Meron poses in front of the Ferris wheel during a friends trip to Disneyland.
Meron Kasahun (she/her) is a Grants Manager, ensuring that grantmaking operations align with and advance Inatai’s values and fierce commitment to centering grantees in our work. We asked Meron 10 questions to learn more about her background, community, and how she connects to our work at Inatai.
1. What are three words that describe you?
Crafty, creative, curious
2. What is the “long story short” of how you landed at Inatai?
Having worked in the nonprofit sector for years, Inatai was a popular funder – known for their generous grants, grantee-centered practices, and mission to drive meaningful change with long-term community investments. I admired the work from a distance and looked for opportunities to join. A few years later, I knew it was the right time to join. I’m drawn to how intentionally Inatai has grown, its true statewide focus, and the alignment I feel between Inatai’s internal practices and its evolving work. Being part of Inatai’s journey—among many before and after me—feels both exciting and meaningful.
3. What excites you most about being part of Team Inatai?
I’m excited to contribute to an organization committed to building power in communities across Washington. I hope to deepen relationships within the grantmaking process and uplift the critical work of organizations who are shaping a more equitable future.
4. Tell us about the community or communities you belong to.
I belong to the Ethiopian-American and African-American communities, part of a large East African diaspora in the Pacific Northwest. I’m grateful to have grown up among others who share my identity. I’m also proudly part of the neurodivergent community—embracing my mental health journey has helped me see my differences as strengths.
5. Inatai’s strategies are underlined by a 50-Year Vision informed by communities. What is it about your community that keeps you hopeful for the future?
I’m proud that mental health and trauma are now openly discussed in my community. Community leaders in Seattle, and globally, are creating resources and language for healing. We have a long way to go, but I’m hopeful for a future where intergenerational trauma is addressed, and families thrive.
6. Finish this sentence: The Inatai value the most resonates with me is…
Collective liberation
7. What is your favorite fact about Washington?
I love the “false spring” we get in February. After long winters, it feels like a hopeful reminder that beautiful days are ahead. It’s a small but powerful moment that lifts spirits and builds anticipation for the full bloom of spring.
8. Where is your favorite place in Washington?
Anywhere Black-owned! I also love my local Skyway library (shoutout King County Library System!), Kubota Garden, and most of all, my home and neighborhood.
9. What is the last thing you read, watched, or listened to that you would recommend?
The Covenant of Water is a powerful story of compassion, healing, and transformation across families, communities, and institutions. It’s a beautifully crafted novel that left a lasting impression on me.
10. What do you like to do when you’re not at work?
I love to stay busy cooking, reading, crafting, sewing, building (and occasionally breaking things!). My friends call me “Barb the Builder” because I’m always DIY-ing something new.
