“At initiate-it, we invest in technology, education and people so we can deliver optimal results. Having good people doing the right thing creates and builds trust for our agency’s internal culture and for our clients.”

A born entrepreneur, Andrew takes tremendous pride in the steady growth of the agency he founded over 10 years ago when he saw that advertising with shifting from traditional channels to digital. Under his guidance, initiate-it was named one of Richmond’s fastest-growing companies with an impressive portfolio of local, regional, national and even global clientele. He and his team have created successful, results-oriented digital marketing and social media campaigns for some of America’s most trusted brands. His reputation for helping consumer brands connect and engage with current and potential customers through nimble, highly creative digital marketing strategies and tactics has elevated him to the status of a respected thought-leader in the industry. He was invited to be a featured presenter at several national Digital Summit conferences. Also, he was asked to author an article for an international publication, the Journal of Digital and Social Media Marketing, sharing a case study of a multifaceted campaign that significantly increased in-store sales for a national retailer. Andrew’s adventurous, no-fear approach to pushing the boundaries of creativity in digital media also extends to his vacations, where he tests his survival skills by bonefishing alone on the flats outside of McLean’s Town in the Bahamas. A graduate of Radford University, Andrew is married and the proud Dad of a son and daughter.

“It’s so rewarding to get positive feedback from clients on how our efficient digital advertising spend resulted in significant increases in sales and/or engagement.”

Sarah’s role at initiate-it has grown exponentially since she joined the agency in 2013 as a part-time employee. Her organizational skills and creative talents quickly led to a full-time position as Account Executive, where she excels at developing strategy and execution on digital marketing campaigns for our largest clients including a global sales training franchisor. While attending conferences for the franchisees, she often hears how initiate-it’s expertise in creating highly effective digital marketing tactics has benefited them at the local level. This seasoned pro has also added Operations to her responsibilities at the agency. An enthusiastic team player, she loves watching her colleagues get excited when they experience an “Aha” moment that will elevate a client’s brand or have a great idea to share. A graduate of Longwood University, she took classes in criminology and psychology, and learned skills that she uses in client work. She prefers doing anything outdoors and lives in RVA’s Museum District, where she walks and bikes to nearby breweries and restaurants—often in search of sushi or Asian cuisine.

“I like watching a campaign go in the right direction and knowing that I helped make it happen. Digital advertising is a fascinating world that is always evolving.”

Since joining the initiate-it team as Digital Marketing Coordinator in the Spring of 2021, Hayley has leaned into the digital advertising space in a big way. She helps to design and launch digital campaigns for clients and the agency, along with analyzing and reporting data from the campaigns. Her social media skillset has broadened through the collaborative culture of learning at initiate-it, and she’s well on her way to teaching a master class in how strategic social media advertising can reach specific target audiences during a campaign. After earning a degree in creative advertising from VCU’s Mass Communications program, she began her career at a winery in the Shenandoah Valley, where she handled social media, graphic design, photography and digital advertising before becoming a marketing assistant at a company specializing in scientific instruments and then finding a home at initiate-it. She lives in historic Church Hill and enjoys cooking and trying new restaurants. A budding botanist, she experiments with propagating plants from clippings and tracking their growth.

“I love the photography and production side of the agency business, especially working in our expanded in-house studio.”

Mary Grace joined initiate-it in 2017 after graduating from James Madison University’s School of Media Arts & Design. Rising to the position of Art Director, she expertly manages the majority of the agency’s production work including photography, videography and graphic design. She is our go-to resource when clients of all sizes and industry categories request high-quality photo and video elements, as well as animation, in their digital marketing campaigns. Some of the cutting-edge production skills she has honed at initiate-it involve stop-motion and motion-based photography. A self-described nerd about interior design, she admits to reading textbooks on that topic like other people read novels. She also frequents antique shops and thrift stores in her leisure time, along with visiting museums and restaurants in the Fan neighborhood of Richmond. This art lover dabbles in everything from painting to calligraphy and laughs about her obsession for always re-arranging the furniture.

Billy Collins brings a broad range of brand management experience to initiate-it, after leading Mega Brands in the US like Aveeno, Lubriderm and RoC, the global billion dollar brand of Listerine, as well as serving as the CMO of the emerging challenger brand, Soapbox Soaps. Billy is most passionate about having the ability to meet someone, listen and then help solve their core brand and business challenges.

A digital native grounded in consumer behavior fundamentals, Billy approaches each brand individually to identify the best positioning unique to its category with a key focus on what matters to the target consumer. This approach was developed by leveraging traditional marketing strategies combined with emerging digital media tools to grow both retail and eCommerce business, working within both Fortune 100 and startup environments. The results that follow Billy come from leveraging strong communication and interpersonal skills to set a vision for the brand, to develop team members and to partner with all key stakeholders. Billy received his undergraduate degree from Duke University and his MBA from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School because at the core, Billy’s about building bridges even though he will always pull for the Blue Devils.

Reach out to Billy here.