President
Diamond Discs International | Milwaukee
Ugo Nwagbaraocha is president of Diamond Discs International, a Milwaukee-based supplier of construction tools, specializing in diamond-edged cutting blades, core bits and small power tool items. Diamond Discs is the largest, fully certified minority-owned wholesaler of construction tools in the Milwaukee area. Nwagbaraocha has served as president of the National Association of Minority Contractors’ Wisconsin chapter since 2019 and was elected in 2024 as vice president of the national board of directors for the NAMC. He has been an advocate for contractors of color, lobbying for the state to take a more active role in helping minority-owned firms compete for federally funded projects. In 2020, he was awarded the Small Business Administration’s Minority Small Business Champion Award.
He serves on the boards of Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, including as an officer since 2023, and of Children’s Wisconsin. In addition, he is a member of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, a board member of the Green Bay Packers’ Mentor Protege Program, a board member of the Better Business Bureau and a steering council member for Scale Up Milwaukee.
Under Nwagbaraocha’s leadership, Diamond Discs moved its corporate headquarters from West Allis to Milwaukee’s northwest side in 2018. He was previously director of sales before becoming president of Diamond Discs in 2007.
Education: Bachelor’s, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
2022 Wisconsin 275 Profile
Real Estate and Development | Construction
President
Diamond Discs International | Milwaukee
Ugo Nwagbaraocha, president of Milwaukee-based construction tools wholesaler Diamond Discs International, has emerged as a leading advocate for contractors of color statewide, lobbying for the state to take a more active role in helping minority-owned firms better compete for federally funded projects. Nwagbaraocha has served as president of the National Association of Minority Contractors’ Wisconsin chapter since 2019, and this year he was elected to serve on the national board of directors for the NAMC. He has served on the board of directors for Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce since 2013, is chairman of MMAC’s Business Council, and is on Children’s Wisconsin’s board of directors.
Education: Bachelor’s, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
First job and what did you learn from it: “Summerfest security guard. Treat people with respect, and let your actions demand respect. And good music is good music!”
Career advice: “My dad’s advice to me, ‘Make your point, but don’t burn the bridge. You never know when you might want to go back over that bridge.’ I am very thankful that I have helped build many formidable bridges in my career, literally and figuratively.”
Book recommendation: “‘Letter from a Birmingham Jail’ by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. True lesson in leadership and humility.”
What would make Wisconsin better: “More successful African American-owned businesses expanding and investing in the local communities.”
