About Us

RENÉE FACKLER

Owner | CEO

A Virginia Beach local, Renée is a proud Cape Henry Collegiate Dolphin and a beach girl at heart. After high school, she stayed in Virginia where she attended Virginia Tech, receiving her Bachelor of Science Degree and Master of Business Administration, both with an emphasis on Marketing. She worked for the Marketing and PR firm BPCM in New York City before heading back to the homeland and accepting the role of Marketing and PR Manager with the skydiving start-up, iFLY Virginia Beach. After seeing that project completely through and the company’s plan successfully take-off, Renée yearned to further utilize her professional marketing skills, experience and education and co-founded, AND ONE Marketing. As if starting one successful business wasn’t enough, she decided to really put her entrepreneurial skills to the test and fulfill her lifelong dream of solely owning her own business, thus creating Avant Group Creative Agency.

Renée would be happy never seeing another chia pet ever again, but did take care of her Tamagotchi quite well. Which translated well into her role as a mother of 4 and wife to a man that constantly tests her limits (and shares her entrepreneurial spirit). When Renée is not throwing herself into her work, you can find her either chasing after her 4 kids and two dogs, traveling, or giving back to her community. Renée serves on the boards of Generation MOCA and the Virginia Beach Jaycees, and has worked voluntarily on various marketing and fund-raising projects for cancer research, animal adoption shelters and Congressional campaigns.

She doesn’t have any plans to start another business…yet, but would love to help you with yours!

KELLY MAHAFFY

Content Manager

Originally from a small town in upstate New York, Kelly moved to Virginia Beach in August of 2019 from Greenville, North Carolina, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 2016 and Master of Business Administration in 2019. both from East Carolina University, with emphasis on Marketing and Project Management. While completing her Graduate studies at ECU, Kelly worked as a Digital Marketing Specialist for two international construction conferences. Through those two conferences, Kelly was able to travel to Colombo, Sri Lanka, and London, U.K. Traveling and digital marketing are Kelly’s two passions in life, so when she gets to combine them it is ideal. So far she has visited 23 countries and hopes to visit even more in the near future!

Kelly is a dog mom to a beautiful American Bulldog that she rescued 7 years ago. She is a huge animal lover and donates to local shelters whenever she gets the chance. Kelly is a newbie to Virginia Beach but has already been made to feel like a local through the friendly community that surrounds her!