Rick Nolan Diamond

Rick Diamond is the founder of Doceo Solutions LLC. Doceo (Latin for, “to inform”) provides a broad array of consulting services to companies looking for new and different ways to put information into action.  Doceo is also a vehicle through which Rick identifies and evaluates potential business opportunities for investment and/or active participation.

Rick's most recent business adventure is as the founder and CEO of Breathe - Freedom from Nicotine.  Breathe Therapy is a faster, easier and more effective method for people to quit tobacco.  Breathe opened in 2007 and has helped more than 8,000 clients, plus the many companies that have hired Breathe for their On-site Corporate Tobacco Cessation programs.  Breathe's fresh approach to helping people quit smoking reduces and eliminates the pain and discomfort normally associated with the withdrawal symptoms from  stopping tobacco or nicotine products, making it much easier for people to finally break their habit.

Rick was also CEO and co-founder of ACI Telecentrics, Incorporated. He served as the Chief Executive Officer and a Director of the company from its inception in 1987, until 2005.   Rick, and his partner Gary Cohen, founded ACI with just $4,, and they led it to its international scope.  ACI offered its clients internet-based customer services, outsourced teleservices, computer services, marketing consulting and site selection & expansion consulting. ACI had an annual growth rate that averaged nearly 50% per year for the first 15 years.  ACI completed its Initial Public Offering in 1996, and was listed on the NASDAQ public markets exchange. ACI operated 13 offices and employed more than 2,000 people in 7 states and Canada, plus operations in India.

Rick holds a BA degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Juris Doctorate from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri. Rick also attended the University of London, and completed Harvard Business School’s OPM program.  

Prior to and since founding the company, he has been active in community and business affairs. Rick is still a licensed attorney inMinnesota, and he has been involved in the founding of several businesses over the past years. Rick was also very active in TEC, the International Organization of CEOs, since 1996.

Rick has spoken at many business conferences such as the DMA, TBT, ATA, National Conference on Database Marketing, and Direct Marketing to Business and Industry Conference.  Rick has spoken as a visiting lecturer at the University of Minnesota - Carlson School of Business, Morrison Centerfor Entrepreneurship, and Univ. of St. Thomas MBA program. Rick served in the Carlson School of Business'  Mentors program. Rick has also served on the Board of Directors of the Animal Humane Society, the Board of Governors of the Alzheimer Association of Minnesota, President of the Harvard Business School Alumni Club of MN, and the Boards of Directors for ThreeWire Inc., C-Tech Inc, IntelAccount, Susatainable Cities Project, and MN SNAP (the Minnesota Spay Neuter Assistance Program).
 

Rick has been featured in many publications, including; Twin Cities Business Monthly, CitiBusiness, Minnesota Ventures, TeleProfessional, Wall Street Reporter, St. Paul Pioneer Press, a KARE 11 News extra, The Navigator, International Voice Technology Review, JATA, Teh Business Journal, Wall Street Transcript, CEOcast, Ventures Magazine, Profits Journal, Upsize Magazine, Simon & Shuster-Bureau of Business Practices, and others.

Rick has also been honored with several awards, including; CitiBusiness 40 Under 40 Award, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the year award finalist, along with many recognitions given to Rick’s companies over the past years; including the ACCE Excellence Award, the MVP Quality Award, GTE World Champion of Vendors Award, Ventures Magazine Top 10 Best Performing Businesses Award, Quebec’s Coup de Coeur Award, many Top 50 Awards and several Rising Star Awards.

Other assorted  experiences:

* Judicial Clerkship - State District Court ofMinnesota - 4th Judicial District. 

* Attorney - Law Offices of Stern, Levine, Lifson, Wagner & Strauss. 

* Editor at Piranha Press - Editor of the book, "Neither Madmen Nor Messiahs - A prescription for U.S. defense policies" written by Senator David Durenberger.    

To learn more about Breathe Therapy, see the story about Breathe in TWIN CITIES BUSINESS magazine:  Twin Cities Business magazine