Operation HOPE's HOPE AI™ Initiative Expands Access to AI Financial Coach “Juanita” Through HOPE in Hand Mobile App

Free, AI-powered financial guidance now available through the HOPE in Hand app for Apple and Android devices

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Operation HOPE, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping low- and moderate-income Americans thrive in an ever-changing economy, today announced that “Juanita,” its AI-powered financial wellness coach, is now accessible through the organization's HOPE in Hand mobile app, available for download on Apple and Android devices. The integration expands access to Juanita's personalized financial guidance, making it easier for individuals to get support and information to help them navigate financial decisions and work toward their financial goals.

First launched in August 2026 as part of Operation HOPE's HOPE AI™ initiative, Juanita is designed to provide free, 24/7 financial education and guidance on a range of everyday financial topics, including budgeting, saving, credit management, debt reduction and financial goal-setting. By bringing Juanita directly into HOPE in Hand, Operation HOPE is making these resources more convenient and accessible, allowing users to engage with the AI-powered coach from their smartphones, wherever and whenever they need support.

Juanita is named in honor of Operation HOPE Founder, Chairman and CEO John Hope Bryant's mother, Juanita Murray Smith, whose life and personal journey helped inspire his commitment to financial empowerment. A single mother from South Central Los Angeles who lost everything in a divorce, she went on to acquire the financial knowledge and skills to own multiple properties and ultimately become a millionaire. Her story of perseverance and financial independence helped inspire the creation of Juanita, which aims to make financial education and guidance more accessible to individuals and families seeking to build stronger financial futures.

“Financial guidance should be accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford it,” said John Hope Bryant, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE. Bryant is Co-Chair of HOPE AI™ alongside Van Jones, Founder of Dream Machine and a media personality, entrepreneur and best-selling author.

“My mother taught me firsthand how financial knowledge can change the trajectory of a person's life, and Juanita is a tribute to her legacy and the lessons she instilled in me. By bringing Juanita into the HOPE in Hand app, we're putting the power of AI-driven financial education directly into people's hands, giving them another tool to build financial confidence, make informed decisions and create a stronger financial future,” Bryant added.

Juanita complements Operation HOPE's existing network of certified financial coaches by providing immediate, on-demand assistance and helping users build the knowledge and confidence to take the next step in their financial journeys. As the first client-facing solution developed through HOPE AI™, Juanita represents a significant milestone for the initiative, a first-of-its-kind collaboration bringing together Operation HOPE, Dream Machine, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, UNCF, 100 Black Men of America and Shopify to harness AI to expand access to trusted coaching, financial education and economic opportunity. The integration of Juanita into the HOPE in Hand mobile app reflects the initiative's continued progress in bringing the benefits of AI-powered financial empowerment directly to individuals and families in underserved communities.

To access Juanita, users can download the free HOPE in Hand app through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Juanita is also still available to everyone who signs up for Operation HOPE services at portal.operationhope.org.

About Operation HOPE, Inc.

Since 1992, Operation HOPE has been moving America from civil rights to “silver rights” with the mission of making free enterprise and capitalism work for the underserved—disrupting poverty for millions of low and moderate-income youth and adults across the nation. Through its community uplift model, HOPE Inside, which received the 2016 Innovator of the Year recognition by American Banker magazine, Operation HOPE has served more than 4 million individuals and directed more than $4.2 billion in economic activity into disenfranchised communities—turning check-cashing customers into banking customers, renters into homeowners, small business dreamers into small business owners, minimum wage workers into living wage consumers, and uncertain disaster victims into financially empowered disaster survivors. For more information: OperationHOPE.org. Follow the HOPE conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.