Derreck Kayongo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Derreck Kayongo is a Ugandan American entrepreneur and human rights innovator born on January 25, 1970, in Kampala, Uganda, just before General Idi Amin Dada seized power in a military coup. As violence spread through the country and civil war erupted, Kayongo and his family became refugees in Kenya. He later immigrated to America to attend the Tufts University in Boston and received two honorary doctors in Philosophy.
Though most well known as the founder of the Global Soap Project, Kayongo is an expert in environmental sustainability and global health, as well as a former[1] CEO of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, Georgia.[2] In 2016 the Georgia State Senate passed a resolution recognizing Kayongo's incredible journey from refugee to CEO.[3]
Derreck Kayongo holds an honorary doctorate from Oglethorpe University and is a graduate of the prestigious Fletcher school of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He was also made an honoris causa initiate of Omicron Delta Kappa at East Carolina University in 2013.[citation needed]
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights
In 2015 Derreck Kayongo was chosen as the chief executive officer for the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta GA.[4] The center is located in downtown Atlanta at Centennial Olympic Park on land donated by the Coca-Cola Company and is involved in a wide range of human rights issues. Under Kayongo's leadership, the Center became even more vital to Atlanta's social and political scenes. In addition to the center's moving and beautifully designed galleries, the space is used for corporate meetings, weddings, and a wide variety of events. He resigned as CEO in March 2018 to "focus on efforts as a motivational speaker as well as to write a book" [5][6]