Youth Speaks

What Youth Speaks does

Youth Speaks is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1996 and headquartered at 265 Shotwell St. (Casa Adelante) in San Francisco's Mission District, operating with 11-50 employees and an explicitly 100% BIPOC-led and staffed model. Its core function is delivering free literary arts and spoken word poetry programming to Bay Area youth ages 13-26, with identity-explicit focus on BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and immigrant communities. The product surface includes the flagship Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam Festival (founded 1997, 29th annual edition in 2026), the year-round hybrid Writing and Performance Workshops (Wednesdays 5pm-7pm, with $500 stipends), the Under 21 Open Mic series, the Bay Area Teen Poetry Slam (which feeds into Brave New Voices), the youth-curated annual Backyard Conference, and Power Lab narrative change campaigns covering Type 2 diabetes (The Bigger Picture with UCSF CVP, 23+ films, 1M+ views), climate (Speak Green), dropout crisis (Brave New Schools), racial profiling (Arresting Life), COVID-19 (Survival Pending Revolution), and youth incarceration (Off/Page with Reveal News). The organization also administers the California Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship ($740K to 48 Northern California artists across 16 counties in the 2023 cycle), the Public Poets Fellowship ($15K unrestricted stipend for young adults 19-26, second cohort Feb-Oct 2026), and professional development for adult educators through Bay Educators for Youth Voice.

The business and revenue model is diversified nonprofit funding: foundation and government grants anchor revenue (including the $5M multi-year Power Lab initiative, California Arts Council regranting, and city/county funding triggering Annual Economic Statement reporting above $100K); individual donations are processed through Network for Good and channeled via Donor Advised Funds (Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable) and employer matching; corporate sponsorship underwrites the Teen Poetry Slam season; earned revenue comes from event ticketing via Eventbrite and City Box Office (notably the BNV Finals at Herbst Theatre), artist bookings (schools, conferences, events via an Asana inquiry form), and merchandise sales through the standalone Youth Speaks Store (store.youthspeaks.org, "First Name Basis" collection). All core youth programming is free, with stipends as economic incentives. The underlying "technology" stack is programmatic and curatorial rather than software-native: WordPress-based web ecosystem (youthspeaks.org, bravenewvoices.youthspeaks.org, thebiggerpicture.youthspeaks.org), Airtable registration forms, Zoom for remote programming, YouTube as the primary video distribution channel, and AI-based accessibility tooling for WCAG 2.1 AA compliance. Notable institutional recognition includes the 2020 World Health Organization honor, James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award, peer-reviewed publications in JAMA and Frontiers in Public Health, and a documented role in passing San Francisco's 2016 Sweet and Sugary Beverage Tax.

Name

Youth Speaks

Legal name

Youth Speaks

Website

https://youthspeaks.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Youth Speaks is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1996 that delivers free spoken word poetry and literary arts programming to Bay Area youth ages 13-26, with identity-explicit focus on BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and immigrant communities, anchored by the Brave New Voices international youth poetry slam festival and Power Lab narrative change campaigns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Literary Arts and Creative Development

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Educational Support Services (611710), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Spoken Word & Performance Poetry Workshops (EDAMAMAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ), Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD), Children’s & YA Writing Workshops (EDAMAMAF), Adult/Public Speaking Clubs & Community Organizations (EDAMAOAI)

Keywords

• Youth literary arts
• Spoken word education
• Creative youth development
• Poetry slam programming
• Narrative change campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Government Grants: Nonprofit revenue stream anchored in restricted and unrestricted grants. Includes $740,000 distributed via the Individual Artist Fellowship partnership with the California Arts Council across 16 Northern California counties, and a $5M multi-year Power Lab initiative funded through foundation partners. Tax ID #91-2134499. Annual Economic Statement required when receiving $100,000+ from the City and County of San Francisco.
2. Individual Donations and Donor Advised Funds: Online donations via Network for Good, Donor Advised Fund grants (linked operating account with Fidelity and Schwab Charitable), employer matching gift programs, and stock/securities gifts processed via [email protected].
3. Merchandise Sales: E-commerce revenue from the Youth Speaks Store (store.youthspeaks.org), with first collection "First Name Basis" honoring figures such as Toni, Maya, Audre, Octavia, and bell. Products rooted in poetry and culture.
4. Event Ticketing and Booking Fees: Ticket sales for festival events such as the Brave New Voices Finals at Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, distributed via City Box Office and Eventbrite; artist booking fees for schools, conferences, and events via the Bookings inquiry form.
5. Corporate and Event Sponsorship: Sponsorship of the Teen Poetry Slam season and other programs by corporate and community partners (contact: [email protected]), used to subsidize ticket prices and keep programming accessible.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Youth Speaks is a nonprofit organization that delivers free writing and performance workshops, poetry slams, open mics, and narrative-change campaigns for Bay Area youth ages 13-26, anchored by its flagship Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Festival and the multi-year Power Lab / Public Poets Fellowship initiative. Programming emphasizes BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and immigrant youth voice through residencies, the Backyard Conference, the Bigger Picture public-health storytelling engine, and bookable artist performances.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Brave New Voices: International Youth Poetry Festival, a four-day festival that brings together the best youth poets from around the world; originally launched in 1997 and now in its 29th annual edition in 2026.
• The Bigger Picture
• Power Lab

