Common Threads
Common Threads is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2005 that delivers free, chef-led cooking and nutrition education to children, families, educators, and healthcare professionals through 750+ school and community center partners across 10 major US cities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Common Threads does
Common Threads is a 501(c)(3) national nonprofit organization founded in 2005 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, that delivers hands-on cooking and nutrition education to children, families, educators, and healthcare professionals. Its portfolio of programs includes Small Bites (an eight-lesson PK-8 in-school and after-school curriculum combining nutrition and knife-free cooking), Cooking Skills & World Cuisine (a chef-led international culinary program), Healthy Food Foundations (a culinary medicine course), Parent Workshops, On-Demand virtual cooking classes, and the TEACH Portal — an online portal that equips educators and caregivers with curriculum, webinars, and training to act as nutrition and wellness ambassadors. Programs are delivered free of charge across 10 major US cities (Miami, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Texas markets including Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, El Paso, San Antonio, Houston, Erie, and Washington DC) through partnerships with more than 750 schools and community centers, executed by qualified chefs and trained educators, and bilingual in English and Spanish (Hilos Comunes).
The organization's underlying technology is a relatively conventional content and curriculum distribution stack: a public-facing website, the TEACH Portal for educator self-service resource access, a searchable Recipes Collection indexed by meal type, budget, cooking time, cultural origin, and dietary restrictions, and supporting social/video channels. Common Threads is not a software company; its differentiation rests on a culturally diverse curriculum library (spanning Mexican, Haitian, Asian, African American, and Mediterranean cuisines) and a 20-year operating history that has reached 600,000+ children, parents, and educators and served 4.1M+ snacks and meals.
Common Threads operates a donation-and-grant revenue model rather than a commercial pricing structure. It is funded by tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals, corporate sponsors, and foundations (including Florida Blue Foundation, FMI Foundation, Anahata Foundation, Walmart Foundation, and Elevance Health) plus government funding through SNAP-Ed, the latter of which has been abruptly defunded, creating a current operating headwind. Programs are provided at no cost to participants, and donor acquisition is supported through digital marketing, annual fundraising galas, earned media, and an active social/web presence. The organization is led by co-founder and CEO Linda Novick O'Keefe alongside co-founders Jesus Salgueiro and Art Smith, and is governed by a Board of Directors rather than equity holders.
Common Threads firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Common Threads
- Legal name
- Common Threads
- Website
- https://commonthreads.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Common Threads is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2005 that delivers free, chef-led cooking and nutrition education to children, families, educators, and healthcare professionals through 750+ school and community center partners across 10 major US cities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Common Threads industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Nutrition Education and Cooking Skills Programs
- NAICS
- Community Food Services (62421)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Child Nutrition & Meal Programs (CACFP/Snack Programs) (EDACAMAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Nutrition & Diet Education (Meal Planning, Macros, Healthy Cooking) (EDAAAHAA), Menu Planning, Nutrition & Dietary Accommodation Services (Allergens, Special Diets) (EDAEAEAD)
Keywords
Where Common Threads is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Common Threads business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Donations and Contributions: Common Threads operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization primarily funded through donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors. The organization accepts online donations through its website, phone donations, and mailed checks. Donations are tax-deductible for US taxpayers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Free Programs - Cooking and nutrition education provided at no cost to participants |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
Common Threads product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Common Threads provides free cooking and nutrition education programs for children, families, educators and communities in the United States. Its offerings include in-person and virtual curricula (Small Bites, Cooking Skills & World Cuisine, Healthy Food Foundations, On-Demand and Parent Workshop), a digital TEACH Portal for educators and healthcare professionals, and a library of healthy recipes.
Product overview
Common Threads is a national nonprofit organization (not a technology company) that provides hands-on cooking and nutrition education programs to children and families. The organization operates a portfolio of educational programs rather than a software product. Its core offerings include Small Bites (in/after-school nutrition education for PK-8th grade), Cooking Skills & World Cuisine (chef-led international cooking instruction), Healthy Food Foundations (basic culinary skills course), On-Demand virtual cooking classes, Parent Workshops, and the TEACH Portal (an online resource portal for educators). The organization also maintains a public Recipes Collection as a content resource supporting its educational mission. These programs are delivered through partnerships with schools, community centers, and healthcare organizations across 10 major U.S. markets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Small Bites Cooking and nutrition education program designed for younger children, typically delivered in partner schools and community settings as hands-on classes.
- Cooking Skills & World Cuisine Cooking and nutrition education curriculum that teaches cooking skills alongside culturally diverse recipes to older students.
