Rick D. Smith, Founder

Rick Smith founded News USA in 1987 and, more than 35 years later, continues to innovate new ways to make his customers and clients look brilliant. Early in his career, while at Deloitte & Touche, he realized that PR and advertising people were basically “flying blind” since no news feature service was then providing real, solid metrics to measure success. He founded News Canada in 1980, then launched NewsUSA.

He has served on the faculty of the Young Presidents Organization, judged the National Press Club’s Consumer Journalism Awards, and was a Blue Chip Enterprise Award winner for reinventing his company. Along the way, Rick authored six books, including the three best-selling self-help business titles Getting Started, Getting Money, and Getting Sales.

Today, Rick sits on numerous advisory boards and is an early seed investor in 100+ emerging companies, ideally where his contacts, media clout, and marketing strategy can scale them faster. Portfolio companies span multiple continents and industries from fintech to green tech, biotech, ad tech, and beyond.

He has hosted investment banking conferences, spoken at investor conferences, and helped raise substantial startup capital. His network has opened countless revenue opportunities for companies he supports. If expanding into the U.S. market, he knows how: he brought his idea from Canada and launched it in the U.S. from scratch to become News USA, News USA Digital, and News USA TV. Many companies he joined at no revenue are now global and cash-positive; several have reached $50 million or more in annual revenue.