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In 1999, Ridgley founded a marketing firm specializing in new media, where her organization helped clients such as Burger King® and Heineken® with branding projects and “advergaming”. After earning the accolade of “Central Florida’s Fastest Growing Technology Firm”, Ridgley sold her portion of the successful Orlando Company.

Ridgley’s knowledge of corporate process, business management and client service is an integral component in her success and her contributions to Brandt Ronat + Company, a rapidly growing, award-winning firm. In addition to the perspective gained by starting and managing her own agency, Ridgley’s points of view on business and marketing have also been shaped by her time spent as a marketing director in fast-paced technology companies.

“Reporting directly to the CEO of a large international business provided a close look at the organization as a whole. I understand that marketing is only a fraction of the business and that there are many priorities, personalities and business strategies to consider when making even the small decisions,” says Ridgley of her role leading the marketing department of a global firm, working closely with product development and with sales teams in 13 different countries.

Ridgley joined Brandt Ronat + Company in July of 2005. Ridgley will continue to identify and cultivate new business opportunities and work with existing clients and BR+C personnel to refine the internal analysis metrics used to gauge the success of completed projects and to measure progress of ongoing projects.

Melinda Ridgley was recently listed as an “Up-And-Comer” on the “100 Most Influential Business Leaders” list published by Space Coast Business Magazine. Among the criteria for winning this designation—“people with a wide sphere of local influence; people with the personal and/or business resources to get things done.”

In 2007, Melinda Ridgley and her husband, Bryan Ridgley (Ridgley Commercial Real Estate), were named Co-Volunteers of the Year by the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast. According to an article published in Florida Today, George Mikitarian, the commission’s board chairman, said the Ridgleys were recognized for “their service to the EDC, with a new type of passion, commitment, determination and a gut for knowing what’s right when they see it.”

Ridgley is also a certified grief facilitator for children experiencing terminal illness and the death of immediate family members.

Brandt Ronat + Company (BR+C) is a mature design solutions firm known for creating brand strategies and high-value message development, sustainable communications and advertising systems for clients in financial, health and wellness, space and technology, community infrastructure, real estate development and retail. Recent work with Health First, Hospital de la Concepción (Puerto Rico), The Viera Company, BankFIRST, the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast, Community Educators Credit Union, Gatto’s Tires & Auto Service and Space Foundation (Colorado/Washington, D.C.) often involves reaching customers in hard-to-capture categories or circumstances and in complex environments where messaging is a challenge. The Brandt Ronat + Company headquarters, at 60 McLeod, Merritt Island, Florida, has received several honors for responsible and inspired renovation of an older property.