Born August 21, 1963, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Hope Masters currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation based in Washington, DC.

After graduating from Temple University School of Law in 1989, Mrs. Masters was asked by her father, the late Reverend Dr. Leon H. Sullivan, to develop a youth division of the Opportunities Industrialization Centers of America, Inc. (OICA). As a result, Mrs. Masters founded Future Leaders for the Advancement of Self-Help (FLASH), a clearinghouse for persons 35 years of age and younger who have a genuine interest in working in community-based organizations. Mrs. Masters later served as Co-Director of Government Relations for OICA, and was responsible for writing legislation as it related to employment and training, as well as cultivating and maintaining relationships with all departments of the federal government. In the 37 years since it’s inception, OICA has placed more than 800,000 Americans in gainful employment, earning approximately $1.5 billion a year in annual income.

In 1991, Mrs. Masters began working with the International Foundation for Education and Self-Help (IFESH), a non-profit organization founded in 1981 by Rev. Sullivan, which is devoted to facilitating sustainable development to the nations of sub-Saharan Africa through economic development and education. In addition to serving as legal counsel for IFESH, Mrs. Masters also played a central role in the planning and development of the Leon H. Sullivan Summit, formerly the African-African American Summit. The biennial Summit challenges leaders from the United States, Europe and other parts of the world to work with leaders of sub-Saharan Africa with a focus on developing and implementing pragmatic ways of bringing the nations of Africa forward in a variety of areas including business and economic development; education; health care; energy; arts and culture; and peace; among others. Mrs. Masters later came to serve as Program Executive Chair of the Global Sullivan Principles of Social Responsibility (GSP).

In May of 2002, Mrs. Masters was appointed as President and Chief Executive Officer of the newly formed Leon H. Sullivan Foundation. The Sullivan Foundation was established to coordinate development and government advocacy activities of OICA, the Opportunities Industrialization Centers International and IFESH. Furthermore, the Sullivan Foundation has direct responsibility for the management and development of the Leon H. Sullivan Summits and the GSP.

In addition to her efforts at the Foundation, Mrs. Masters serves on the Board of Directors of the Southern Africa Enterprise Development Fund.

Mrs. Masters is well positioned to continue and expand the legacy of her father.

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