Irondale
Irondale Ensemble Project is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit theatre company, founded in 1983, that produces professional ensemble theatre, runs free youth and STEM communication programs, and operates community bridge-building initiatives through its trademarked Theatre of Empathy framework.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Irondale does
Irondale Ensemble Project is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit theatre company operating since 1983 from a renovated 19th-century Sunday school at 85 South Oxford Street in Fort Greene. The organization produces professional ensemble theatre and runs four free youth programs (Junior Company for grades 6–8, Young Company for ages 14–18 in its 17th season, Tech Track for technical theatre, and STEM to STEAM serving 600+ NYC students annually) alongside two community programs under its trademarked Theatre of Empathy umbrella — TPSU, a now-suspended NYPD-community improvisation initiative, and Exact Communication, a science- and business-communication coaching service.
Revenue is generated through a hybrid nonprofit model combining ticket sales ($35 general admission, $20 student/senior/artist), a tiered Director's Circle major-donor program ($1,000–$25,000+ annually), Friends of Irondale memberships (up to $999), merchandise, venue rentals of The Space at Irondale (250-seat capacity), corporate sponsorships, individual donations, planned giving, and foundation grants from funders including the Pinkerton Foundation, Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, Con Edison, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, and NYS Council on the Arts. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the website, the Ovations ticketing platform, social channels (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter), an annual Inspire fundraising gala, and earned media coverage in The New Yorker, NY1, BBC, CBS, NPR, and Good Morning America.
Strategic partnerships span NYC cultural and academic institutions — NYU, Columbia, Mount Sinai, American Museum of Natural History, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and heritage centers — supporting STEM to STEAM and Devising History programming. The organization is led by co-founders Terry Greiss (Executive Director), Jim Niesen (Artistic Director), and Barbara Mackenzie-Wood, supported by a Development Director, Director of Education, and Rental/Production Manager. A material risk emerged in June 2025 when the NYPD suspended the flagship TPSU program, removing a nationally recognized brand from active operation.
Irondale firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Irondale
- Legal name
- Irondale Ensemble Project
- Website
- https://irondale.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Irondale Ensemble Project is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit theatre company, founded in 1983, that produces professional ensemble theatre, runs free youth and STEM communication programs, and operates community bridge-building initiatives through its trademarked Theatre of Empathy framework.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Irondale industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts Theatre Services
- NAICS
- Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Fine Arts Schools (61161)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE), Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD)
Keywords
Where Irondale is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Irondale business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from theatrical performances. General admission tickets are $35, with discounted rates of $20 for students, seniors, and working artists.
- Membership Programs (Director's Circle): Annual major giving program with tiers: Guest Artist ($1,000), Key Player ($2,500), Collaborator ($5,000), Ensemble ($10,000), and Sponsor ($25,000+). Includes exclusive benefits like behind-the-scenes opportunities, complimentary tickets, and salon events.
- Friends of Irondale Membership: Annual donations up to $999 with public recognition and invitation to annual virtual event.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, water bottles, tote bags, mugs, and CDs.
- Space Rental: Rental of The Space at Irondale venue for performances, weddings, benefits, and events. Includes use of stage, lighting, sound equipment, and dressing rooms.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Mutually beneficial partnerships where businesses gain visibility while Irondale receives financial support. Includes in-kind donations of goods or services.
- Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting the organization's art, education, and social justice mission.
- Planned Giving/Legacy Gifts: Bequests in wills or partial beneficiaries of life insurance policies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission Theatre Tickets |
| Subscription | Annual | Director's Circle - Guest Artist ($1,000) |
| Subscription | Annual | Director's Circle - Key Player ($2,500) |
| Subscription | Annual | Director's Circle - Collaborator ($5,000) |
| Subscription | Annual | Director's Circle - Ensemble ($10,000) |
| Subscription | Annual | Director's Circle - Sponsor ($25,000+) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Merchandise |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Inspire Gala Tickets |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Irondale product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Irondale produces original and reimagined theatrical works through its professional ensemble, runs free youth theatre education programs (Junior Company, Young Company, Tech Track, STEM to STEAM), and operates community-based programs (TPSU for police-community relations, Exact Communication for science/business communication) under its Theatre of Empathy umbrella. The organization also rents its 6,000 sq ft Fort Greene venue, The Space at Irondale, and sells branded merchandise, with all activity supported by donations, grants, and memberships.
Product overview
Irondale is a Brooklyn-based theatre ensemble and cultural nonprofit founded in 1983. The organization operates as a single unified entity offering theatre productions through its professional ensemble, youth education programs (Junior Company, Young Company, Tech Track, and STEM to STEAM), community engagement initiatives (TPSU and Exact Communication under the Theatre of Empathy umbrella), venue rental (The Space at Irondale), and educational resources. The portfolio is centered on using theatre as a vehicle for art, education, and social justice, with programs spanning from professional productions to free youth training and police-community bridge-building.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Irondale Productions Professional ensemble theatre productions featuring original works and reimagined classics, performed by the resident ensemble at The Space at Irondale in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Theatrical works address social justice themes and are presented to general audiences via ticketed performances.
