Dikembe Mutombo was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and came to the U.S. — despite an initial ambition to attend medical school — to play basketball in the NBA.

The 7’2” All-Star center distinguished himself as both player and personality over 18 seasons, entering the Hall of Fame in 2015. But his interests extended well beyond the sport. In 2020, he joined with veteran businessman Robert Bush to found Mutombo Coffee, with a vow to create an ethical supply chain for product sourced from Africa and Latin America. That included ensuring fair compensation for the harvesters, many of them women who had not previously benefited from their labors. The founders called it “coffee with a cause.” But there were obstacles on the road to success, including the arrival of COVID-19 just as the company was launching. And last year, Dikembe Mutombo passed away at the age 58 from brain cancer. On this episode, we’re joined by CEO and co-founder Bob Bush, who tells how the company persisted through tragedy and continues to grow sales as it looks to expand beyond B2B into the consumer market. The legacy of Dikembe Mutombo lives on. Hosted by Bob Bowman, Editor-in-Chief of SupplyChainBrain.

Show notes:

 Video: Mutombo’s “Coffee Mission.”