Spy Hop

What Spy Hop does

Spy Hop Productions is a Utah-based nonprofit youth media arts education organization founded in 1999 and headquartered at the Kahlert Youth Media Arts Center in Salt Lake City. The organization provides tuition-free instruction in four creative disciplines — film, audio, music, and design — to young people spanning ages 8 to 25, delivered through a tiered curriculum (Drop-In, Foundational, Apprenticeship, Bootcamp, Capstone) via afterschool classes, summer and spring camps, in-school programs (POPS), statewide mobile mentorship, and a Film Production Certification for young adults ages 18-25. Its statewide Media Arts Mentors program extends service delivery beyond the Salt Lake City hub into schools, community centers, and residencies across Utah. The organization was recognized by the White House as a leading nonprofit arts and humanities organization, and its programs are described as a model for youth development.

The organization's core technology consists of professional-grade media production equipment (film, audio, music, and design tools) made accessible to youth participants under artist mentor guidance. Spy Hop does not develop proprietary software, AI/ML systems, APIs, or digital platforms; it is not a technology product company. Its commercial sub-brand, Phase 2 Productions, offers professional video production services and a film production fellowship, representing the only for-fee revenue arm in the portfolio.

Spy Hop's business model is donation-dependent rather than transaction-based. All classes are tuition-free, with operating costs funded through charitable contributions, grants (including repeat funding from The Genesis Inspiration Foundation), annual benefit events, rooftop venue rentals, and ancillary commercial revenue from Phase 2 Productions. With 11-50 employees and a single-state (Utah) geographic footprint, the organization operates at a modest scale. Leadership consists of Executive Director Larissa Trout, In-House Programs Director Adam Sherlock, and Operations Director Adriana McGrath. The organization is governed by a board of directors and is not affiliated with any parent company or institutional investor.

Name

Spy Hop

Legal name

Spy Hop Productions

Website

https://spyhop.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Spy Hop Productions is a Salt Lake City-based nonprofit providing tuition-free youth media arts education in film, audio, music, and design to young people ages 8-25 across Utah through afterschool classes, summer camps, in-school programs, and statewide mobile mentorship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Media Arts Education

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Visual Arts & Media Arts Programs (Art Club, Photography, Film) (EDAJAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Children’s & Youth Educational Entertainment (Edutainment) (EDAGALAK)

Keywords

• Youth media arts education
• Nonprofit filmmaking programs
• Audio music production training
• Design arts education
• Summer media camps

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Spy Hop is a nonprofit youth media arts education center that provides tuition-free classes, camps, apprenticeships, and certification programs in film, audio, music, and design for youth ages 8–25. Programming is delivered on-site at its Kahlert Youth Media Arts Center in Salt Lake City and statewide across Utah through in-school and community-based mobile programming, with operations sustained primarily by donations, grants, and an annual benefit event.

Product overview

Spy Hop is a nonprofit youth media arts education organization offering a unified portfolio of programs across four core creative disciplines: film, audio, music, and design. The organization provides structured programming through multiple delivery channels including in-school programs (POPS), afterschool classes, summer camps, and specialized certification programs. Programs are tiered by skill level (Drop-In, Foundational, Apprenticeship, Bootcamp, Capstone) serving youth ages 8-25. Phase 2 Productions serves as a commercial production services arm offering professional video services and a fellowship program for young adults.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• POPS (Partnering Artist and us for Schools): In-school arts programs bringing media arts education to schools across Utah.
• Phase 2 Productions

Products and services

• Film Programs Youth media arts education programs teaching filmmaking, video production, and visual storytelling for students ages 12–19.
• Audio Programs Media arts education focusing on audio production, sound design, and podcasting skills for youth.
• Music Programs Programs teaching music production, recording, and performance skills to young people.
• Design Programs Youth education in graphic design, visual arts, and digital design tools and techniques.
• In-School Arts Programs (POPS) Arts programming delivered within school settings, bringing media arts education directly to students statewide across Utah.
• Afterschool Program After-school media arts classes and mentorship for teens, offering drop-in, foundational, apprenticeship, bootcamp, and capstone level courses.
• Summer Camps Award-winning summer camps for kids ages 8–11 providing access to high-tech media equipment and technology with professional artist guidance.
• Film Production Certification Professional film production certification program for young adults ages 18–25 to kickstart their film careers.
• Voices of the West A youth media program enabling young people to document and share stories from their communities.
• Phase 2 Productions Spy Hop's media production services arm that offers professional video production services and a film production fellowship program for young adults.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students gain practical real-world experience preparing them for the workforce
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Reel Works Teen Filmmaking: NYC-based nonprofit that mentors teens in filmmaking and storytelling through free in-person programs. Closest comparable in mission, tuition-free model, teen-film focus, and mentorship-driven delivery.
• Scribe Video Center: Philadelphia-based nonprofit offering media arts education, production training, and youth programs in documentary filmmaking and video. Mirrors Spy Hop's youth + community media arts approach with comparable facility-based delivery.
• Global Kids: NYC-based nonprofit that runs youth development programs using media production, leadership training, and global education. Comparable in combining media production with broader youth civic and workforce outcomes.
• Downtown Community Television Center (DCTV): NYC-based nonprofit media arts center providing documentary filmmaking workshops, youth media education, and production facilities. Direct parallel to Spy Hop's facility-based youth media arts model.
• Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC): San Francisco-based nonprofit providing media maker training, youth programs, and access to professional production equipment. Comparable in providing professional-grade media tools and youth-focused training programs.
• Echo Park Film Center: LA-based nonprofit media arts center offering film education, youth workshops, and community screenings. Comparable in being a community-rooted youth media arts organization with free/low-cost programming.
• Appalshop: Kentucky-based nonprofit arts and education center producing films, music, and media by and for Appalachian communities with strong youth programming. Comparable in community-based youth media production and arts-education integration.
• Young Storytellers: LA-based nonprofit developing literacy and self-confidence in youth through storytelling and mentorship programs. Comparable as a youth creative-arts nonprofit with structured mentorship, though narrower in scope (script-focused).

Broad incumbents

• Sundance Institute: National nonprofit supporting independent storytelling with youth and emerging-filmmaker programs. Comparable mission-adjacent organization with broader film-industry scope and far larger resources.
• PBS Kids: National children's edutainment media brand producing educational video, games, and curricula. Operates in the same youth educational entertainment space as Spy Hop's edutainment outputs, but at vastly larger scale and as a broadcaster rather than community nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SpyHop
• Facebookfacebook.com/spyhop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spy-hop-productions
• Instagraminstagram.com/spy_hop
• Xx.com/spy_hop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Spy Hop