Rhode Island Black Storytellers

What Rhode Island Black Storytellers does

Rhode Island Black Storytellers (RIBS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit cultural organization founded in 1998 and headquartered at the Southside Cultural Center of Rhode Island in Providence. The organization's mission is to promote awareness, appreciation, and application of Black storytelling — defined as the oral arts, traditions, and practices of African Heritage people worldwide — delivered through performances, workshops, cultural, educational, and historical programs. RIBS operates a portfolio of interconnected programs: FUNDA Fest (the annual flagship celebration of Black storytelling); FUNDA Story Camp (weeklong cultural enrichment for K-5 students featuring storytelling, African drumming and dance, and visual arts, offered free of charge); Legacy Academy (a six-month adult professional storyteller training program with a 13-person pilot graduating cohort); Community Flavors (quarterly potluck-meets-storytelling community gatherings); and Storytellers In Schools, which deploys a roster of eight master storytellers into K-12 schools across Rhode Island and New England.

The underlying technology stack is modest and conventional for a community nonprofit: a WordPress-style website (ribsfest.org) with performance request and donation forms, Zoom for virtual programming, Google Forms for intake, social media channels (Facebook, Instagram), and online donation platforms (Zeffy, Network for Good). No proprietary software, AI/ML capability, or API surface area is offered. The "proprietary" value is human and cultural — a curated methodology, a 27-year repertoire of oral tradition, and a developed talent pipeline rather than technology.

RIBS is funded through a hybrid revenue model: individual donations, performance fees (tiered $550-$1,650 per engagement depending on location, audience type, and back-to-back volume), and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, Rhode Island Foundation, Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, NEFA, and United Way of RI. Customer segments span schools (K-12 — the primary vertical), colleges and businesses (DEI, team-building), libraries and community organizations, and families/children. Distribution is direct via website booking forms and through an ecosystem of 18+ community partners including the Providence School Department, Providence Community Library, YWCA RI, and Newport Art Museum. Geographic scope is Rhode Island plus a recently formalized New England expansion into CT, MA, ME, and NH.

Name

Rhode Island Black Storytellers

Legal name

Rhode Island Black Storytellers

Website

https://ribsfest.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rhode Island Black Storytellers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 that promotes Black oral storytelling traditions through school performances, an annual festival, youth camps, adult training, and community programs across Rhode Island and New England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Arts Education and Live Storytelling Performances

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Fine Arts Schools (61161), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (7115)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Theatre & Storytelling Festivals (MPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM), Kids & Family Learning Workshops (Family Crafts, Junior Maker Classes) (THAJAKAO)

Keywords

• Black storytelling performances
• Cultural arts education
• Storytelling workshops
• Youth cultural programs
• African heritage oral tradition

Headquarters

HQ city

Providence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Primary revenue stream through individual donations via Zeffy and Network for Good platforms. Donations support annual FUNDA Fest events and community programming for families, students, and adults.
2. Performance Fees: Fee-for-service performances at schools, libraries, community centers, colleges, and businesses. Pricing structure varies by geographic region (Rhode Island vs. New England states) and number of back-to-back performances. Includes storytelling sessions and workshops.
3. Funda Story Camp Registration: Free summer camp program for children entering grades K-5, but supported through grants and donations. Includes storytelling, African drumming and dance, art making, music, and community-building activities.
4. Grant Funding: Grant support from organizations including National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, and other foundation funding for specific programs like Legacy Academy and Funda Story Camp.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Rhode Island Black Storytellers (RIBS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers live and virtual Black storytelling performances, cultural and educational workshops, youth enrichment camps, and adult professional storyteller training. Core paid offerings include school and corporate performance bookings at $550–$1,650 per performance depending on region and number of back-to-back shows. Free or grant-funded offerings include the annual FUNDA Fest festival, FUNDA Story Camp for K-5 students, the Legacy Academy adult training program, and Community Flavors quarterly potluck gatherings.

Product overview

Rhode Island Black Storytellers (RIBS) operates as a non-profit cultural organization offering a portfolio of interconnected storytelling programs and services rather than a unified technology product. The core offerings include FUNDA Fest (annual festival celebrating Black storytelling), FUNDA Story Camp (youth cultural education programs during school breaks), Legacy Academy (adult professional storyteller training), Community Flavors (community potluck storytelling gatherings), and Storytellers In Schools (school-based performances). RIBS also provides professional Performance Services for schools, businesses, and organizations seeking live or virtual storytelling experiences, and supports the NABS national conference. These programs work together to fulfill RIBS' mission of promoting awareness, appreciation, and application of Black storytelling across generations and communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FUNDA Fest: Annual celebration of Black storytelling featuring national and local storytellers, performances, workshops, and cultural events.
• FUNDA Story Camp
• Legacy Academy
• Community Flavors
• Storytellers In Schools

