Mujeres de Maiz

What Mujeres de Maiz does

Mujeres de Maiz (MdM) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1997 in Highland Park, Northeast Los Angeles, by Felicia Montes and Claudia Mercado. Its mission is to improve women's overall and mental health through culturally grounded programming that integrates holistic wellness, health education, cultural arts, art exhibitions, and publishing. The organization serves primarily Chicana/Latina and Indigenous women, and also women, girls, trans, and gender non-conforming individuals of color in Los Angeles and beyond, addressing health disparities, generational trauma, and lack of culturally sensitive services.

The organization's core offerings center on recurring programming rather than proprietary technology. These include the monthly Full Moon Coyolxauhqui Circle (in operation since 2010), community workshops (artivism, self-care, decolonizing healing, poetry, silkscreening), the annual Mujeres de Maiz Zine (the longest-running women of color grassroots publication in the U.S.), the WE RISE wellness initiative partnered with LA County, the La Cultura Cura Wellness Fair, Spanish-language Circulo de Mujeres, the Mujer Mercado artisan marketplace, and the UnEarthed documentary. Distribution runs through in-person venues (Self Help Graphics & Art, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, Goddess Mercado Bazaar), online Zoom programming, Eventbrite, an email newsletter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and earned media.

MdM's business model is a hybrid nonprofit funding stack: tax-deductible individual donations (including via Zeffy), foundation grants (notably the 2021 Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Humanities in Place grant and the ~$200,000 California Humanities award in 2015), annual memberships, optional event tickets ranging from $10 suggested donations up to $52 workshop tickets, and annual zine sales at $15-$20. The organization has historically been volunteer-run and is currently operating with its first paid staff positions funded by the Mellon grant, alongside a leadership team that includes academics and tenured community practitioners.

Name

Mujeres de Maiz

Legal name

Mujeres de Maiz

Website

https://mujeresdemaiz.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Founded in 1997 in Los Angeles, Mujeres de Maiz is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers holistic wellness workshops, monthly talking circles, cultural arts programming, and zine publishing for Chicana/Latina, Indigenous women, and gender non-conforming communities of color.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Arts and Holistic Wellness Nonprofit Programming

akta.pro primary industry

Holistic & Integrative Wellness Education (Ayurveda, Traditional Practices) (EDAAAHAH)

Keywords

• Community wellness programming
• Cultural arts workshops
• Women of color zine publishing
• Holistic talking circles
• Nonprofit artivism

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting the organization. Monthly or one-time donations accepted through platforms like Zeffy.
2. Grants and Foundation Support: Funding from foundations including Mellon Foundation Humanities in Place grant and California Humanities awards.
3. Event Tickets and Suggested Donations: Some events have suggested donations ($10) or ticket prices ($20-$52) while many are free.
4. Annual Memberships: Membership program providing services and benefits to members, with various membership options.
5. Zine Sales: Sale of annual zine publications featuring poetry, prose, and visual art by women of color.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Mujeres de Maiz is a Chicana/Latina and Indigenous women's nonprofit organization that delivers holistic wellness and cultural arts programming, including monthly talking circles, community workshops, art exhibitions, and self-published zines. Offerings are free or donation-based and aim to improve women's overall and mental health through culturally grounded wellness, health education, and artistic expression. The organization also produces documentary content and operates an artisan marketplace supporting women of color creators.

Product overview

Mujeres de Maiz is a Chicana/Latina and Indigenous women's organization offering a portfolio of wellness, cultural arts, and community programming services. Core offerings include monthly Full Moon Coyolxauhqui Circles, Community Workshops (artivism, self-care, poetry, silkscreening, healing), annual Zine publications (the longest-running women of color grassroots publication in the nation), the WE RISE wellness program, the UnEarthed documentary project, La Cultura Cura wellness fairs, Spanish-language Circulo de Mujeres, and Mujer Mercado artisan markets. These programs collectively address holistic wellness, health education, cultural arts, art exhibitions, and publishing with a focus on improving women's overall and mental health.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Coyolxauhqui Circle: Monthly full moon women's talking circle focused on Cultura Cura philosophy, creating safe/brave spaces for women in circles of health, healing and humanity since 2010.