Products and services

• Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Festival Annual four-day international youth poetry festival featuring workshops, showcases, semi-finals, MC Olympics, and finals; serves youth poets, educators, and cultural partners worldwide with integrated mental health and decompression programming.
• Power Lab / Public Poets Fellowship Multi-year initiative that convenes youth poets, organizers, industry experts, and community leaders to develop poems, ensemble performances, digital films, and PSAs that shift public narratives on health, education, climate, and justice issues; includes paid fellowship track for emerging artists.
• The Bigger Picture Public-health narrative change campaign co-developed with UCSF CVP producing spoken-word PSAs, short films, lesson plans, and policy playbooks addressing Type 2 diabetes, COVID-19 health equity, and structural violence in communities of color.
• Writing and Performance Workshops Weekly hybrid Wednesday workshops (5pm-7pm) for Bay Area youth hosted alternately at Chapter 510 (Oakland) and the Youth Speaks Office (San Francisco), covering The Disruptor, Chat I Went Viral, Statement Fit, and Youth Speaks Wrapped: 30 Years & 30 Tracks.
• Under 21 Open Mic

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,018 Bay Area youth served annually in residencies, workshops, or school assemblies
• +10 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations (CVP) at Zuckerberg San Francisco General HospitalflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and program design partner for The Bigger Picture project on Type 2 diabetes and structural health disparities. Co-developed the Survival Pending Revolution COVID-19 series. Dr. Dean Schillinger (UCSF CVP) worked with Youth Speaks poets to help pass the City and County of San Francisco's 2016 Sweet and Sugary Beverage Tax.
• The Redford Center (Sundance Preserve) and US Green Building CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partners on the Speak Green Power Lab project reframing climate change through youth culture. Since 2006, partnered with the Redford Center at the Sundance Preserve and the US Green Building Council to engage 1,000 youth (150 BIPOC, 90% youth of color) and 72 U.S. mayors, with presentations at the Kennedy Center Opera House, Goldman Environmental Prize, and Greenbuild.
• XQ Institute (with Done and Dusted, Emerson Collective, EIF)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic co-development partner on the Brave New Schools project addressing the high school dropout crisis. Hosted the XQ Super School Live telecast on ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC, named 25 finalists and 10 winners, awarded $50,000 in scholarship prizes, and trended #XQLive worldwide.
• Reveal News (formerly The Center for Investigative Reporting)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partner on the Off/Page Project, combining Youth Speaks' literary storytelling with Reveal's investigative journalism to amplify youth-centered reporting on housing crises, youth incarceration, and other community issues. Influenced California State Policy on housing with the release of the "This is Home" documentary.
• ChangeLab SolutionscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCo-developed the Pathways to Policy Playbook for young people and adult youth advocates to change policy supporting community health.
• The Beat WithincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on the Arresting Life Power Lab project; published 40 poems by justice-impacted youth with Youth Speaks; engaged 100 young people incarcerated at San Mateo Juvenile Hall.
• Community Unity Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), Urban Peace Movement, Fathers and Families of San JoaquincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organizations on the Arresting Life Power Lab project, supporting racial profiling and police brutality narrative change campaigns, story circles in Oakland and Stockton, and an educators' guide by Chinaka Hodge around Oscar Grant's murder.
• Hope ReimaginedflagshipImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMental health provider staffing the Decompression Zones at Brave New Voices. Susan Andrien (CEO and Founder of Hope Reimagined, Phase 2 certified Neurosequential Model trainer and Certified Forest Therapy Guide) leads the Safety & Mental Health team; combines qualified mental health therapists and graduate students in counseling psychology and social work using a culturally affirming, neurosomatic integration framework.
• Chapter 510 / Dept. of Make / BelievecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBay Area partner venue hosting Youth Speaks' 1st and 3rd Wednesday Writing Workshops at 546 9th St, Oakland (The Disruptor zine workshop and Statement Fit fashion/poetry workshop); also the host site for Fall First Fridays Under 21 Open Mics.
• Misión Economic Development Agency (MEDA) - Casa Adelante at 2060 FolsomflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffordable housing partner for the 265 Shotwell office and performance space inside Casa Adelante, a 100% affordable housing development in the Mission District. Casa Adelante serves as Youth Speaks' permanent home and a symbol of creative place-keeping in the neighborhood.
• ArtsforLA, California for the Arts (CFTA), Hannah Blumenfeld, Shasta Arts CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive regional partners (including Youth Speaks) selected by the California Arts Council for the Creative Economies in Action: 2025 Statewide Engagement Tour; Youth Speaks leads Regions 3 and 4.
• Huey P. Newton Foundation (Dr. Xavier Buck)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured at the Brave New Voices 2026 All Power to the Poets Showcase alongside youth artivists; inspiring the festival's theme honoring the legacy of the Bay Area's Black Panther Party.
• Office of Community Partnerships & Strategic Communications (OCPSC), State of CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth Speaks is a Trusted Messenger in collaboration with the California Office of Community Partnerships & Strategic Communications.
• Kuumba Lynx (Chicago)minorOthersOrigin organization for Creative Youth Development Director Darius Parker, who auditioned for the Kuumba Lynx performance ensemble and was later introduced to Brave New Voices via Louder Than A Bomb in 2008; part of the national ecosystem of Brave New Voices-affiliated poetry organizations.
• RYSE Youth Center and Broken City PoetsminorOthersMedia partners and collaborators referenced in connection with the Off/Page Project and broader youth poetry ecosystem.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 826 National: 826 National is the leading network of youth creative writing and publishing centers (826 Valencia, 826NYC, etc.), offering free writing workshops, tutoring, and student publishing programs to school-age youth. Highly comparable to Youth Speaks in mission (free youth literary arts education), pedagogy (workshop + publication model), and audience (Bay Area and nationally).
• The Beat Within: The Beat Within runs creative writing workshops inside juvenile halls and detention facilities and is a direct partner with Youth Speaks on the Arresting Life Power Lab project (40 poems published, 100 youth at San Mateo Juvenile Hall). Functionally a youth literary arts nonprofit with overlapping incarcerated-youth audience.
• Urban Word NYC: Urban Word NYC is a New York-based literary arts nonprofit that runs youth poetry slams, writing workshops, and the Annual NYC Teen Poetry Slam; it is a long-standing Brave New Voices affiliate with an almost identical spoken-word/slam pedagogical model. It is Youth Speaks' most direct East Coast functional analog.
• Kuumba Lynx: Kuumba Lynx is a Chicago-based performance ensemble and arts education organization that is a Brave New Voices affiliate and a feeder program for Louder Than A Bomb. It mirrors Youth Speaks' spoken word pedagogy, BIPOC-centered identity focus, and festival ecosystem role.
• Community Literature Initiative: Community Literature Initiative (CLI) is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit running youth poetry workshops, an annual youth poetry slam, and Brave New Voices team preparation — directly comparable in activity mix and BNV network positioning to Youth Speaks, though at smaller scale and regionally focused on LA.

