Meet the Team
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Brian Tiell
Brian Tiell is a Director of Photography and storyteller with 40 years of experience, whose passion for kidney donation advocacy was ignited while filming 17 Kidney Donor Athletes on the side of a volcano in Guatemala — where he realized that "These were ordinary people who had made an extraordinary choice."
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Alongside public health strategist Abbey Collins, he co-founded the "Next Step, Next One" campaign in 2024, using authentic storytelling to inspire living kidney donation and reaching over 1.5 million viewers. He has interviewed more than 100 donors, recipients, and advocates, and co-created A Kidney Convo, a community event that fosters connection, awareness, and action around kidney disease.
Co-Founder & Program/Marketing Director
Abbey Collins
Abbey Collins is a public health strategist and educator with a decade of experience translating complex health issues into education that moves people to action.
Alongside Brian Tiell, she co-founded the "Next Step, Next One" campaign and A Kidney Convo program, bringing strategic vision to how stories reach audiences — moving people from curiosity to action.
She also serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Northern Colorado, where she teaches undergraduate students the foundations of health promotion with a focus on the transformative power of storytelling in public health education.
Board of Directors
Board Chair
Cara Blair
Cara Blair donated her kidney as a nondirected donor in May 2024 and has been active in increasing awareness of the need for living donors for the past two years. Cara shared her story for the Next Step Next One video series that summer and co-presented one of the pilot programs in December 2025. Recently, she raised funds and awareness as part of the 2026 KDA One Kidney Mt. Kilimanjaro Climb. In her professional life, Cara is an Account Director in medical communications working with pharmaceutical companies on programs to educate healthcare professionals, including nephrologists. Personally, Cara is the daughter of a nephrologist and from an early age she saw the impact of dialysis on patients. Cara has served on several boards in the past including the Indiana American Diabetes Association, Illinois Society of Association Executives, and her neighborhood homeowners association.
Co-Chair
Diane mulligan
Diane Mulligan is the President and Founder of M&C Communications, a nationally award-winning PR firm she has built over 15+ years by pioneering "Insider Media Relations" — a signature approach rooted in her experience as a journalist in major city newsrooms and as Senior Editor at NBC News New York. She specializes in helping clients turn complex challenges into brand-building opportunities, with a particular passion for partnering with life-changing medical nonprofits. Deeply inspired by the mission to increase living kidney donation, she is honored to join the board of Take the Next Step, Be the Next One in 2026 as Vice Chair.
Treasurer
Michelle Kennedy
Michelle Kennedy serves as Board Treasurer for Next Step Next One, bringing more than 30 years of administrative experience in organizational operations, financial oversight, and process management. Her connection to the mission is deeply personal — as a living kidney donor herself, she understands firsthand the life-changing impact of donation and is passionate about raising awareness and breaking down misconceptions around living donation. In her role, Michelle is dedicated to ensuring financial transparency and accountability while helping guide the organization toward long-term success.
Secretary
vicki Sullivan
Vicki Sullivan is the Area Human Resources Director for Chick-fil-A Littleton, serving for eight years in her local community. She worked for more than ten years in the field of education prior to that, and has dedicated more than 15 years to community volunteering, supporting local sports and activities for her children and neighbors. Beyond her professional and family life, she is a passionate advocate for living donation and became a living kidney donor in July 2025, an experience that reinforced her commitment to helping others. With this rich background spanning education and human resources, Vicki is honored to serve as the Secretary of the Next Step Next One foundation. She looks forward to contributing to the foundation's mission with these diverse experiences.
Board Member
Spencer ellis
Spencer Ellis currently works at the Department of Higher Education where his work focuses on student success for the state of Colorado. Spencer is thrilled to join NSNO's board and brings over 15 years of knowledge in the public and nonprofit sectors. His experience includes work at several colleges and universities, in state government, grant fund administration, program management, and community engagement. As a grateful recipient of a living donor kidney donation, Spencer's firsthand experience drives his enthusiasm for NSNO's mission. Spencer is based in Colorado and enjoys spending time with his family and also training to represent Team Rocky Mountain and Team USA in the Transplant Games.
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