UnLeadership

7Full Thought Leadership

Dr. Derreck Kayongo is an internationally recognized visionary, humanitarian and, founder of the Global Soap Project: a humanitarian aid organization that collects discarded and unused soap from hotels worldwide, reprocesses it, and then distributes it to in-need populations around the world. His passion for helping others and commitment to innovative thinking led him to the role of CEO of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. During his time as CEO, he elevated the global visibility of the Center, showcasing stories of victims of civil rights abuse and the heroic actions that changed the course of history. Derreck currently serves on the board of advisors at Sharing Sacred Spaces, an organization devoted to building local, sustainable interreligious communities working together for peace and civic change. A phenomenal speaker and storyteller, Derreck is a leader in both global health and environmental sustainability.

(Highlights from our interview, recorded May 26, 2023.)

I'M FROM UGANDA, A SMALL country in East Africa, which prides itself on many things, especially being the source of the Nile. That's a contested space because Ethiopians also think they're the source of the Nile, but they're not here to talk, so I will take that one. I now live in Atlanta, where a good group of people, who have grown and moved out of the home, call me Dad. I founded the Global Soap Project about 12 years ago, which takes partially used soap from hotels, ...