Andrew has one speed: FAST. Fresh out of Radford University with a degree in communications/PR, he was quickly hired as a media planner for Circuit City. Next thing anybody knew, he was leading the media efforts for the company’s South and West Coast markets and its affiliate CarMax. Then it was off to The Martin Agency as media planner for Kellogg’s, Seiko, TV Land, and Alltel. His transition into account management came when he joined The Bergman Group in Richmond, quickly taking the lead in the agency’s efforts for Capital One, Drive Time, Sandler Training, CapTech Ventures, Sports Management International, IMG, Greenway Medical, and Sheltering Arms Physical Rehabilitation Centers. As Initiator-in-chief at the agency he founded in 2011, his sense of urgency, strategic ability and relationship management skills are highly valued by our clients. He’ll be sharing his expertise around the country as a featured presenter at six national conferences in the Digital Summit 2020 Series. The series is designed to provide innovative strategies in digital advertising and marketing from recognized experts in the field. Andrew will be on the speaker lineup at conferences in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York City, Tampa and Kansas City. Wherever he is or whatever needs to be done to ensure success for our agency or our clients, Andrew is always making things happen. Fast.

Give Andrew a quick shout here.

There’s no mistaking Theresa’s passion for people, process, and technology! Her energy is contagious and leaves us better, smarter, and faster than yesterday— especially in the face of constant change and fast-moving delivery. As an experienced business leader, Theresa drives for operational excellence in everything we do, from client onboarding to digital strategy to customer service. And she’s also a total nut about data: reporting, analytics, and insights.

Theresa has held senior roles across a variety of global organizations, including Capital One, Genworth Financial, and Renaissance Reinsurance and has worked with impressive brands such as UPS, The Carter Center, College of William & Mary and Dominion Energy. You could say that Theresa’s superpower is asking the right questions to uncover the real issue, developing ways to be more efficient and effective, and leading us to be the best we can be. Theresa received a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Education from Mary Washington College and a master’s degree in Organization Development from American University. Her passion for empowering people to transform themselves extends to the community, where she has served on the Board of Directors at the READ Center (Richmond, VA) and the Centre on Philanthropy (Bermuda). Theresa is always on the go, but you can catch her volunteering at Peter Paul Development Center, teaching hot yoga classes, or trying to tame Daisy, the rescue beagle.

Say ‘sup to Theresa here.

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.

Anne brings two very different, very strong skill sets to our clients: She’s an experienced account executive as well as an award-winning designer. That means that Anne understands the strategic and creative sides of the business equally well, and can run her projects efficiently and effectively. After attending The Art Institutes, Anne worked for a number of ad agencies, spending six years as creative director for one local agency. She’s also been a business owner, handling everything that goes into running a small marketing firm. Anne’s client list includes Allergan (which developed Botox®), Carpenter (a Fortune 500 consumer products manufacturer), Smithfield Foods, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and Hilldrup Moving and Storage.

Send Anne a message here.

Alyssa is passionate about all things digital. She loves developing strategic digital campaigns to help businesses reach their target demographics. Her passion for research helps her stay on top of new platform updates and trends across the digital landscape. She has worked in numerous industries ranging from government to home services. When not in the office you will find Alyssa playing with her pets or making jewelry.

Say hello to Alyssa here.

When you need someone to take care of the tasks that you can’t, or think of the things you don’t, Sarah is already on it. Detail is the name of her game. Sarah has grown with initiate-it from the very beginning and handles all sorts of accounts — large, small, and everywhere in between. She spends most of her time on the Sandler business (an international sales and leadership training organization) providing strategic account direction and project management services for their national lead generation program. Not only does Sarah enjoy the account services side of the business, but she also assists with operations. Every day on the job is different, and that’s why Sarah loves agency life. When she’s not in the office, Sarah likes to spend time outside with friends.

Ask Sarah “what’s up?” here.

A division 1 athlete with a studio art degree, Libby has always had to balance the unique tension between her creative and logistic sides. She is a quick learner who loves big splashes of paint and never missing deadlines. Working with clients like Sandler Training and M&Ms has allowed her to expand her expertise in all creative genres. She finds life at a digital-first agency particularly exciting because of its fast-paced, always-changing, limit-pushing nature. Libby also proudly serves as initiate-it’s self-appointed resident lunch enthusiast.

Give Libby a lil’ buzz here.

Mary Grace has always had a wild imagination and an eye for detail – two characteristics that guide her creative process whether she’s working on graphic design, animation, video production, or photography. Her prior experience as both a digital analyst and account manager provides her a unique perspective on the intricacies of a fast-paced, digital landscape. Mary Grace studied Media Arts & Design, Graphic Design, and Photography at James Madison University, which honed her artistic ambitions into real-world skills and strategies that led her directly to the initiate-it team. On the off chance that she isn’t holed up in the cave (otherwise known as our in-house production studio), you can probably find her teaching barre classes, drinking diet coke, or snuggling with her three pugs.

Chitchat with Mary Grace here.

Simply put, Jason is here to create memorable, effective work. With over 20 years of agency experience he has a growing track record of elevating brands. As a creative director with a copy background, Jason leads teams to make the connection between strategy and concept.

And even though it’s not brain surgery or rocket science, he thinks “cracking the code” to consumers’ hearts and minds is pretty close.

Touch base with Jason here.

While all of initiate-it’s team members are talented and experts in their respective fields, maybe none are more proficient at their assigned tasks than Pearl, initiate-it’s Chief Happiness Pawfficer.

Known for her tenacious attitude and ‘go-get-em” mindset, Pearl fits in well with the rest of the office and has been nothing but a boon to productivity since joining the team. Her presence has contributed to record highs in smiles and use of puppy-voices

Pearl has been a committed advertising specialist since she was just a little pup in the industry, and now, a seasoned professional, spends her days inspiring the office with her charm, honing her technical expertise skills, and after greeting all, sleeping under her mom’s desk.