Full Name
Charles DeBow
Job Title
President / CEO
Company
National Black Chamber of Commerce
Speaker Bio
Mr. Charles H. DeBow, III is the Executive Director of the National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC). Over the past 20 years he has gained extensive experience as the liaison to the NBCC Global Federation of Chambers in North, Central, and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa. The NBCC has evolved as a global advocate on behalf of Black businesses. The National Black Chamber of Commerce® is
dedicated to economically empowering, sustaining African American communities through entrepreneurship, capitalistic activity within the United States, and via interaction with the Black Diaspora.

Mr. DeBow has focused work on the unconventional challenges confronting African American small businesses, its advocacy, and opportunities, along with the operational challenges of non-profit organizations. Emphasis is placed on the concept, administration, management, and implement of programs.

He also directs policies, initiatives, advocacy for public policy concerns, and represents the NBCC periodically on congressional sub committees. Recently serving as the Co-Chairman of Economic Opportunity of the U.S. State Department’s U.S. - Colombia Action Plan on Racial & Ethnic Equality (CAPREE) - a program conceived to provide solutions for conflict resolution for the Colombian Civil War.

As the NBCC's Executive Director, he is a key representative and advocate for business owners and employers in communities globally. There are more than 3,000 independent U.S. chambers with unique goals determined by diverse groups of members. Despite differences, all chamber directors work to promote and strengthen their communities by building prosperity through a healthy economy and a strong business sector

Charles H. DeBow, III is the son of one of the original Tuskegee Airman, Charles H. DeBow, Jr. He is a graduate of Indiana University’s Kelly School of Business. He has spent over 13 years in various capacities with CBS Records and 10 years as a marketing consultant developing campaigns for clients Michael Jackson, Prince, Janet Jackson, Sade, Earth, Wind & Fire, Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen, Luther Vandross, Teddy Pendergrass, and many more. The music industry experience provided a foundation for a legacy based on consumer marketing.

Today the NBCC is developing solutions to support commerce in the evolving Covid economic crisis for Black Small Businesses. We are striving for entrepreneurial diversity with infrastructure development, ITC, housing, energy, agri-business, cannabis, manufacturing, and natural resources with emphasis on socially responsive and Diverse Equitable & Inclusive practices. Mr. DeBow is presently overseeing project development domestically and in Colombia, Canada, Costa Rica, Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Kenya.
Twitter Handle
@NationalBCC
LinkedIn
Charles DeBow