For more than three decades, I’ve believed one simple truth: you cannot have a rainbow without a storm first. Operation HOPE was born out of that conviction—that the underserved deserve not charity, but access. Not a handout, but a hand up. And today, I’m prouder than ever to share a new chapter in that work.
We’ve just launched the HOPE Goodwill Ambassadors program, and I want to tell you why this matters so much to me.
Meeting People Where They Are
Financial literacy is the civil rights issue of this generation. I call it the move from civil rights to “silver rights”—because the color that matters most in the 21st century is green. But here’s what I’ve learned over the years: information alone doesn’t change lives. Belief changes lives. Trust changes lives. And trust travels through the people we already listen to, look up to, and welcome into our homes through our screens and speakers.
That’s the heart of this program. We’ve brought together a remarkable group of cultural leaders, athletes, executives, and media voices—people who have earned the trust of communities that have too often been overlooked by the financial system.
Who’s Standing With Us
The inaugural class of HOPE Goodwill Ambassadors includes voices from sports, entertainment, and media:
- Arik Armstead, NFL player
- Terron Armstead, former NFL player
- Morris Chestnut, actor and entrepreneur
- Ronnie DeVoe, singer
- Bill Duke, actor and director
- Elle Duncan, sports anchor
- Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner
- Kelsey Grammer, actor and producer
- Charlamagne tha God, radio and TV personality
- Howard Hewett, singer-songwriter
- Boris Kodjoe, actor and philanthropist
- Rob Manfred, MLB Commissioner
- Killer Mike, rapper, activist, and businessman
- Norm Nixon, former NBA player
- Nicole Ari Parker, actor and entrepreneur
- Stephen A. Smith, sports commentator
- Ndamukong Suh, former NFL player
These are leaders in their fields and trusted voices in the communities that need access, tools, and belief most. Together, we are building a cultural conversation around financial literacy—one that meets people where they are and moves them toward economic self-determination.
From Inspiration to Implementation
Let me be clear about what these ambassadors will actually do, because this is not about celebrity for its own sake. Our Goodwill Ambassadors will:
- Support Operation HOPE’s national campaigns
- Show up for key moments like Financial Literacy Month and our annual HOPE Global Forums
- Engage directly with communities through mentorship, storytelling, and on-the-ground activations
- Help families take real, actionable steps—building credit, growing businesses, and achieving long-term financial stability
The goal is to bridge cultural relevance with practical impact. Inspiration without implementation is just entertainment. But inspiration paired with a plan? That’s transformation.
The Work Continues
Since 1992, Operation HOPE has served more than 4 million individuals and directed more than $4.5 billion in economic activity into communities that the system left behind. We’ve turned check-cashing customers into banking customers, renters into homeowners, small business dreamers into small business owners.
The HOPE Goodwill Ambassadors program is the next evolution of how we scale that impact. It pairs grassroots action with influential advocacy. It bridges inspiration and implementation. And it reminds every person watching that economic dignity is not reserved for the few—it belongs to all of us.
I’m grateful to every ambassador who said yes to this calling. The work continues. And with these leaders standing alongside us, I believe we’ll reach further than ever before.
Let’s get to work.
Read the official press release here
