Staff
Kelly Ross
Founder & Executive Director
Kelly Ross is from Lincoln, Nebraska, and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in Spanish. Since college, she has been working with refugees and immigrants in a variety of ways, as a caseworker, paralegal, citizenship instructor, and ESL instructor. Through her work, she has developed a passion for working with those new to the United States and insight into the unique barriers they face. After claiming to be a “cat person” for years, Kelly finds herself with two dogs that bring her so much joy. She also loves to read and watch trivia shows with her husband.
Darian Gemmell
Manager & Instructor | The Refinery
Darian is a Nebraska native and graduated from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln with a degree in Anthropology in May 2022. Darian has an extensive background in the food and hospitality industry, which has given her a love for serving and making connections with those around her. Outside of work, Darian loves spending time with her husband, trying new restaurants, or going to the movies. She also is an animal lover, having two cats at home and being a vegetarian for 10 years. Darian is committed to making a positive impact on those around her and giving immigrant women the skills to succeed in their business dreams.
Cecilia Vargas
Program Manager | Fiber Art
Cecilia was born in Mexico. She is a homemaker and has a small business called Best Knit. Cecilia has three children, a dog, and two guinea pigs. She moved to Lincoln with her family in 2017. Cecilia likes to spend time with her family and enjoys watching movies together or taking a walk in nature.
In 2020, Cecilia started studying business at ECHO Collective, and in 2021, she started her own business. Now, Cecilia is very excited to be part of the great team of ECHO Collective.
Jessica Gebers
Creative Programming Associate
Jessica’s home has always been good old Lincoln, Nebraska. She graduated from Northeast High School in May of 2022 and attended the Career Academy for business college credit courses. She currently studies business with Southeast Community College.
Jessica has always had a heart for fashion and empowering women. She has been a part of the Omaha Fashion Camp to help prepare the next generation of designers. In 2020, Jessica began creating her own brand called JG Sustainable Fashion. Her small business aims to encourage young women to reuse old clothing. Jessica offers services to mend and alter old apparel to give it new life.
Lori Sorto
Community Partner
Lori Sorto works at her alma mater, the UNL College of Business, as the Assistant Financial Manager. With a strong belief in the power of education, she has earned an M.S. in Business Analytics degree and MBA with a Specialization in Supply Chain Management. She enjoys spending time with her family and being a great mom to her son, Xavier.
Lori has worked with immigrant and refugees since 2001, which includes immigrant and refugee-owned restaurants and with students and families at LNS. A small-town Nebraska native, Lori understands how valuable small business is within the American dream. She is passionate about supporting women to thrive in business, define success for themselves, and follow their dreams. She enjoys the opportunity to empower and celebrate the achievements of the strong and talented women of ECHO Collective, who are helping to inspire future generations of women leaders.
Noor “NB” Basim
Assistant Instructor | The Refinery
Noor “NB” was born in Iraq and traveled around when she was a kid. She settled in San Diego for 12 years until she moved to Lincoln, Nebraska. NB has a passion to buy a franchise and own and manage it, hence why she is studying Hospitality and Management at Southeast Community College. NB loves to help and encourage women to be independent and not be afraid to step their foot out into the world strongly and confidently, and at ECHO, there is a great advantage to meeting new women and empowering them all together. NB loves boba, hamsters, music, and her loved ones, and in her free time she likes watching movies and cooking.
Kate Wandsnider
Family Support & Outreach Intern
Kate Wandsnider is from Lincoln, Nebraska, and is currently working on her undergraduate degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Global Studies, minoring in Arabic studies along with Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid. Kate is passionate about cultivating and fostering cross-cultural relationships. After recently completing a study abroad in Amman, Jordan, she is eager to sustain and grow her Arabic language ability. Upon graduation, she hopes to volunteer in the Peace Corps and further her work with community building. Kate, in her free time, likes to play soccer and go on bike rides. She is excited to gain in-field experience working with immigrants and building essential relationships.
