Dikembe Mutombo

Chairman and President, Dikembe Mutombo Foundation
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Dikembe Mutombo

Dikembe Mutombo came to the USA from the DR Congo in 1987 to study medicine at Georgetown University, Dikembe Mutombo immediately excelled not only in his academics but also in basketball. Dikembe was an NBA superstar for 18 seasons, which culminated in his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and his appointment as the first NBA Global Ambassador. Committed to making a positive difference in the world, Dikembe leveraged his platform to become a spokesman for the underserved, especially those living in the Congo and throughout Africa. In his post-NBA career, Dikembe has served as a full-time advocate and ambassador to ensure that those in need have access to health care and economic opportunities. As part of that mission, he founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997 and opened the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in Kinshasa, DRC in 2007, serving 600,000 people in the area to date. The Foundation will open the Samuel Mutombo Institute for Science & Entrepreneurship in Mbuji-Mayi, DR Congo in September 2021. Dikembe also serves on the boards of the National Constitution Center, Special Olympics International, the CDC Foundation, and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.