Deborah Bradley began her professional career as a Certified Public Accountant with Deloitte & Touche in Chicago and Denver before moving to New York City in 1990 to get her MBA from Columbia University. In 1993, after leaving a corporate job in finance to start a family, she founded Deborah Bradley Construction one block from the University, her first client.

Bradley took full advantage of the training programs for women and minorities in contracting and joined many of the construction organizations geared toward women contractors and small businesses. She became a contractor in the New York City School Construction Authority Mentor program and was one of the outstanding graduates winning many Public School and City contracts. She soon became established in the New York construction industry, dealing with major institutions such as Columbia University, the New York City School Construction Authority, and DASNY, and forming sub-consulting and teaming arrangements with major Construction Management firms such as TDX Construction, STV, Turner Construction, Skanska USA and Jacobs Engineering.