Products and services

• FUNDA Fest Annual celebration of Black storytelling featuring local, national, and international storytellers, performances, workshops, and cultural programming. Brings dozens of national storytellers to Rhode Island each year.
• FUNDA Story Camp Free culturally enriching day camp for students in grades K-5 held during school vacations, featuring storytelling, theatre skills, African drumming and dance, visual arts, and culminating in a performance for family and friends.
• Legacy Academy Six-month culturally based storytelling training program for adults designed to equip participants to become professional storytellers, focusing on cultural and historical stories and preserving Black oral traditions.
• Community Flavors Quarterly community potluck events held at Southside Cultural Center of RI where participants share food, enjoy performances, and exchange stories with facilitators guiding discussions around the table.
• Storytellers In Schools Professional storytellers visit schools throughout Rhode Island providing performances and educational programs that offer socio-emotional learning, literacy connections, and opportunities for students to hear and tell stories connected to their heritage.
• Performance Services Live or virtual storytelling performances and workshops for schools, libraries, community centers, colleges, businesses, and organizations, with options for in-person presentations, pre-recorded stories, and customized workshop facilitation. Priced at $550-$1,650 per performance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of children impacted by storytelling programs
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, primary, secondary and minor.

• Southside Cultural Center of RIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome location for RIBS and Community Flavors quarterly events. Partnership provides venue for performances and programs.
• Providence School DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor institutional partner for Storytellers In Schools program bringing Black storytelling to students throughout Providence.
• National Association of Black Storytellers (NABS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization RIBS actively collaborates with. Host of 44th annual NABS Festival & Conference in Providence (November 2026).
• Providence Community LibraryprimaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity partner for library storytelling performances and educational programming accessible to all community members.
• YWCA RIsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership for cultural programming and diversity initiatives.
• Newport Art MuseumsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts and culture partnership for community engagement through storytelling.
• Providence Children's MuseumsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily-focused partnership for children's cultural programming.
• North Kingstown Free LibrarysecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLibrary partnership extending reach to North Kingstown community.
• The Langston Hughes Community ReadingssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiterary and cultural partnership celebrating African American literature and community storytelling.
• Universalist Unitarian Congregation of South CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFaith community partnership for cultural programming.
• Lily Pads Music n' MoreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic education partnership for enrichment programming.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Moth: National storytelling organization that produces live storytelling events and workshops. Directly comparable in mission (promoting the art of storytelling as a cultural practice) and business model (ticketed performances and educational programs), though operating at a much larger national scale.
• StoryCorps: Nonprofit oral history project that records and preserves personal stories from Americans. Comparable as a nonprofit storytelling and cultural-preservation organization with educational programming, strong funding partnerships, and a similar mission of using personal narrative to connect communities.
• National Association of Black Storytellers: National parent organization RIBS is affiliated with; NABS promotes and perpetuates the art of Black storytelling. Directly comparable in mission, audience, and programming focus on Black oral traditions; RIBS is hosting NABS's 2026 national festival.
• International Storytelling Center: National nonprofit dedicated to preserving and promoting the art of storytelling. Comparable through shared focus on storytelling festivals, performer training, and educational programs for adults and youth.

Regional players

• Massmouth: Boston-based storytelling organization producing live storytelling events, slams, and educational programs. Comparable in operating model and target audience but focused on the Greater Boston/New England metro rather than Rhode Island.
• Stages of Freedom: Rhode Island-based nonprofit dedicated to celebrating Black culture through programs in the arts. Directly comparable as a regional nonprofit serving the Black cultural community in RI with similar programming and audience overlap.
• Mixed Magic Theatre: Providence-based performing arts organization producing theater and cultural programming. Comparable as a regional arts nonprofit in Rhode Island with similar community-engagement and cultural-programming model, though focused on theater rather than oral storytelling.
• Community MusicWorks: Providence-based nonprofit providing music education and performance programs to underserved communities. Comparable as a Providence nonprofit using arts education and cultural programming to drive community impact, with similar funding mix of grants and donations.

Broad incumbents

• National Storytelling Network: Membership organization serving storytellers across the U.S. Comparable in mission and audience (storytellers and storytelling enthusiasts) but operates as a broader professional association rather than a regional presenting organization.
• Trinity Repertory Company: Major regional theater company based in Providence, Rhode Island. Comparable as a performing arts presenter in the same Rhode Island market, though Trinity Rep operates at significantly larger scale as a Tony Award-winning professional theater.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@sylviaannsoares1941
• Facebookfacebook.com/RIBlackStorytellers
• Instagraminstagram.com/riblackstorytellers/?hl=en
• Xx.com/rhode_black
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rhode-island-black-storytellers-ribs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Rhode Island Black Storytellers