ABOUT URL COLLECTIVE
URL Collective is a nonprofit organization founded in 2024 by URL Media co-founders Sara Lomax and S. Mitra Kalita to expand the reach and impact of initiatives that strengthen the media ecosystem.
We support community-based, legacy, and early-stage media outlets—especially those serving Black and Brown communities—through capacity-building programs, training, and resource development designed to help these organizations grow and sustain their work.
Operating at the intersection of community empowerment and media sustainability, URL Collective helps publishers build stronger business foundations, develop operational systems, and access the tools needed to succeed in a rapidly changing media industry. We also equip emerging and established journalists with the skills, networks, and opportunities to authentically represent underrepresented voices.
Through this work, URL Collective is helping build a more equitable and resilient information landscape—one where diverse communities are better informed, better represented, and more connected.
OUR MISSION
URL Collective is committed to strengthening and fortifying communities by empowering the media and information ecosystem. We believe a thriving democracy depends on journalism that informs, serves, and reflects the full diversity of our society—especially voices that have too often been overlooked or unheard. Through education and training initiatives, policy advocacy, and forward-thinking business solutions, we support independent journalism and help community publishers remain trusted sources of truth, accountability, and connection. By expanding access to resources and amplifying diverse perspectives, URL Collective is working to build a more equitable and resilient media landscape—one where communities are better informed, better represented, and better equipped to shape their future.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sara Lomax
President
Sara Lomax
President
Sara Lomax serves as President of the URL Collective Board of Directors. She is also the President and Co Founder of URL Media and the President and CEO of WURD Radio, LLC, Pennsylvania’s only African-American owned talk radio station. She is credited with transforming WURD Radio from a legacy talk radio station to a multimedia communications company providing cutting edge, original programming on air, online, through video and community events. Prior to her work with WURD Radio and URL, in 1992 Sara co-founded HealthQuest: Total Wellness for Body, Mind & Spirit, a trailblazing African-American consumer health magazine.
Sara Lomax
President
Sara Lomax serves as President of the URL Collective Board of Directors. She is also the President and Co Founder of URL Media and the President and CEO of WURD Radio, LLC, Pennsylvania’s only African-American owned talk radio station. She is credited with transforming WURD Radio from a legacy talk radio station to a multimedia communications company providing cutting edge, original programming on air, online, through video and community events. Prior to her work with WURD Radio and URL, in 1992 Sara co-founded HealthQuest: Total Wellness for Body, Mind & Spirit, a trailblazing African-American consumer health magazine.
Sanghamitra Kalita
Secretary
Sanghamitra Kalita
Secretary
S. Mitra Kalita serves as Secretary for the URL Collective Board of Directors. She is also the CEO and Co Founder of URL Media and the CEO and Publisher of Epicenter-NYC, a community journalism multi-platform company. She is an award-winning veteran journalist, media executive, prolific commentator, and author of two books. She’s on the board of the Philadelphia Inquirer and writes a weekly column for Charter. Before launching her companies, Mitra served as SVP at CNN Digital, overseeing the national news, breaking news, programming, opinion, and features teams. Her media background also spans the LA Times, where she was managing editor, Wall Street Journal, Quartz, and the Washington Post.
Sanghamitra Kalita
Secretary
S. Mitra Kalita serves as Secretary for the URL Collective Board of Directors. She is also the CEO and Co Founder of URL Media and the CEO and Publisher of Epicenter-NYC, a community journalism multi-platform company. She is an award-winning veteran journalist, media executive, prolific commentator, and author of two books. She’s on the board of the Philadelphia Inquirer and writes a weekly column for Charter. Before launching her companies, Mitra served as SVP at CNN Digital, overseeing the national news, breaking news, programming, opinion, and features teams. Her media background also spans the LA Times, where she was managing editor, Wall Street Journal, Quartz, and the Washington Post.
