2024 Business Women Awards
ACHIEVEMENT HONOREE: Judy Rametta
StarTrak Studios Inc. president
JUDY RAMETTA ISN’T what you’d call a name dropper, and she wants people to know that celebrities don’t stop by her production house, StarTrak Studios Inc., every single day. But there are exceptions.
For example, the time Oscar-winning actress Olympia Dukakis arrived and settled in.
“She brought a friend and spent the afternoon reminiscing about her early days,” Rametta said.
And former Warwick resident James Woods, the fast-talking character actor.
And Justin Bieber: “He arrived with more vehicles and people than everyone else,” she said.
Rametta oversees an audio/video company with a full-time staff of three who work with advertising, media and direct clients. Additional crew members and dozens of voiceover, on-air talent and other freelancers are also housed in a sprawling, 3,000-square-foot facility in Warwick.
Rametta was drawn to a media career from the outset. She edited her high school yearbook, then graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science in photojournalism, followed by a full-time reporting job.
“I was at the Woonsocket Call, where a lot of the news was about landfills,” she said. “The stories were pretty gritty.”
Looking for a change, she went on a job interview at Bogh AV Productions, a marketing and public relations firm. She worked at Bogh for 10 years, eventually moving up to production manager.
“I met my future husband, Jack, there as a client,” she said.
They married in 1992, and she joined him at StarTrak a year later, eventually becoming the company’s majority partner. Today, as president, she manages and produces projects, and handles the business side. Her husband is the main videographer and an accomplished composer, with several New England Emmys for his original scores.
Over the years, StarTrak’s roster of clients has grown. Many are referrals; some are current, and some are repeats, including Paul Masse car dealerships, BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings Inc. and Gem Plumbing & Heating Co.
The company has also worked with politicians, including former Gov. Gina M. Raimondo, Sen. Jack Reed and many other Rhode Island public officials.
“We’re not political animals though,” Rametta said. “We try to stay out of politics. At any one moment, we may be working with a dozen clients. We’ve put out hundreds of radio spots and at least 200 for TV.”