Kone Foundation’s new Grant Secretary Reetta Sassi: “In my work, I see how the Foundation communicates with the surrounding society.”

Reetta Sassi started in her position as Grant Secretary in August.

Reetta, now working in a permanent position, has previously worked at Kone Foundation in different roles. In 2019, she interned in Kone Foundation’s Language Programme impact evaluation project, and since then she has worked as an assistant in two annual grant call rounds.

“I’ve become familiar with the internal processes at the Foundation, as well its public activities. Along with my other tasks, I’ve taken part in the work of the communications team, and helped with events hosted at Lauttasaari Manor, for example,” Reetta says.

She was selected to her current position when Neea Eloranta, a long-time employee of the Foundation, moved on to new challenges. 

Reetta is joined in her work at Kone Foundation by fellow grant secretary, Marianna Parvinen. Reetta’s tasks include grantee customer service, handling payment requests, and managing bookings at Kamari, Kone Foundation’s workspace for grantees.

“Customer service is a big part of my job, and I enjoy the personal exchange I have with our grantees in various issues. Another repeating task in my work is handling monthly grant payments, which I do in collaboration with the Foundation’s human resources secretary.”

Reetta has studied at the University of Helsinki, majoring in Finnish language, and has almost completed her master’s degree. She still plans to continue working on her master’s thesis – perhaps on a period of study leave at some point.

On a societal scale, the time that Reetta has worked at Kone Foundation so far has been exceptional and turbulent. First, the pandemic stalled the world, and this spring, Russia started a brutal war in Ukraine.

“I feel that in the everyday work at Kone Foundation, you are constantly on the pulse of what is happening in society. Even with recent world events, the Foundation has had the possibility to react on a low threshold and plan possible actions. At the beginning of the pandemic, for example, we were able to award home residencies for artists, and during the war in Ukraine, we have been able to support fleeing artists and researchers. It also makes my daily work interesting: the variety in my tasks comes from the real communication the Foundation has with the surrounding society.”