Girl Be Heard

What Girl Be Heard does

Girl Be Heard is a Brooklyn-based 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2008 that develops, amplifies, and celebrates the voices of girls, young women, and gender-expansive youth through socially conscious theater-making, storytelling, and performance. It serves approximately 700 participants per year, ages 12-21, across New York City and Trinidad and Tobago, reaching an additional 30,000+ audience members through live performances at off-Broadway venues, the White House, TED conferences, and the United Nations.

The organization operates a multi-program portfolio organized around three pillars: the Artistic Company (a pre-professional performance residency with paid opportunities up to $1,500), Education Programs (Weekend Workshops and After-school Programs across disciplines including Theater/Spoken Word, Music/Vocal Performance, Visual Arts, and Dance), and Special Projects (technical storytelling in filmmaking, podcasting, and content creation). Programs culminate in annual MainStage productions — original devised plays performed at professional venues. The underlying 'technology' is a proprietary ensemble-based theater-making methodology grounded in Black Feminist Theory and the writings of bell hooks and Audre Lorde, formalized into a multi-pathway Artivism Curriculum.

Girl Be Heard is funded primarily through a diversified mix of individual donations, foundation and corporate grants (Brooklyn Community Foundation, Tides, Pinkerton, Consolidated Edison, Two Trees), government arts funding (NEA, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, NY State Council on the Arts, US Embassy), ticket sales starting at $10, and fee-for-service 'Bring GBH to Your Community' bookings. All core programs are free for participants. The organization operates on a budget of nearly $2M with approximately 40 staff across two countries and is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Jessica Pfeiffenberger Bohn since January 2024, with Cynthia Renta serving as Executive Director since December 2023.

Name

Girl Be Heard

Legal name

Girl Be Heard

Website

https://girlbeheard.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Girl Be Heard is a Brooklyn-based 501c3 nonprofit that uses ensemble-based theater-making and storytelling to develop, amplify, and celebrate the voices of girls and gender-expansive youth (ages 12-21) in NYC and Trinidad and Tobago, serving 700+ participants annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Arts Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Leadership, Oratory & Civic Speaking Programs (EDAMAOAH), Spoken Word & Performance Poetry Workshops (EDAMAMAM)

Keywords

• Youth theater programs
• Arts education nonprofit
• Social justice theater
• Performing arts training
• Community youth development

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting the organization's mission, including one-time donations and recurring Spotlight Supporter commitments
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Funding from foundations (Brooklyn Community Foundation, Tides Foundation, Pinkerton Foundation, etc.) and corporations (Consolidated Edison, Two Trees Management)
3. Government Funding: Support from National Endowment for the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, NY State Council on the Arts, and US Embassy to Trinidad and Tobago
4. Performance and Workshop Fees: Fee-for-service programming where organizations, schools, and community groups pay for GBH workshops, performances, and bring-GBH-to-your-community offerings
5. Ticket Sales: Revenue from Mainstage and performance tickets, with prices starting at $10 and free tickets available via code

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Girl Be Heard is a 501c3 nonprofit that develops, amplifies, and celebrates the voices of girls, young women, and gender-expansive youth (ages 12-21) through socially conscious theater-making, storytelling, and performance. The organization runs free year-round programs across multiple art disciplines (theater/spoken word, music/vocal performance, dance, visual arts, filmmaking, podcasting), culminating in original MainStage productions at professional venues. Programs are delivered in NYC and Trinidad and Tobago, reaching 700+ youth annually and 30,000+ audience members through live performances.

Product overview

Girl Be Heard is a Brooklyn-based nonprofit that operates a multi-program arts education and performance platform focused on amplifying the voices of girls, young women, and gender-expansive youth through socially conscious theater-making, storytelling, and performance. The organization offers a unified portfolio of free year-round programs centered around three core pillars: The Artistic Company (pre-professional performance residency), Education Programs (Weekend Workshops and After-school Programs across multiple disciplines), and Special Projects (technical storytelling in filmmaking, podcasting, and content creation). Programs culminate in MainStage productions—original devised plays performed at professional venues. Additional offerings include the Volunteer/Amplify Program, Alumni Referral Program, and international Girl Be Heard Trinidad and Tobago program. The portfolio serves youth ages 12-24 across NYC and Trinidad and Tobago, reaching over 700 youth annually and 30,000+ audience members through performances.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Artistic Company

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and flagship.

• New Settlement Community CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeekend Workshop location in the Bronx offering dance and movement programming for participants
• El PuentecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization partner hosting Weekend Workshops in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
• Consolidated EdisonsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Girl Be Heard programs and operations
• Lin-Manuel MirandaflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerSpecial Advisor/Fairy Godmother providing high-profile endorsement and support
• Gloria SteinemflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerSpecial Advisor and donor, advocate for GBH mission
• Danai GuriraflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerFairy Godmother supporting GBH as celebrity advocate
• Leymah GboweeflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerNobel Peace Prize laureate serving as Special Advisor and Fairy Godmother

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation: Major national philanthropy that funds youth development and arts education initiatives, including Atlanta-area arts access programs. Comparable as a comparable institutional arts/youth funder rather than a direct service peer.

Broad incumbents

• Roundabout Theatre Company: Major NYC nonprofit theater company with substantial education and community engagement programs (e.g., Roundabout Youth Education). Comparable as an institutional NYC theater nonprofit with youth programming, though not youth-specific.
• Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company: DC-based nonprofit theater known for innovative and socially engaged productions, with educational and community engagement initiatives. Comparable as a nonprofit producing socially conscious theater, with adjacent youth programming.
• National YoungArts Foundation: National nonprofit providing transformative arts opportunities for teens across multiple disciplines including theater, spoken word, and film. Comparable on mission of nurturing young artists and providing pathways to professional careers.
• Atlantic Theater Company: Off-Broadway NYC theater company that operates the Atlantic Acting School and youth-focused programming. Comparable as a NYC theater organization with youth education initiatives, though broader in scope than GBH.
• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Major Chicago-based nonprofit theater with a young adults/education programming track. Comparable as an established nonprofit theater with youth engagement programming, though at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• New Victory Theater: New York's first and only full-time performing arts theater for kids, families, and school groups, with extensive education and community engagement programming. Directly comparable on youth/family performing-arts focus and NYC base.
• The 52nd Street Project: NYC-based nonprofit that brings together young people (primarily from Hell's Kitchen/Midtown) with professional theater artists to create original work. Closely comparable mission and ensemble-based youth theater-making methodology.
• Rosie's Theater Kids: NYC nonprofit providing free performing arts education and year-round programming to under-served public school students. Comparable on free-access model, NYC public-school delivery channel, and youth performing arts focus.
• Epic Theatre Ensemble: NYC ensemble that produces socially conscious theater and runs in-school residencies for underserved youth, including programs like the Epic Youth Theatre. Directly aligned on ensemble methodology, social-justice lens, and youth-development focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/girlbeheard
• Facebookfacebook.com/girlbeheard
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/girl-be-heard
• Instagraminstagram.com/girlbeheard

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Girl Be Heard