Consider this tragic statistic: 64 Americans die by firearm suicide daily—that is one death every 22 minutes.

As an avid hunter, outdoorsman + conservationist—all things that the firearms industry is built on— Ryan Busse chased a childhood dream to secure a successful career selling millions of firearms for Kimber America, one of America’s most popular gun manufacturers. In 2020, disgusted by the gun industry’s abandonment of decency in favor of profit, Busse decided to quit the industry and end his 30-year career. Today, Busse provides consulting services to progressive organizations with the aim of undoing the country’s dangerous radicalization.

Ryan Busse, former executive at Kimber America, a major gun manufacturer, and author of the book Gunfight talks about his battle with the gun industry which he says, has radicalized America. He is a senior adviser for Giffords, a gun violence prevention group led by Gabby Giffords, a former Arizona congresswoman who was a victim of a mass shooting in 2011. Busse pulls back the curtain on America’s multibillion-dollar gun industry, exposing how it has fostered extremism and racism, radicalizing the nation and bringing cultural division to a boiling point.

Speakers

Ryan Busse

Ryan Busse is a former firearms executive who helped build one of the world’s most iconic gun companies and was nominated multiple times by industry colleagues for the prestigious Shooting Industry Person of The Year Award. Busse is an environmental advocate who served in many leadership roles for conservation organizations, including as an advisor for the United States Senate Sportsmen’s Caucus and the Biden Presidential Campaign. He remains a proud outdoorsman, gun owner, father, and resident of Montana.