Kay Lot
Kay Lot was probably born in 1972—he's not sure because he doesn't have a birth certificate. He survived the Khmer Rouge regime in a children's camp, enduring abuse and torture for 3 years, 8 months, and 20 days. "I learned the way to kill pain is to look it right in the eye," he says. The experience shaped who he became: someone determined never to hurt people because he knows how much it hurts to be on the wrong end of violence. He met Jeremy Hockenstein when they were both considering investing in an animation company that employed disadvantaged youth. They stayed in touch, and Jeremy invited him to join DDD's board. Once Lot saw what DDD does, there was little hesitation. His first board meeting almost six years ago dealt with serious challenges at a US-based initiative, which forced existential questions for DDD. Then COVID hit. "I always joke with the guys that there's never a dull moment with DDD," he says. But they pulled through every time, and the most recent board meeting shifted from talk of survival to thriving—how to grow from $10 million to $20 million.
What DDD does particularly well, he says, is teach soft skills that aren't in any Cambodian curriculum: discipline, responsibility, collaboration, how to prepare for job interviews. These foundation skills determine career progression. He's encouraged by Cambodia's new generation of government officials—young, well-educated people with PhDs from the US and Europe who understand technology and are pushing hard on e-government initiatives. Lot credits board members like Irving Levin for teaching him how to balance doing well—making the business sustainable—with doing good on impact and mission. He'd love to see DDD grow five times its current size and continue reimagining its model to stay relevant and impactful as Cambodia changes.
