Today, my dear friend Lance Triggs celebrates 30 years of service to Operation HOPE. Let that sink in for a moment. Three decades, virtually his entire professional life, dedicated to ensuring that everyone, no matter what their background, can fully thrive in today’s everchanging economy. On behalf of me and the entire Operation HOPE family, please join us in saluting a true soldier of the movement for his 30 years of service to the Operation HOPE mission and the underserved communities we serve.

Lance Triggs, who President of Operations, is a very dear friend to me personally, as we have known each other since I was 18 years old. That’s almost 40 years of friendship between us – and I have literally enjoyed each and every year knowing him.

Lance is one of those rare quiet storms, whose fire runs deep and his intelligence and knowledge unquestionable, but he doesn’t need to make a lot of noise about it.  

He is a spiritual man who quietly went to divinity school, and who helps countless young people and adults to change their lives, never asking or seeking public credit for himself.

Lance is the HOPE Leader principally responsible for shepherding the success of our One Million Black Business (1MBB) initiative, responsible for creating, scaling, and serving aspiring Black-business owners. Since 2020, with our founding partner Shopify, we have served over 400,000 Black businesses. This is part of Lance Triggs’ legacy. It’s active, its real, and it’s still growing.

I knew both of Lance’s incredible parents. His father was a decorated LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) officer, and his mother was a dedicated ‘domestic engineer,’ taking care of Lance, his dad, and the household.  Both of them — whom Lance absolutely adored growing up in Carson, California — would be so proud of Lance Triggs today.   I know that they are. And I know that I am as well.

Lance is my friend, my brother, a key advisor, a HOPE executive, a “silver rights” soldier, and one who will continue to change the world.  Thank you, Lance Triggs – for believing in this crazy idea all those years ago and for your steady leadership over the past thirty years. I, and we, salute you, my friend.