We MADE the list — again! The University of South Florida (USF) Alumni Association recognized MADE as one of the 2022 USF Fast 56 — the fastest growing USF alumni-owned or -led businesses in the world.
MADE, led by USF Alum Michelle Ledford, is a branding and marketing agency founded in Lakeland, Florida in 2017 with business partner Allen Reed. For the second year, MADE was one of 56 USF Bull-owned or -led businesses inducted into the 2022 USF Fast 56 at a celebration held on Friday, September 9 at USF’s Tampa campus.
“It’s a tremendous honor to have our agency recognized by my alma mater, the University of South Florida, for the second year in a row” said Michelle Ledford, a 1995 graduate of USF. “Our team of clever creatives and accomplished strategists have propelled our growth and client base in the Southeast United States and other parts of the country. We believe good businesses can become great brands with the right mix of savvy marketing and vibrant design. That focus is what drives us everyday.”
To be considered for the USF Fast 56 program, an organization must have been in business for at least three years, meet a revenue minimum for the most recent 12-month period, and be owned or led by a USF graduate or former student.
The 2022 USF Fast 56 companies were ranked by percentage of cumulative annual growth in revenue, as documented by Cherry Bekaert LLP, a public accounting firm based in Tampa. Fifty-six USF alumni-owned or -led businesses were selected as recipients, in recognition of the year USF was founded, 1956. The University of South Florida has been ranked among the top 50 public universities in America and, for the first time, has cleared the top 100 among all universities, according to US News & World Report's 2022 rankings.
See the full list of all 56 of the 2022 USF Fast 56 Award recipients. Or, check out more about the MADE team and the work we do to help businesses—maybe like yours!