Meet The Advisors

Katie Niekrash

Katie is a people-first advisor with 20 years of experience navigating corporate life in New York City—the real kind with dress codes, inbox overload, and meetings galore. She has worked across multiple industries, from beverage sales and hospitality to managing a startup marketing agency, before building a long career in executive recruitment. Through Everly Emerging, Katie helps Gen Z, recent grads, and early-career professionals decode the unspoken rules of work—from communicating with managers and advocating for yourself to building confidence and credibility without burning out. She combines honesty, humor, and real-world insight to help you balance your professional self with your authentic self.

Alison Kuhns

Alison is a career coach and founding partner of Everly Emerging with more than 20 years of experience in recruitment. After decades in leadership roles and working closely with new grads in their first jobs, she knows the hardest part of starting out isn’t ability—it’s adjustment: learning accountability, navigating workplace expectations, and figuring out how to operate in a professional environment for the first time. Before recruitment, Alison trained as a peer crisis counselor for a college hotline, an experience that shaped how she listens, communicates, and supports people. Her coaching style is practical, candid, and unassuming.

Dana Thistle

Dana is a corporate recruiting insider who has spent her career on the other side of the table where hiring and promotion decisions get made. She has reviewed thousands of resumes and interviewed candidates at every level, from first-job applicants to executives, and understands why some people get offers, raises, and second chances while others get quietly passed over. Through Everly Emerging, Dana helps college students and early-career professionals learn the things no one teaches you: how to interview confidently, negotiate effectively, refine a résumé so it actually gets read, and apply strategically. She also helps professionals navigate workplace dynamics, communicate with managers, and build credibility. Her approach is honest, practical, and zero-fluff.

Lauren Zebro

Lauren took the scenic route to leadership—and highly recommends it. She began her career as a licensed esthetician working with NYC’s top med spas and plastic surgeons, even making morning-show appearances along the way. What she expected to be a one-year detour into staffing and recruitment turned into a 10+ year career and a role as managing partner. Through Everly Emerging, Lauren helps early-career professionals build confidence, navigate pivots, and make sense of non-linear paths. She believes transferable skills are real—even if your résumé once involved wax strips and laser goggles—and brings honesty, humor, and real-world insight to every conversation.

Taylor Geraghty

Taylor graduated from the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!) without a clear plan for what came next. Like many new grads, she felt the pressure to have it all figured out—but didn’t. That uncertainty led her to New York City, where she unexpectedly began her career in recruiting. What started as a stepping stone quickly became a passion, and over the past decade she has grown into a partner in a minority women-owned recruiting firm, helping thousands of candidates navigate the job search process. Through Everly Emerging, Taylor helps professionals build clarity, confidence, and a strategy that actually makes sense—especially for those who feel unsure where to start.

Kelly Pizoli

Kelly built her career by learning how people and workplaces actually function. After starting out in scrubs and night shifts, she transitioned into corporate life, bringing her calm-under-pressure instincts with her. She is passionate about helping people switch careers, translate their experience into work that makes sense, and navigate change without losing confidence. Known for being direct, thoughtful, and refreshingly human, Kelly believes work should feel sustainable and aligned—not draining. Through Everly Emerging, she helps early-career professionals and career switchers build careers that leave room for life outside of work.

Caitlin Cowan

Caitlin blends her background in education and recruiting to help candidates land roles where they can truly thrive. Before transitioning into recruitment, she spent eight years as a high school teacher in Lexington, Kentucky, teaching AP Psychology and history. Teaching sharpened the skills she now brings to recruiting—reading a room, building trust, explaining complex ideas clearly, and staying calm under pressure. Known for her thoughtful, personalized approach, Caitlin believes the best placements happen when people feel genuinely excited—not pressured. Through Everly Emerging, she helps candidates find roles that align with both their goals and their values.