Katherine Rowlands
Director-at-Large
Katherine Rowlands
Director-At-Large
Katherine Ann Rowlands is a longtime champion of local journalism, having worked as a leader for three decades in award-winning newsrooms before acquiring and growing an influential regional newswire in the SF Bay Area. She bought Bay City News in 2018 and it has since expanded to now cover news in 13 counties 24/7, supplying trustworthy, original journalism for the media ecosystem, from TV and radio to legacy newspapers to start-up digital outlets. Its nonprofit affiliate, which publishes at LocalNewsMatters.org, has trained more than 50 paid interns, adopted transformative technology, published thousands of stories about arts and culture, equity, demographics, the environment and civic life and partnered with other nonprofits to bolster the information communities need to strengthen democracy. She is a graduate of the Macalester College, London School of Economics and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism (‘89). As a 2017 JSK Journalism Fellow at Stanford University, she focused on how to overcome gender disparities in newsroom leadership roles and ways to bolster the local news ecosystem. Kat serves as president of the board of the First Amendment Coalition. She is a past president of Journalism and Women Symposium and co-founder of Women Do News, which works to correct the gender gap on Wikipedia by adding and bolstering entries for accomplished women journalists. In 2024, she was honored with the Alumni Award from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Katherine Rowlands
Katherine Ann Rowlands is a longtime champion of local journalism, having worked as a leader for three decades in award-winning newsrooms before acquiring and growing an influential regional newswire in the SF Bay Area. She bought Bay City News in 2018 and it has since expanded to now cover news in 13 counties 24/7, supplying trustworthy, original journalism for the media ecosystem, from TV and radio to legacy newspapers to start-up digital outlets. Its nonprofit affiliate, which publishes at LocalNewsMatters.org, has trained more than 50 paid interns, adopted transformative technology, published thousands of stories about arts and culture, equity, demographics, the environment and civic life and partnered with other nonprofits to bolster the information communities need to strengthen democracy. She is a graduate of the Macalester College, London School of Economics and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism (‘89). As a 2017 JSK Journalism Fellow at Stanford University, she focused on how to overcome gender disparities in newsroom leadership roles and ways to bolster the local news ecosystem. Kat serves as president of the board of the First Amendment Coalition. She is a past president of Journalism and Women Symposium and co-founder of Women Do News, which works to correct the gender gap on Wikipedia by adding and bolstering entries for accomplished women journalists. In 2024, she was honored with the Alumni Award from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
Director-at-Large
Mark S. Stewart
Director-At-Large
Mark Stewart is a lawyer at Ballard Spahr LLP, a national law firm with more than 700 lawyers across the United States and served as the firm’s Chair from 2011 through 2023. Before becoming Chair, Mark represented some of the nation’s most prominent companies in a range of commercial litigation matters. He served as Strategic Planning Partner during the most comprehensive period of growth in Ballard Spahr’s 140-year history. Mark’s board and community service reflect his desire to offer help and hope to individuals, especially children. He serves on the boards of the Police Athletic League and Students Run Philly Style (which he chaired from 2013-2019) and was a member of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Corporate Council from 2016-2024. A dedicated runner, Mark served as race director of the Philadelphia Distance Run, a world-class half-marathon, for 18 years. Mark received his B.A. from University of Delaware and his J.D. from University of Pennsylvania Law School, and attended the London School of Economics. He is married to U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5). They live in Swarthmore and are the parents of three adult children.
Mark S. Stewart
Mark Stewart is a lawyer at Ballard Spahr LLP, a national law firm with more than 700 lawyers across the United States and served as the firm’s Chair from 2011 through 2023. Before becoming Chair, Mark represented some of the nation’s most prominent companies in a range of commercial litigation matters. He served as Strategic Planning Partner during the most comprehensive period of growth in Ballard Spahr’s 140-year history. Mark’s board and community service reflect his desire to offer help and hope to individuals, especially children. He serves on the boards of the Police Athletic League and Students Run Philly Style (which he chaired from 2013-2019) and was a member of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Corporate Council from 2016-2024. A dedicated runner, Mark served as race director of the Philadelphia Distance Run, a world-class half-marathon, for 18 years. Mark received his B.A. from University of Delaware and his J.D. from University of Pennsylvania Law School, and attended the London School of Economics. He is married to U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-5). They live in Swarthmore and are the parents of three adult children.
