Staff
Kelly Ross
Founder & Executive Director
Kelly Ross is a visionary nonprofit leader and social entrepreneur dedicated to empowering refugee and immigrant women through economic opportunity and community-driven support. As the founder of ECHO Collective, Ross has built a thriving network in Lincoln, Nebraska, that fosters entrepreneurship, leadership, and cultural integration.
A 2023 Inspire Founders Award recipient, a 2024 Young Lincoln Leaders Professional of the Year Award, and a 2024 Obama Foundation Leaders United States Program participant, Ross is deeply committed to advocacy and innovation in community development. Her leadership philosophy is rooted in the belief that when women are supported and uplifted, they, in turn, enrich their communities with stability, beauty, and resilience.
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 with a degree in Anthropology from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Her background in the food and hospitality industry has given her a love for connecting with people and serving them. Outside of work, Darian enjoys spending time with her husband, exploring restaurants trying new cuisines, and reading fantasy novels. Darian is a huge animal lover, sharing her home with two beloved cats, and has followed a vegetarian lifestyle for the past decade. Darian's passion extends to empowering New American women to chase their dreams, all while making her community a better place.
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
Sustainability & Resource Manager
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 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 serves as the Assistant Financial Manager at her alma mater, the Nebraska College of Business. With a deep belief in the transformative power of education, she has earned an MBA and an M.S. in Business Analytics. She cherishes time with her family and being a devoted mom to her son, Xavier.
Lori has been dedicated to supporting immigrant and refugee communities, collaborating with immigrant and refugee owned businesses, students, and families. As a small-town Nebraska native, she understands the vital role small businesses play in achieving the American dream.
She is passionate about empowering women in business, helping them define success on their own terms, and encouraging them to follow their dreams. Lori finds great fulfillment in supporting and celebrating the achievements of the strong, talented women of ECHO Collective who continue 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.
Board of Directors
Lily Ealey
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
Cheryl Horst
Vice Chair
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.
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.
Anjli Ohs
Past 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.
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.
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.
Nyabuoy Chan
Director
Nyabuoy Chan was born in a small town in South Sudan called Nasir. She came to the United States in 2004 after an arranged marriage organized by her parents and her ex-husband’s family.
Nyabuoy is the owner of a cleaning company, Buay Cleaning Services, and she also works for the Asian Community & Cultural Center as the Women's & Elders Program Assistant Manager. Being a single mother of six beautiful children, she has learned to have great balance between personal and work responsibilities by setting priorities for each task. She is certified as a Peer Support Specialist, Community Health Worker, and trained as a Domestic Violence Specialist.
Nyabuoy is a hard working person who believes that a combination of hard work and determination are keys for success in every job.
Joy Eakin
Director
Joy Eakin is the entrepreneurship program manager at NUtech Ventures, the technology transfer office for the University Nebraska – Lincoln and Kearney campuses. Joy is especially enthusiastic about approaching entrepreneurship education as a means of professional development and self-confidence building. She is dedicated to creating a sense of belonging for participants in any entrepreneurship training she teaches, as well as using her platform to help stakeholders connect with broader support networks across the city, state, and Midwest.
Past volunteer experience has included working with Lincoln Literacy Council, Habitat for Humanity, and the Cat House of Lincoln, as well as with various campus initiatives at UNL around DEI, innovation, and building professional development skills for students.
Joy has a bachelor’s degree in international studies and English from UNL, as well as a master’s degree in English Literature from Queen’s University Belfast. Outside of work, she loves to travel, visit museums, read, and entertain her spirited cats.
Nicki Behmer Popp
Director
Nicki Behmer Popp has worked in the real estate industry and been involved in governmental affairs for the past 15 years. Nicki and her husband, Josh Popp, started the Provision Realty Group with RE/MAX Concepts. Prior to selling real estate, she spent ten years in the Nebraska Legislature in roles that involved assisting in policy-making decisions, advocacy and lobbying. During this time, she worked on various issues including helping to introduce and pass legislation allowing DACA youth to obtain driver’s licenses in Nebraska.
Nicki is passionate about empowering women through increasing their social, economic, political and cultural influence in society and prioritizes community involvement and public service. She was elected to the Lincoln Airport Authority Board of Directors in 2021 and was a candidate for the Nebraska Legislature in the 2024 election. Additionally, she serves on the boards of Civic Nebraska, Friends of Lied and Women Investing in Nebraska and previously served on the boards of Hope Spoke and the Haydon Art Center. Behmer Popp is a member of the Governmental Affairs Committee for the Realtor’s Association of Lincoln, where she served on the public policy subcommittee.
Nicki holds an M.A. from the University of Nebraska and a B.A from Hastings College with a Minor in Studio Art. She and her husband have two boys, Hayden and Ian. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family, traveling, music, attending live performances, anything related to fashion and interior design, reading and playing golf.
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
Aakriti Agrawal, 2022-2024
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.