Michelle Merriwweather
President & CEO, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
Michelle strives to be “an effective voice for the voiceless,” advocating for African Americans and other communities who have been systematically excluded from economic and educational opportunities. She is the president and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, where she leads advocacy, programming, and coalition building to improve housing, education, health, and workforce development for Seattle’s Black communities. Previously Michelle had a successful career in sales and marketing with Starbucks, Heinz, and Coca Cola.
Prior to joining the organization as an employee, Michelle volunteered with the Urban League nationally for over 10 years, sharing her experience in marketing, fund development, and organizing to expand the connection the organization has with young professionals.
Michelle's commitment to honoring Black lives and uplifting people who have been disenfranchised extends to her service in the community. In 2020 she was named one of the Women of Influence for the Puget Sound Business Journal and on the list of the Power 100 for the State of Washington. In addition, together with 3 other Black Women leaders, Ms. Merriweather launched the Black Future Co-Op Fund in 2020, the first fund of its kind in Washington State to focus on providing resources that better serve Black Washingtonians across the state. The Black Future Co-op Fund is a new paradigm for philanthropy uplifting Black-led solutions that ignite Black generational wealth, health, and well-being.
Michelle strives to be active in the community as well. She does that through active board service and engagement. She serves on the boards of the Alliance for Education, Washington State Women's Commission, Seattle Chamber, Downtown Seattle Association, and Progress Pushers, a grassroots nonprofit disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline for young people. She is also an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and is the advisor for the University of Washington chapter. Michelle is a proud graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.