Director-at-Large
Harvey Floyd
Director-At-Large
Harvey Floyd II is an organizational psychologist, senior executive coach and university lecturer who specializes in the areas of diversity and inclusion, leading and managing complex change, executive development and coaching, and high performance teams. He is deeply committed to building thriving and inclusive organizational cultures. Currently, Harvey holds Lecturer positions in the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics Program (MSOD), and Wharton Executive Education (domestic/int’), where he teaches on Diversity and Inclusion in 21 Century Organizations, High Performance Teams, and Strategic Persuasion. As an Executive Coach at the Wharton School, Harvey serves as Lead Coach for the Executive Development Program (which includes High Performance Team Coaching), in addition to signature programs – the MBA, Executive MBA, and General Management Program (GMP). Harvey serves as a Faculty member at Team Diagnostics, LLC, supporting the development of team coaching practitioners, and an Adjunct Faculty in the U.S. State Department’s School of Leadership and Management at the Foreign Service Institute.
Harvey Floyd
Harvey Floyd II is an organizational psychologist, senior executive coach and university lecturer who specializes in the areas of diversity and inclusion, leading and managing complex change, executive development and coaching, and high performance teams. He is deeply committed to building thriving and inclusive organizational cultures. Currently, Harvey holds Lecturer positions in the University of Pennsylvania's Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics Program (MSOD), and Wharton Executive Education (domestic/int'), where he teaches on Diversity and Inclusion in 21 Century Organizations, High Performance Teams, and Strategic Persuasion. As an Executive Coach at the Wharton School, Harvey serves as Lead Coach for the Executive Development Program (which includes High Performance Team Coaching), in addition to signature programs - the MBA, Executive MBA, and General Management Program (GMP). Harvey serves as a Faculty member at Team Diagnostics, LLC, supporting the development of team coaching practitioners, and an Adjunct Faculty in the U.S. State Department's School of Leadership and Management at the Foreign Service Institute.
TEAM MEMBERS
Director of Operations
Ellah Nze
Director of Operations
Ellah Nze is the Director of Operations for URL Collective. Ellah is an operations and strategy executive with more than a decade of experience building and sustaining mission-driven organizations across the sports, media, and nonprofit sectors.
As the organization’s first hire, Ellah built URL Collective’s operational infrastructure from the ground up — establishing the governance, compliance, and systems needed to launch and sustain a national nonprofit. She leads all finance, grant management, and fiscal sponsorship operations, serves as liaison to the Board of Directors, and partners with organizational leadership on program strategy and initiative development — leading the operational execution of key initiatives including developing the organization’s initial program grants, the Sustainability and Advancement Funds, and the Collective’s first major convening, bringing together grantees and creators to strengthen independent media organizations nationally.
Prior to URL Collective, Ellah served as Director of Operations at URL Media, where she led the growth of the national partner network from its eight initial partners — defining criteria, establishing workflows, and managing the pipeline and onboarding process that expanded the network to 36 diverse media organizations and set the foundation for continued national expansion. She played a central role in securing philanthropic support for the network through grant development, proposal writing, and end-to-end grant management. She has also held a leadership role at the University of Pennsylvania, where she led the turnaround of one of Penn Athletics’ largest community-facing sports programs. A former Division I tennis player and national champion at Duke University, she earned her master’s degree in Sport Industry Management from Georgetown University. She is based in Philadelphia.