Board of Directors
Anjli Ohs
Chair
Anjli was born in India and raised in the United States and Ukraine, where she spent eight years assisting her parents teach English as a second language to university students. The distinct perspective brought from growing up at a university and assisting her parents as they taught ESL in a foreign country provided her with a passion for learning a second language and helping others get a cultural understanding.
Anjli moved to Lincoln, Nebraska in 2006. She graduated from the College of Architecture at UNL with a degree in Interior Design and after years of working for both local and national design firms, she founded her own interior design company. As a business owner, Anjli is passionate about helping other women start their own entrepreneurial endeavors and empowering them to be successful in the business world.
In her free time, Anjli enjoys walks with her Labrador Riley, Paddle Boarding, Yoga, and spending time with family and friends.
Lily Ealey
Vice Chair
Lily Ealey is an attorney and was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska. She has a passion for ensuring inclusivity, equity, and opportunities for all.
She graduated from Hastings College with a degree in Biology. While in college, Lily lived in Kathmandu, Nepal for three months, where she worked in a children’s hospital and with a volunteer organization rebuilding schools after the 2015 earthquakes. After graduating, she attended Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where she got her Juris Doctor.
In her free time, Lily enjoys spending time with her family and friends, playing the bass, traveling, and serving her community. She also serves on the board of directors for Santa Monica House, an organization that provides a refuge for women who are ready to recover from addiction
Connor Lemon
Treasurer
Born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, Connor Lemon is a Surety Bond Executive who spends his days building relationships, reviewing financial statements, and issuing bonds. Connor has 10+ years of financial experience and has a passion for financial education. When Connor isn’t at work, he spends his time pumping iron at the gym, grabbing a brew with friends, or taking his two pit bulls on a walk around the neighborhood with his fiancee Jackie.
Whitney Fritzinger
Secretary
Although not a native of Lincoln, Whitney has called Lincoln home since 2006. She received her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry with minors in Mathematics and East Asian Studies in 2010. While working in the laboratory, Whitney decided she wanted to explore a new industry and entered the IT field where she discovered a love of business, entrepreneurship, and innovation. In 2021 Whitney completed her MBA from Doane University. She currently works for Doane University as an Adjunct Professor of Business. When she’s not working you can find her reading, studying, or playing sports with her friends. Whitney is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Instructional Design.
Liz Ring Carlson
Director
Liz Ring Carlson has been in the insurance and financial services industry for over 24 years. She has extensive experience in public relations, marketing, and leadership. At Ameritas, she leads a team that handles communications, media relations, marketing sponsorships, advertising, and philanthropy. Community involvement, and especially civic responsibility, is always a priority. Liz is chair of the Lincoln Public Schools Superintendent’s Advisory Council and also serves on the University of Nebraska President’s Advisory Board. She’s also active in RISE Lincoln, an organization for local female business leaders. Liz is also serves on the board of directors for Lincoln Littles and as chair of the Early Childhood Champions. She also loves volunteering with Head Start, her kids schools and at her church, Blessed Sacrament.
Liz is married to Justin Carlson, who serves on the Lincoln City Council, and they have three children.
Francisca Beltran
Director
Francisca grew up in Texas and has lived in Lincoln for over 30 years. She has worked for over 20 years with the Lincoln community, and her passion is helping people and seeing them grow in their endeavors. She currently works for the Lincoln Commission on Human Rights and does outreach work. She enjoys spending time with family, gardening, listening to music, and admiring nature.
Aakriti Agrawal
Director
Aakriti Agrawal, a 2016 and 2022 alumnus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, taught herself to computer program upon graduating and saw the lack of female representation in STEM fields first-hand. She knew something needed to be done to end the vicious cycle. She co-founded Girls Code Lincoln, a local grassroots nonprofit that helps bridge the gender gap in technology. Aakriti balances nonprofit volunteering with a full-time job – she is a Senior Data Governance Specialist at Ameritas. She remains involved in the community through her work with local nonprofits and the University, was awarded the 2021 Inspire Women’s Founders Award and the 2021 YPG Emerging Leader of the Year Award for her philanthropy, has given a TEDx talk, and enjoys painting and traveling.
