# Rick D. Smith

> Rick D. Smith is the founder and CEO of NewsUSA, a national content-syndication company established in 1987. His career spans accounting, computer retail, business books and News Canada; his current work connects guaranteed media placement with AI discoverability.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at NewsUSA
- **Organizations:** NewsUSA, News Canada, Computermaster Systems, Deloitte & Touche, Young Presidents Organization
- **Education:** BA in Economics, York University, Honours Bachelor of Commerce, University of Windsor, MBA studies; completion not specified, University of Toronto
- **Known for:** Founded NewsUSA in 1987 and continues to lead it., Founded News Canada before launching NewsUSA., Authored six books according to his Small Business Small Talk biography, including Getting Started, Getting Money and Getting Sales.

## Career timeline

- **1976** — Founded Computermaster Systems, according to published career profiles.
- **1980** — Founded News Canada; his book promotion helped develop the syndication model.
- **1987** — Founded NewsUSA.
- **2021** — Appeared on Small Business Small Talk to discuss his books, reinvention and promotion.
- **2022** — Discussed content syndication and his entrepreneurial beginnings with Neal Schaffer.
- **2025** — Promoted a July 9 webinar on nonprofit visibility and revenue.
- **2026** — NewsUSA markets media placement alongside AI visibility services; September articles quote Smith on local information and digital reputation.

## Achievements

- Founded NewsUSA in 1987 and continues to lead it.
- Founded News Canada before launching NewsUSA.
- Authored six books according to his Small Business Small Talk biography, including Getting Started, Getting Money and Getting Sales.
- His published interview biography identifies him as a Blue Chip Enterprise Award winner.
- Served on the faculty of the Young Presidents Organization and judged National Press Club Consumer Journalism Awards, according to his interview biography.
- A 2021 biography described him as an early seed investor in more than 100 emerging companies.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Quoted in a September 22 NewsUSA article about the importance of local reporting to a community’s discoverability in AI systems.
- **2026-09** — Discussed students’ digital reputations in a September 22 NewsUSA article about prospective employers using AI.

## Links

- Website: https://newsusa.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-smith-news

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/rick-d-smith-newsusa
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-22