Dikembe Mutombo

Dikembe Mutombo hails from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1987, Mutombo was the recipient of a USAID scholarship to attend Georgetown University, and he soon excelled both academically and later in basketball. His 18 seasons as an NBA superstar culminated in Mutombo’s induction into the League’s coveted Hall of Fame and the responsibility of promoting the game as the NBAs first Global Ambassador. Thanks to his heart, his vision, his insight and his tireless dedication to making a positive difference in the lives of others, Mutombo has leveraged his celebrity as an NBA superstar to become a well-known and much loved spokesman for the underserved in Africa especially those living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since leaving the NBA, Mutombo has become a full-time advocate and ambassador for making sure that people in need will have access to health services, education and economic opportunities allowing their children to thrive and become healthy productive members of their communities. Fluent in nine languages, including five African languages, Mutombo founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997 whose mission is to improve the health, education and quality of life for the people in the Congo. One major project of his Foundation was the construction of the Biamba Marie Mutombo hospital in the capital city of Kinshasa. The 170 bed hospital named in memory of his mother opened in December 2007 and to date almost 500,000 men, women and children have been treated there. Absolutely no one is turned away for an inability to pay.

Mutombo serves as Chairman of the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation and he also serves on the boards of the National Constitution Center, Special Olympics International, the CDC Foundation and the National Board for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. He resides in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife Rose and their three children.