CULTURAL SPACE, UPLIFTED^
is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm of the Cultural Space Agency, dedicated to preserving and expanding community-owned spaces where arts and culture can thrive. Guided by a diverse group of BIPOC leaders, we are committed to creating wealth-building opportunities in communities of color. Through fundraising, capacity-building, and leading communications and advocacy efforts, we support the Cultural Space Agency’s mission to develop cultural real estate that empowers and sustains these communities.
As a mission-driven, values-based cultural real estate development organization, the Cultural Space Agency secures long-term affordable commercial spaces in partnership with diverse communities, with a particular focus on the needs of Black and Indigenous groups. By investing in real property and creating opportunities for cultural space ownership, we foster community wealth, agency, and sustainability, ensuring that arts, culture, and heritage flourish for future generations.
photo by BadBritBrit.
paintings in photo by Nahom Girmay.
ZAK IDAN
Zak is the first Somali American, Muslim man elected to office in Washington state. With over 15 years of experience in equitable community development, Zak is committed to immigrant and refugee rights, urban planning, and civic engagement. He currently serves as a Project Control Engineer with King County and brings his expertise in community-focused initiatives to the board.
EBONY ARUNGA
Born in Kenya and raised in Seattle’s Central District, Ebony is an arts manager and advocate. She has managed projects such as the Seattle Artist Relief Fund and currently serves as Interim Executive Director at LANGSTON. Ebony is a leader in Black arts and culture, committed to uplifting Seattle's diverse creative community.
RANDY ENGSTROM
Randy has over 20 years of experience in advocating for cultural and community development. He is Co-Founder and Principal of Third Way Creative, a consulting studio focused on cultural policy and racial equity. Randy has served as Director of the Office of Arts and Culture for the City of Seattle, leading significant initiatives in arts education, cultural space affordability, and racial equity.
BO ZHANG
Bo is humbled by her body and its unfathomable connection to the lands that have nurtured and loved her. She practices surrendering the brain supremacy that once guided her in dominant culture, allowing instead the surprising, often irrational directions that arise from her body to guide her path forward. She finds fulfillment in feeling and metabolizing emotions such as fear, anger, sadness, and pleasure—emotions that dominant culture once taught her to suppress.
Bo is a fierce advocate for liberation on the other side of the fear of fully experiencing emotions, even as she navigates her own fears. She is drawn to wild, open spaces, where her body can receive and metabolize the collective pain of the land—pain that, she believes, must be addressed for true collective healing to occur.
Currently, Bo works as a connective somatic medicine weaver, combining the body’s energy currents with the healing power of darkness. Through re-wombing ourselves in dark, sacred spaces, Bo advocates for embracing the unknown as a political and healing act.
RAWAN HASAN
Rawan is an accomplished urban designer and planner with a commitment to social justice and community development. As an Associate Planner at the Office of Planning and Community Development, Rawan brings essential skills in urban planning and design to CSU’s strategic initiatives, helping to guide equitable development efforts.