We are thrilled to announce an addition to the URL Media team: Ellah Nze is our new Director of Operations. URL Media is a network of high-performing Black and Brown media outlets that share content and revenues; the company, launched in January 2021, also operates a growing recruitment, coaching and executive placement arm that centers diverse talent and excellence.

Ellah's bio appear below and we also asked her a few questions to get to know her better. Excerpts: 

What’s your happiest place? 

Lately, my happiest place is on the golf course! I picked up golf a little over a year ago to find a hobby for myself and create more balance in my life. It’s been a stress reliever, a social activity and as a naturally competitive person, I find it challenging. I practice at least three times per week to make small improvements in my game. I’ve met more than 20 working professionals through the sport— now some of my closest friends. 

Can you tell us about a book, work of art or movie that has affected you and why? 

The movie, King Richard, was very impactful for me for several reasons. As a first-generation African American, I grew up playing tennis, a predominantly white sport. Several times, I was the only minority at tournaments on the national and international circuit. The story of the Williams sisters’ success from Richard Williams’ point of view resonated with me because my family and I made several sacrifices for me to excel in tennis. I’m very fortunate to have a strong role model in my mom. She traveled with me and oversaw my training, often protecting and empowering me to not feel less than, and know that I deserved the opportunity to compete with the best. At one of the tournaments, I caught the attention of Mr. Williams and he offered to train me and provide mentorship to me as a young, aspiring junior player. Those sessions with him were less technical and more about female empowerment and having the mental fortitude to withstand whatever came my way. I later became the first African American, male or female, to play tennis for Duke so I’m very appreciative of his encouragement and everything my family sacrificed to help me reach my goals. 

What piece of your identity do you bring to URL Media? Why URL Media? 

I identify as a strong African-American female. I take pride in being resourceful, thoughtful and analytical in how I approach my work. 

I was recently at a crossroads in my career and felt I needed a change in order to continue to grow personally and professionally. I was attracted to the opportunity to lean into a new industry; as a minority, I was energized by the mission of URL Media, especially in today’s political climate and ongoing racial disparities and injustice.

Bio:

Ellah Nze joins URL Media as the Director of Operations from University of Pennsylvania where she most recently oversaw the racquet sports operations within Penn Athletics. Over the past six years at Penn, she was responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the tennis and squash centers, along with all revenue-generating opportunities through membership, programming and community partnerships. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in history from Duke University. While at Duke, she was a student athlete on the women’s varsity tennis team where she was the first African-American tennis player in program history. Ellah also holds a graduate degree from Georgetown University in sports management, concentrating on business operations, management and sales. A Baltimore native, she currently resides in the Center City area of Philadelphia. 

We are excited to welcome Ellah to the URL team. As Director of Operations she will help us expand our network, enhance our content-sharing processes and develop systems to build the sales infrastructure so that we can continue to Uplift, Respect and Love the communities we serve.