAs. Its undergraduate program is one of the top ten producers of African American business professionals in the nation. CAUSBA graduates enjoy leadership and management careers in public and private sector organizations throughout the world. The School of Business has produced a substantial class of entrepreneurs who are providing jobs and services for the nation. CAU was the first HBCU chartered to provide advanced degrees to African Americans following the civil war and was the first institution for Blacks in the south. It was also the first instruction to accept Black women for degrees.