Ellah Nze
Ellah Nze is the Director of Operations for URL Collective. Ellah is an operations and strategy executive with more than a decade of experience building and sustaining mission-driven organizations across the sports, media, and nonprofit sectors. As the organization's first hire, Ellah built URL Collective's operational infrastructure from the ground up — establishing the governance, compliance, and systems needed to launch and sustain a national nonprofit. She leads all finance, grant management, and fiscal sponsorship operations, serves as liaison to the Board of Directors, and partners with organizational leadership on program strategy and initiative development — leading the operational execution of key initiatives including developing the organization's initial program grants, the Sustainability and Advancement Funds, and the Collective's first major convening, bringing together grantees and creators to strengthen independent media organizations nationally. Prior to URL Collective, Ellah served as Director of Operations at URL Media, where she led the growth of the national partner network from its eight initial partners — defining criteria, establishing workflows, and managing the pipeline and onboarding process that expanded the network to 36 diverse media organizations and set the foundation for continued national expansion. She played a central role in securing philanthropic support for the network through grant development, proposal writing, and end-to-end grant management. She has also held a leadership role at the University of Pennsylvania, where she led the turnaround of one of Penn Athletics' largest community-facing sports programs. A former Division I tennis player and national champion at Duke University, she earned her master's degree in Sport Industry Management from Georgetown University. She is based in Philadelphia. .
Director of PR and Communications
Kirstin Garriss
Director of PR and Communications
Kirstin Garriss is the PR & Communications Director for URL Collective. Kirstin is an award-winning political journalist turned public relations strategist with more than 14 years of newsroom experience. She provides public relations and marketing efforts for URL Collective itself, elevating the program’s impact, increasing awareness of the Collective’s services and programs, and strengthening the organization’s visibility. Kirstin also provides support to URL Media partners, amplifying their stories through strategic placement in local, regional, and national media outlets while helping them build sustainable PR and communications functions.
Most recently, Kirstin served as a Washington Correspondent for Cox Media Group, covering the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court, and national politics for over a dozen local TV and radio stations nationwide. She was also a 2023 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellow and a 2025 Federal Action, Local Impact Journalism Fellow, which were both sponsored by the National Press Foundation (NPF). Kirstin has won regional and national awards for coverage of race relations and redlining, including a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award and a NABJ Salute to Excellence Award. Her work has also appeared in The Guardian and EBONY Magazine. She has also worked in local TV newsrooms in Maryland, North Carolina, and Tennessee, covering city halls, state houses, and federal elections.
Kirstin is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also a member of the Online News Association (ONA), and the National and Washington Associations of Black Journalists (NABJ and WABJ). She is based in Washington, D.C.
Kirstin Garriss
Kirstin Garriss is the PR & Communications Director for URL Collective. Kirstin is an award-winning political journalist turned public relations strategist with more than 14 years of newsroom experience. She provides public relations and marketing efforts for URL Collective itself, elevating the program’s impact, increasing awareness of the Collective’s services and programs, and strengthening the organization’s visibility. Kirstin also provides support to URL Media partners, amplifying their stories through strategic placement in local, regional, and national media outlets while helping them build sustainable PR and communications functions. Most recently, Kirstin served as a Washington Correspondent for Cox Media Group, covering the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court, and national politics for over a dozen local TV and radio stations nationwide. She was also a 2023 Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellow and a 2025 Federal Action, Local Impact Journalism Fellow, which were both sponsored by the National Press Foundation (NPF). Kirstin has won regional and national awards for coverage of race relations and redlining, including a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award and a NABJ Salute to Excellence Award. Her work has also appeared in The Guardian and EBONY Magazine. She has also worked in local TV newsrooms in Maryland, North Carolina, and Tennessee, covering city halls, state houses, and federal elections. Kirstin is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also a member of the Online News Association (ONA), and the National and Washington Associations of Black Journalists (NABJ and WABJ). She is based in Washington, D.C.
OUR SUPPORTERS
In this evolving journalism landscape, we are the collective for this moment!
Help us build a diverse media environment and ensure the sustainable growth of grassroots organizations that serve disenfranchised and underrepresented communities. Your support provides vital resources, valuable training, and community-centered journalism for media organizations nationwide.
Join us today to be part of this vital mission to improve sustainable, community-driven journalism.
