RBI Strategies & Research
Our People
Rick Ridder
President and Co-Founder
rick@rbistrategies.com
Rick Ridder is President and Co-Founder of RBI Strategies and Research, a former presidential campaign manager and a senior consultant for six other presidential campaigns. Rick has consulted for numerous U.S. Congressional, gubernatorial, and state and local initiative campaigns. Internationally, he has worked in over 23 nations including the successful campaigns of seven heads of state. His firm is one of the few firms to win Pollie Awards (the Oscars of the political industry) for creative efforts, technology applications, and management capabilities (“International Consultant of the Year” and “Statewide Ballot Initiative of the Year”).
Rick has also been recognized with the “Award of Achievement” from the Gleitsman Foundation for “commitment and leadership initiating social change” and by the International Association of Political Consultant’s with their “Founders Lifetime Achievement Award” for “contributing to the robust debate of world issues, civil discourse, and the sharing of knowledge of the democratic political process.”
Rick is an accomplished author having written for “Salon,” “Campaigns and Elections,” “Australian Financial Review, “RealClear Politics,” and “The Denver Post”. His book, Looking for Votes in All the Wrong Places, received top honors for “Humor” and “Politics” from the Colorado Independent Publishers Book Association. Additionally, he has appeared on “The Daily Show,” all major US networks, the BBC, Australian Broadcasting and a number of other foreign broadcast networks. A sought-after speaker, Rick has spoken at numerous symposia, conferences, and trainings including as Keynote Speaker at Oxford University, Oxford, UK, and the Danish Communications Association, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Rick holds a B.A. from Middlebury College, a M.S. from Boston University, and is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Denver’s Korbel School of International Studies. He lives in Oak Creek, Colorado with his wife and business partner, Joannie Braden.
Joannie Braden has been involved in politics for over 40 years. Since starting RBI with her husband, she has been integral to every aspect of the firm’s development. As managing partner, Joannie has oversight of all RBI operations, clients, projects, and marketing efforts.
Her expertise includes campaign strategy, voter contact, survey research, and budgeting. Joannie enjoys working with both candidates and non-profits, especially women’s reproductive health advocates and environmental groups. She has worked closely with clients on ad creation, messaging and media placement. She has been involved in campaigns and campaign training programs in Mexico, the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, and Sweden.
She is a yoga and fitness enthusiast, a discriminating coffee drinker, and an avid reader. She has a working knowledge of Spanish and holds a B.A. from Bennington College.