Nandini “Dini” Merz earned a degree in international relations from Cornell University and then a J.D. from the George Washington University National Law Center. After completing her formal schooling, she became an environmental-policy consultant for Public Sector Consultants, where she worked on issues related to sprawl and contamination remediation. Next, she served as program director for the Tremaine Foundation, where she focused her energies on grant-making programs in the areas of learning disabilities, arts, and the environment.

In 2003, Dini served as a board member for the New England Grassroots Environment Fund, a grant-making program which seeks to energize and nurture long-term civic engagement in local initiatives that create and maintain healthy, just, safe, and environmentally sustainable communities in the New England area. That same year, Dini joined the Proteus Fund where she currently serves as Director of Peace & Security Programs and works closely with Proteus Fund founder and president Margaret Gage.

In addition to her work with the Proteus Fund, Dini guides the work of the Colombe Foundation, a family philanthropy that focuses on creating a more peaceful world through changes in U.S. policy. Dini also sits on the steering committee of the Peace and Security Funders Group along with Cora Weiss, among others.