- Healthy Food Foundations Foundational nutrition education program covering the basics of healthy eating, food choices and kitchen skills.
- On-Demand Virtual on-demand cooking and nutrition education classes delivered digitally for flexible participation.
- Parent Workshop Cooking and nutrition workshop designed for parents and family caregivers to extend classroom lessons into the home.
- TEACH Portal Online learning platform providing educators and healthcare professionals with access to Common Threads curriculum, lesson plans, recipes and training resources.
- Recipes Collection Digital collection of healthy, culturally diverse recipes made available to families, educators and partners as part of Common Threads programming.
Quantifiable outcome
- 600,000+ children, parents, and educators taught cooking and nutrition skills
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Common Threads
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Common Threads technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Common Threads partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- FMI FoundationcoreCommon Threads announced a renewed partnership with the FMI Foundation to support the Congressional Hunger Center's Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship Program. The partnership includes a $10,000 sponsorship enabling Common Threads to host two fellows during the 2025-2026 program year, advancing food justice and community health initiatives.
- Anahata FoundationcoreMulti-year partnership to build generational health and advance 'Food As Medicine' in Los Angeles and New York City. The partnership focuses on supporting communities with limited access to nutrition education and healthy food options.
- SNAP-EdminorSNAP-Ed programming provides funding for nutrition education in schools and communities. Due to sudden de-funding of SNAP-Ed programming, Common Threads faces a funding deficit affecting program continuation in certain markets.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Common Threads competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- FoodCorps: National nonprofit that places service members in schools to deliver hands-on cooking, nutrition education, and garden programming to K-12 students — directly overlapping Common Threads' in-school nutrition/cooking education model and school-partnership GTM.
- Cooking Matters (Share Our Strength / No Kid Hungry): Operates family-based hands-on cooking and nutrition education courses for low-income families and kids in schools and community settings nationwide, closely matching Common Threads' Small Bites / Family Cooking Classes approach.
- Edible Schoolyard Project: Alice Waters-founded nonprofit integrating school gardens and kitchen/nutrition curriculum into K-12 schools; overlaps Common Threads' chef-led in-school program model and educator-training mission.
- Big Green (formerly The Kitchen Community): Nonprofit building learning gardens and food-education programming in schools across multiple US cities, with comparable program structure to Common Threads' school- and community-center-delivered nutrition work.
- Action for Healthy Kids: Nonprofit delivering school-based nutrition, physical activity, and wellness programs to K-12 students nationwide, targeting the same school district procurement partners that Common Threads relies on.
- Alliance for a Healthier Generation: Nonprofit building healthier schools and communities through programming and policy, with a strong school-nutrition and family-engagement footprint comparable to Common Threads' reach in school districts.
Regional players
- SproutNC / local food education nonprofits: Regional nonprofits delivering kids' cooking and garden education in specific US markets; useful comparison for how peer operators scale programming inside a single metro versus Common Threads' 10-city nationwide footprint.
Emerging players
- Wholesome Wave: Nonprofit focused on nutrition incentives, produce access, and food-as-medicine programs; relevant as an adjacent peer that converges on the 'food as medicine' theme Common Threads is now pursuing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Common Threads social profiles
Digital presenceCommon Threads compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Common Threads financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Common Threads leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Common Threads funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Common Threads M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Common Threads
What does Common Threads do?
Common Threads provides free cooking and nutrition education programs for children, families, educators and communities in the United States. Its offerings include in-person and virtual curricula (Small Bites, Cooking Skills & World Cuisine, Healthy Food Foundations, On-Demand and Parent Workshop), a digital TEACH Portal for educators and healthcare professionals, and a library of healthy recipes.
Is Common Threads a public or private company?
Common Threads is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Common Threads founded?
Common Threads was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Common Threads based?
Common Threads is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Common Threads make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Contributions.
Who are Common Threads's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are FoodCorps, Cooking Matters (Share Our Strength / No Kid Hungry), Edible Schoolyard Project, Big Green (formerly The Kitchen Community), Action for Healthy Kids and Alliance for a Healthier Generation. SproutNC / local food education nonprofits is listed as a regional player. Wholesome Wave is listed as an emerging player.
Does Common Threads have an API?
No public API is recorded for Common Threads.
What industry is Common Threads in?
Common Threads's product category is Nutrition Education and Cooking Skills Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDACAMAA, Child Nutrition & Meal Programs (CACFP/Snack Programs), with a secondary code of EDAAAHAA, Nutrition & Diet Education (Meal Planning, Macros, Healthy Cooking). Its NAICS code is 62421.