Alumni Profiles
From newcomer to community-builder: A CMU alum’s journey of purpose, justice, and leadership
25 at 25 | Gode Katembo (CMU '23)
Gode Katembo (CMU ’23) completed a BA in Social Sciences. His CMU experience deepened his sense of purpose, justice, and community—values that shape his work as a soccer coach, mentor, and entrepreneur creating spaces for newcomers and youth to grow, belong, and lead.
When Gode Katembo thinks about his time at CMU, he doesn't just remember classes and assignments. What stands out is how the experience reshaped his sense of direction.
"For me, CMU did not prepare me for a career," he said. "It prepared me for purpose."
Today, he is the founder of the African Cup of Nations in Canada, leader of Sports Without Boundaries, fashion designer, community mentor, and head coach of CMU's men's soccer team.
Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, he spent five years in a Ugandan refugee camp before arriving in Winnipeg in 2009. Sports became his way of finding a sense of belonging in a new place. "Sports were one thing that kept me out of trouble," he recalled. Later, he began to see soccer as a tool for empowerment.
That vision deepened once he arrived at CMU. Katembo first planned to study business, but he found himself drawn to theology and social sciences. The interdisciplinary framework was eye-opening.
"I just didn't want to be this business person who was not making a difference in the lives of people," he said. Classes that discussed social enterprises stood out to him in particular. "We can still make a profit by also making an impact. And that really resonated so much with me [at CMU]."
Courses in liberation theology, international development, and nonprofit management stretched his thinking. Professors and coaches encouraged him to ask more challenging questions and to view his work through the lens of faith and justice.
"There's an African proverb: 'It takes a whole village to raise a child," Katembo said. "I have witnessed that here at CMU—faculty, staff, professors, coaches—everybody really has been part of who I am today."
In 2023, Katmebo graduated with a degree in social sciences.
The African Cup of Nations began in 2019 with four newcomer communities playing soccer together. Today, it brings together teams from across five different Canadian cities.
"Sports is not only [about learning] how to kick a ball," Katembo said. "You learn valuable lessons like communication, confidence, life skills, and problem-solving."
For Katembo, entrepreneurship is never just about running programs or building a business. It's about creating spaces where newcomers and BIPOC youth can belong, discover strengths, and grow as leaders.
"Everything I do has to be tied to purpose," he said. "The work that I do is not just for myself. It is about how I can be of service to others, to the next generation."
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