- Young Company Pre-professional theatre training program for high school students ages 14-18 that develops scripted and improvised work for public performance twice yearly, with internships in theatre operations. Offered free of charge to participants. Now in its 17th season.
- Junior Company Middle school ensemble program for students in grades 6-8 focusing on acting, improvisation, and ensemble-building skills. Offered free of charge.
- Tech Track Technical theatre program teaching costume and set design, marketing, and lighting design through hands-on projects in collaboration with the Young Company. Offered free of charge.
- STEM to STEAM Program using theatrical improvisation techniques to help STEM students develop communication skills for presenting academic research effectively. Delivered in partnership with NYU (ARISE, ieSoSC, SONYC), Columbia University, Mount Sinai Lloyd Sherman Scholars, American Museum of Natural History, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory DNA Learning Center, and Biobase/BioBus. Reaches 600+ students annually.
- TPSU (To Protect, Serve and Understand) Police-community empathy program pairing local community members with NYPD officers in ten-week workshop series (seven officers and seven community members per series) using improvisation, actor training, and ensemble building to develop trust and mutual understanding. Ran for 10 years; currently on hiatus following NYPD suspension in June 2025.
- Exact Communication Communication coaching workshops led by theatre artists, journalists, and science communication specialists, designed for scientists, business leaders, and educators who need to communicate complex ideas more effectively. Delivered as workshops and corporate programs.
- The Space at Irondale (Venue Rental) Rental of a 6,000 sq ft flexible performance venue in a renovated 19th-century Sunday school with seating for up to 250, 26-28 ft ceilings, 1,900 sq ft wrap-around balcony with original stained glass, plus stage, lighting, sound equipment, and dressing rooms. Available for theatrical performances, weddings, benefits, and corporate events.
- Irondale Merchandise Apparel and goods including t-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, water bottles, tote bags, and CDs featuring Irondale branding, sold online to support the organization.
- Masterclasses Classes taught by co-founders Barbara Mackenzie-Wood, Jim Niesen, and Terry Greiss covering innovative approaches to performance and acting techniques for real-world challenges. Open to adult learners.
- Director's Circle Membership Annual major giving membership program with tiered contributions from $1,000 (Guest Artist) to $25,000+ (Sponsor), offering benefits including complimentary prime seats, behind-the-scenes access, salon event invitations, open rehearsal invitations, dinners with artistic leadership, concierge services, and merchandise discounts. Tax-deductible.
- Devising History School residency program using theatre to reanimate historic source material, inspired by the production Color Between the Lines, delivered in partnership with Brooklyn Center for History and Weeksville Heritage Center.
Quantifiable outcome
- 600+ students reached annually through STEM to STEAM partnerships
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Irondale
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Irondale technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Irondale partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- NYU (ARISE, ieSoSC, SONYC)coreSTEM to STEAM partnership with NYU programs including ARISE, ieSoSC, and SONYC. Irondale provides communication training using theatrical improvisation to help science students present research effectively.
- Biobase (BioBus)corePartnership with Biobase/BioBus for STEM to STEAM programming helping biology students communicate their research.
- Columbia UniversitycoreSTEM to STEAM partnership with Columbia University for science communication training.
- Mount Sinai (Lloyd Sherman Scholars)corePartnership with Mount Sinai's Lloyd Sherman Scholars program for communication training.
- American Museum of Natural HistorycorePartnership for STEM to STEAM programming helping museum researchers communicate science effectively.
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory DNA Learning CentercorePartnership for DNA and genetics education communication training.
- Brooklyn Center for HistoryminorPartnership for Devising History program using theatre to reanimate historic source material.
- Weeksville Heritage CenterminorPartnership for Devising History program using theatre to reanimate historic source material.
- NYC Science Research and Mentoring ConsortiumcoreMany partner programs are members of the NYC Science Research and Mentoring Consortium.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Irondale competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Irondale social profiles
Digital presenceIrondale financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Irondale leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Irondale funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Irondale 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 Irondale
What does Irondale do?
Irondale produces original and reimagined theatrical works through its professional ensemble, runs free youth theatre education programs (Junior Company, Young Company, Tech Track, STEM to STEAM), and operates community-based programs (TPSU for police-community relations, Exact Communication for science/business communication) under its Theatre of Empathy umbrella. The organization also rents its 6,000 sq ft Fort Greene venue, The Space at Irondale, and sells branded merchandise, with all activity supported by donations, grants, and memberships.
Is Irondale a public or private company?
Irondale is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Irondale founded?
Irondale was founded in 1983. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Irondale based?
Irondale is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.
How does Irondale make money?
Eight revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are membership Programs (Director's Circle), friends of Irondale Membership, merchandise Sales, space Rental, corporate Sponsorships, individual Donations and planned Giving/Legacy Gifts.
Does Irondale have an API?
No public API is recorded for Irondale.
What industry is Irondale in?
Irondale's product category is Performing Arts Theatre Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAB, Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music), with a secondary code of EDAMAAAG, Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater). Its NAICS code is 71111 and its SIC code is 7900.