Broad incumbents

• The Moth: The Moth is a much larger storytelling nonprofit running sold-out storytelling events, a podcast, and education programs in schools. It overlaps with Youth Speaks in oral storytelling pedagogy and youth programs but operates at substantially larger scale and broader scope, with national and global audience reach.
• Poetry Foundation: Poetry Foundation is the largest literary nonprofit dedicated to poetry, publisher of Poetry magazine and operator of poetryout loud.org. Comparable audience (poets and poetry readers) and overlap with Youth Speaks' funded poetry programming (e.g., a $40,000 grant from Poetry Foundation), but operates a much broader, primarily publishing/curatorial portfolio rather than youth workshop delivery.

Emerging players

• Writing Through Fences: Writing Through Fences is a small, emerging nonprofit providing creative writing workshops to refugees and people impacted by immigration detention. Partial overlap with Youth Speaks' juvenile-justice and migrant-identity programming (e.g., Arresting Life), but with a narrower focus and earlier-stage operational scale.

Regional players

• Youth Speaks Seattle: Youth Speaks Seattle (formerly Whatcha Mean?) operates spoken word poetry programming in the Pacific Northwest. It shares the same name heritage and spoken word pedagogy but operates in a distinct geography (Seattle) and does not directly compete with the San Francisco-based Youth Speaks in Bay Area markets.

Others

• MASS MoCA / Assets for Artists: MASS MoCA and related cultural institutions run artist fellowships, residencies, and creative economy programs analogous to Youth Speaks' Individual Artist Fellowship and Public Poets Fellowship. Comparable as a peer in the broader creative youth development / artist career pathways ecosystem, though operating primarily in the visual arts and across different geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/youthspeaks
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/YOUTHSPEAKS
• Facebookfacebook.com/youthspeaks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/youth-speaks
• Instagraminstagram.com/youthspeaks
• TikToktiktok.com/@youthspeaks_

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Youth Speaks