ECHO

We are proud to announce Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) as an official and long-time partner of the ECHO Awards! 🏆✨

NS exemplifies a steadfast commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. From fostering an inclusive workplace where every employee has the opportunity to thrive, to supporting initiatives that advance social accessibility and equal opportunity, NS’s values align closely with our mission to celebrate and amplify talent from all backgrounds. Together, we are creating a platform that recognizes excellence, centers representation, and drives meaningful impact across communities. 🚅💫

We share a vision of elevating voices that deserve to be heard, inspiring future generations, and ensuring that every story, perspective, and talent is celebrated. By working together, ECHO and NS are not only highlighting outstanding achievements but also strengthening the foundations of a more equitable and inclusive creative community.

We look forward to celebrating the ECHO Awards this December, honoring the incredible accomplishments and talent that continues to make our creative world richer, more diverse, and more inspiring every year.

Introducing Endo Ozana Eloïs: ECHO Award Nominee 2025🌟

Endo Ozana Eloïs is a young leader from Rotterdam driven by a deep commitment to justice, inclusion, and social change. After completing his degree in Political Science at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam), he began a master’s in Comparative Politics and Conflict Studies at the The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Focusing on Sub-Saharan Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Endo seeks to use academic research as a tool for empowerment — connecting knowledge with the lived realities of communities rebuilding from conflict and working toward more equitable and accountable systems of governance. 🏫

As a dedicated member of the Rotterdam Youth Council, Endo has helped develop initiatives to strengthen youth participation and civic engagement across the city. Collaborating with young people and community stakeholders, he has worked to ensure that local voices are not only heard but transformed into tangible policy change. His collaboration with MISA in the DRC further deepened this mission, reinforcing his belief that representation and shared decision-making are essential for lasting social impact. 📑✍🏽

For Endo, leadership is rooted in empathy and collective purpose. Whether advocating for youth inclusion in Rotterdam or supporting grassroots initiatives abroad, he remains focused on creating spaces where people feel heard, respected, and represented. His vision is one of transformative justice — where communities are empowered, institutions are inclusive, and every voice contributes to building a more just and equitable world. ⚖️🌍

Presenting Nour Alkheder: ECHO Award Nominee 2025✨

Nour Alkheder is a visionary Syrian-Dutch filmmaker based in Amsterdam who has spent the past eleven years transforming the spaces between cultures into stories that connect us all. A graduate of the Netherlands Film Academy with a degree in documentary directing, Nour’s films — Draw Me a Homeland and The Birds Shall Return — are deeply personal explorations of memory, identity, and belonging. Her lens captures the intimate and emotional landscapes of diaspora, offering audiences a rare glimpse into the resilience and tenderness of displaced lives. 🎬

With courage and empathy, Nour and her crew have journeyed through North Africa and the Middle East, seeking out voices and narratives rarely seen in Dutch cinema. Through these experiences, she not only deepened her own perspective but also encouraged audiences to engage with voices and viewpoints that are often underrepresented. Her films are not just visual experiences; they are acts of listening, witnessing, and understanding, reshaping the way we see humanity in one another. 🎥🕊️

As a strong believer in the power of narrative, she sees storytelling as a bridge between cultures, one that can foster understanding but also reveal the fractures that divide us. This connection begins early in her process, often working in environments where such subjects are rarely discussed and with crews who may not share the same experiences as those portrayed. Step by step, these encounters grow into shared narratives, stories that bring makers and subjects closer together, allowing empathy to take root. She believes that shaping narratives is as vital as creating social or political change, as both build a more connected and compassionate community. Through her films, she earns the trust of her subjects and creates space for them to share their stories authentically, challenging stereotypes not by opposition, but by telling their truth their own way.❤️🌏

We’re proud to announce Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Netherlands as an official and longstanding partner of the ECHO Awards 2025! 🏆

For years, BCG has shared our commitment to equity and community impact, supporting initiatives that break down barriers and create opportunities for underrepresented talent. From programs like BCG Spark, which empowers minority- and women-led businesses, to initiatives that cultivate inclusion and leadership among students from diverse backgrounds, BCG’s partnership strengthens pathways for the next generation of leaders.

Through this partnership, we aim to:
✅ Recognize and celebrate young leaders breaking systemic barriers
✅ Amplify voices of students from non-Western backgrounds and ensure their talent is seen and valued
✅ Build pathways for a more inclusive and equitable future

Together with BCG, we are fostering equitable opportunities, driving meaningful change, and creating lasting community impact. We look forward to celebrating all the nominees and finalists at the ECHO Awards ceremony in December! ✨

Introducing Ikraam Maalim: ECHO Award Nominee 2025🌟

Ikraam Maalim, a Somali-Dutch first-generation (medical) student at Radboud University, is reshaping the landscape of inclusion in education and healthcare. Her journey shows how lived experience can drive meaningful change, where representation becomes action and advocacy sparks transformation. 💫🌍

Through her involvement with CODING, SOMI, New Rootz, and ARA, Ikraam is breaking barriers and building bridges. From advancing diversity in medicine to creating spaces of belonging for Somali-Dutch and newcomer youth, her work centers those whose voices have too often been overlooked. Her co-authored ARA policy report initiated vital conversations with university leadership on decolonizing the curriculum, inclusive research, and safe learning environments, challenging institutions to move beyond words toward accountability. Within CODING, she continues to address bias in healthcare and push for structural reform in medical education to ensure a more just and equitable future for all patients. 🩺🔥

Through SOMI and New Rootz, Ikraam cultivates community and mentorship for youth navigating systems not designed for them. Her initiatives empower young people to grow in confidence, pursue their ambitions, and see themselves reflected in spaces of success. Ikraam’s work is creating lasting impact by reshaping systems, uplifting communities, and opening doors for future generations to thrive. 🌱🚀

Presenting Jeralma Tromp: ECHO Award Nominee 2025✨

Jeralma Tromp is an Aruban student with Caribbean and Latin American roots and is a dedicated advocate for equity, wellbeing, and community empowerment. Currently studying Social Work and Social Legal Services at Inholland University of Applied Sciences, her journey from overcoming language barriers in vmbo-basis to excelling in higher education is a testament to resilience, purpose, and the power of transformation. 🌍

As Chair of CAMBES Caribbean United (CCU), Jeralma uplifts and unites Caribbean students across Inholland campuses. She mentors peers, co-creates initiatives that foster confidence and belonging, and works to strengthen institutional recognition and support for Caribbean students within the university. Through her leadership, CCU has become a space where students grow as empowered, engaged, and socially conscious changemakers. Within the SEA Student Council, Jeralma brings the voices and lived experiences of Caribbean students to the policy table, ensuring inclusion, equity, and representation move beyond aspiration into action. As a member of the GSW South Holland Programme Committee, she has also helped shape educational policy, translating student experiences into structural change that makes education more inclusive and reflective of diverse realities. 🗣️📚

Through the We Belong initiative, Jeralma co-led efforts to strengthen wellbeing and connection among Social Work students, and the Food Resilient Futures project, which connects social and ecological justice across the Dutch Caribbean. From promoting local food systems to fostering student belonging, her work bridges sustainability and social justice. Beyond her academic roles, Jeralma volunteers with Stichting Natuurbeheer Waalbos to support biodiversity, and coaches students during PowerDays to help them build confidence and self-awareness. As a mentor and budget coach, she empowers families to regain financial stability and trust, demonstrating that true empowerment begins with empathy and action.