Ron Busby, Sr.: The National Voice of Black Business

Black Wall Street WASHINGTON, DC Honoree | President & CEO, U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Some people you meet and quickly forget. And then there are those rare individuals who leave a mark every single time you cross paths. Ron Busby, Sr., is that kind of man.

I first met Ron through a mutual friend, the late Mr. Michael Graham — a media entrepreneur from Pulaski Street, not far from my elementary school, Matthew A. Henson. Mike made the introduction, and it stuck. At the time, Ron had just formed the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc., headquartered right here in Washington, D.C.

Over the years, our paths have crossed in some remarkable places. We ran into each other in Portland in 2014 during the National Newspaper Publishers Association annual meeting, where former California Speaker Ron Brown was the keynote speaker. We’ve crossed paths at the White House — more than once — and I’ve even had the privilege of attending White House events alongside the U.S. Black Chambers.

All of that is to say: I’ve had the chance to watch this man work for years. And what I’ve witnessed is a leader of rare character — professional, effective, and genuinely committed to Black economic empowerment.

When Ron told me how he built his family’s business into a company with hundreds of employees and a $14 million portfolio, I wasn’t surprised — because that level of accountability and determination is simply who he is. What truly impresses me is that the man can get almost anybody on the phone. That takes some doing. And through it all, he remains one of the kindest and most approachable businessmen you’ll ever meet — with an undying love for Blackness.

Building from the Ground Up

Ron Busby’s entrepreneurial story is the kind that should be taught in business schools. He grew his first company, USA Superclean, from $150,000 in annualized revenue to over $15 million in just 10 years — making it the largest Black-owned janitorial firm in the country. He then started and grew two additional janitorial firms, each generating over $4 million in annualized revenue.

Before founding USBC, Ron sharpened his business acumen at some of the largest corporations in America — Exxon, Xerox, IBM, and Coca-Cola USA — where he was recognized as National Salesperson of the Year. He later served as President of the Greater Phoenix Black Chamber of Commerce for five years before taking his chamber experience to the national stage.

Leading the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.

For more than 14 years, Ron Busby has served as President and CEO of the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC), the national voice of Black business in America. Under his leadership, USBC has become a global network of self-sustaining Black chambers and small business associations, built on five core pillars: Advocacy, Access to Capital, Contracting, Entrepreneur Training, and Chamber Development.

Most recently, USBC made history with the acquisition of the former BET Campus in Washington, D.C. — a 7.88-acre landmark once home to Robert L. Johnson’s groundbreaking media empire. With an investment exceeding $30 million, Ron is transforming the site into the USBC Innovation Campus, envisioned as the epicenter of Black business, entrepreneurship, media, and workforce development in America.

Ron currently serves on the Pfizer Small Business Council, the National Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation Board of Directors, and the White House African American Leadership Council. A graduate with honors from both Florida A&M University and Clark Atlanta University, he also pursued advanced business studies at the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College.

A native of Oakland, California, and a proud father, Ron is a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and currently resides in the Washington, D.C. area.

It is with immense pride that the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards — on the occasion of its 15th Anniversary Homecoming — returns to Washington, D.C. to honor Ron Busby, Sr. This city is where it all started. And it is fitting that we open our D.C. homecoming with a man who has spent over a decade ensuring Black businesses have a seat at every table that matters.

Ron Busby, Sr. — YOU ARE BLACK WALL STREET!

Doni Glover is the founder and publisher of BMORENews.com, now in its 24th year of covering Black Baltimore, and the founder of the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards, now in its 15th year. He is also the host of the Emmy-nominated Doni Glover podcast and The Doni Glover Show on WMAR-TV 2.