Eric Kaplan is all business.
In September 2022, he became the executive vice president of Operation HOPE, Inc. and the president of Financial Literacy for All. He is also a senior advisor at the Milken Institute Center for Financial Markets.
After the 2023 HOPE Global Forums in December, Kaplan spoke to rolling out about his role, mission, and the annual conference.
What was this year’s HOPE Global Forums like?
I was absolutely blown away.
The lineup of speakers, the energy on stage. I first met John Hope Bryant. It was his message, his passion and his authenticity that drew me right in. It’s interesting. I was with the Milken Institute, and I joined Operation Hope from there. I’m still an advisor to the Milken Institute, so to see Mike Milken and John Hope Bryant on stage today was extra special for me.
The lineup and the dedication and commitment of the people who came here for Operation Hope, for John, and the sincerity of their efforts in support of our mission make this an event and an organization unlike any other I know.
How did the 2023 forum improve from the 2022 one?
Operationally, they keep getting better every year… If you think about the number of people that are held in the auditorium… The meals… …That’s important, too, so that guests feel welcome and comfortable.
Again, the content and the diversity of the people, and the ideas that they bring, backgrounds that they bring… I mean, this is a list of people who change the world. And I think that’s a testament to John Hope Bryant.
With so many important figures in attendance this year, what is a gem that was dropped that someone who wasn’t here can pick up?
This falls in line with what I do for Operation Hope, financial literacy for all.
The message of financial literacy is something that needs to be a fundamental part of everyone’s life. Just like ABCs, reading, writing, arithmetic and financial literacy … we can’t have that gap. Financial education and financial literacy have to be available to all. It needs to be freely accessible. Again, it has to be a part of every fabric of the country ..
We think that financial literacy is a civil rights issue of this generation, and I believe that’s true. It’s part of the DNA of what we have to become.