Cheryl Horst
Director
Cheryl is Associate Director and Intellectual Property Counsel for NUtech Ventures, a non-profit affiliate of UNL. Cheryl’s primary responsibilities include filing and managing a portfolio of patents, trademarks and copyrights, as well as involvement in various stages of licensing. She is a graduate of UNL College of Law, and has a BS and MS from UW Madison in the fields of microbiology and immunology. Cheryl moved to Lincoln in 2009, and enjoys helping inventors and entrepreneurs see their ideas have an impact in the world. Cheryl actively participates in local events and promotes inclusive innovation, Women in STEM and first generation college students. In her free time, Cheryl loves to spend time with her husband Jamin and two children.
Reyna Carbajal
Director
Reyna Carbajal Alvarez Grew up in Mexico City; she moved to Lincon in 2020. She has a bachelor's degree in Architecture and a master's degree in Facility Management. Reyna is currently leading a CAD-Estimating team for Grain Bin Systems for Summit Contracting around Nebraska. She also has her own small business, Inspecta Drone Services, providing roof inspection services for properties and drone photography and videography services. Reyna got her FAA certification as a drone pilot in 2023.
She loves being involved in community activities and meeting new people. Reyna has learned from life that the best way to learn is by teaching and sharing. Reyna's hobbies are running, dancing, learning about technology, and growing bonsais.
Former Directors
Anne Koehler, 2020-2021
Caitlin Moore, 2020-2021
Faheem Rashidi, 2020-2021
Nyabuoy Chan, 2020-2021
Lisandra Jorge, 2020-2022
Annette Marquez, 2021-2022
Umeda Islamova, 2020-2023
Kersha Kahrs, 2020-2023
Lee Kreimer, 2020-2024
Human Resources Advisory Board
Ashley Krajewski
Director of HR, Procore
Ashley Krajewski is a transplant to the Midwest and happy to call Nebraska home. She has worked in a variety of industries in functions including higher education, state government, retail, tech and e-commerce. Ashley has led teams for 20 years and consistently sought roles where she can focus on the growth and development of others, both at work and in our local communities. Ashley is currently a Director of HR at Procore and serves as a member of the Greater Lincoln Workforce Development Board
Jacqui Roberts
Sr Human Resources Business Partner, Ameritas
Jacqui Roberts is from Lincoln, NE and graduated from College of Saint Mary’s in Omaha with a degree in Business Administration-Human Resources. She has been at Ameritas for 6 years and is currently a Senior Human Resources Business Partner where she formulates partnerships across the HR function to achieve business area people-related strategies and objectives. Prior to Ameritas spent 15 years in various leadership roles for a retailer and a year traveling in Up With People as a student. She spends most of her free time in the garden or with her husband, four kids, and two dogs, but also loves traveling.
Grant Advisory Board
Molly Delphia
Client Solutions Specialist, SweetRush
Molly Delphia is a Colorado native, but is happy to now call Nebraska home with her husband and two kids. With a bachelor’s degree in Peace, Justice, and Social Change, Molly is passionate about creating inclusive communities. She has 5+ years of experience in both nonprofit and e-learning industries with a hidden talent for grant writing and grant management. Driven to serve others, Molly takes pride in being empathetic, collaborative, and solutions oriented in efforts to empower others on a global scale. She assisted with entrepreneurship classes for young women in Cambodia, worked in the foster care system in Peru, taught ESL, and continues to seek ways to engage with others on a deeper level that inspires mutual growth and development. Molly spends most of her free time with her family and friends or finding new adventures.