Products and services

• Full Moon Coyolxauhqui Circle Monthly talking circles held on or around the full moon since November 2010, providing safe/brave spaces for women and gender non-conforming individuals based on the organization's Cultura Cura philosophy.
• Community Workshops Featured educational workshops covering Artivism in Action, Self and Community Care, Decolonizing Healing Ways, The Power of Poetry, Silkscreening, and Cultura Cura Circles for community members and activists.
• Mujeres de Maiz Zine Annual self-published zine featuring poetry, prose, and visual art by women of color; the longest running women of color grassroots publication in the nation, with 14+ issues archived.
• WE RISE Program Wellness Equality Restorative Integrative Solidarity & Education project offering interactive art and wellness workshops and pop-ups focused on holistic modalities addressing mental, physical, and emotional health.
• Mujeres de Maiz Documentary (UnEarthed) Feature documentary sharing the 25-year herstory of Mujeres de Maiz as told by indigenous-identified urban women of color.
• La Cultura Cura: Feria de Bienestar Culture heals wellness fair offering workshops, presentations, wellness sessions, and resources supporting mental health through culturally rooted practices, sponsored by partners such as Take Action LA.
• Circulo de Mujeres (Spanish Circles) Spanish-language online conversation circles for adults, adolescents, and Latino/LGBTQIA+ communities creating safe spaces to share experiences and learn strategies for coping with isolation, stress, depression, and anxiety.
• Mujer Mercado Marketplace for female artisans to sell hand-made art and products as part of the organization's micro-enterprise and community programming.
• Braiding Mynopantla Workshop Ceremonial sacred art workshop drawing from mynopause (menopause) concepts and Xicana/x Indigenous knowledge for body autonomy and ancestral wellness.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of participants report the event inspired them to take care of their wellbeing
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Take Action LAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTake Action LA sponsored the La Cultura Cura: Feria de Bienestar wellness fair event, supporting culturally focused wellness programming for bilingual communities.
• LA Plaza de Cultura y ArtescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for the 20th Anniversary Retrospective Exhibition 'Mujeres de Maiz: Twenty Years of ARTivism & Herstory en L.A.' showcasing 20 years of visual and healing arts, March-May 2017.
• Self Help Graphics & ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for XINGONX FEST 25th Anniversary Festival and ongoing exhibitions and events. Long-standing collaborative partner for Live Art Shows and exhibitions.
• WE RISE LA CountymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWE RISE is an initiative of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. MdM participates as community partner providing mental health and wellness programming during Mental Health Awareness Month.
• Goddess Mercado BazaarmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMujeres de Maiz is part of the Goddess Mercado Bazaar in Montebello, CA, offering space for events, circles, and community programming at 424 W. Whittier Blvd.
• Various Community OrganizationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaborations with organizations including Proyecto Pastoral, Innercity Struggle, Metabolic Studios, Homeboy Industries, Girls Today Women Tomorrow, and various schools and universities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Self Help Graphics & Art: Long-standing Chicano/Mexican-American arts nonprofit in East LA that is both a key MdM partner (hosting XINGONX FEST and Live Art Shows) and a direct peer — it runs community art programming, exhibitions, and silkscreen workshops for similar cultural-activist audiences in the same geographic area.
• The Women's Building: Los Angeles-based center providing gathering space, arts programming, and community services for women and girls. Direct peer in combining cultural arts, wellness, and safe/brave spaces for women in the same metro area.
• EastSide Arts Alliance: Oakland-based grassroots arts, culture, and wellness organization serving communities of color. Directly comparable to MdM in combining community organizing, healing/wellness programming, and cultural production for Black, Brown, and Indigenous residents.
• Las Fotos Project: LA-based nonprofit that mentors teenage girls and gender-expansive youth of color through photography — referenced as a MdM partner (team member Megan Pennings mentors there). Directly comparable mission and demographic, with focus on creative expression as empowerment.
• Kundiman: National nonprofit dedicated to nurturing writers and literature by Asian Americans, with programming, publications, and community convenings. Comparable as a literary-arts and community-building organization using publishing (parallel to MdM's zine) as a cultural-empowerment vehicle.

Others

• Homeboy Industries: LA-based re-entry and healing nonprofit — listed as a MdM partner. Comparable only loosely as a community-healing organization; its mission focuses on formerly incarcerated individuals, but its holistic wellness and gang-intervention model parallels MdM's trauma-informed, culturally rooted healing approach.

Regional players

• A Place Called Home: South LA-based youth and family services nonprofit offering arts, education, and wellness programming for underserved youth. Comparable as an LA-based, mission-driven community organization combining arts, wellness, and identity-affirming programming, but serving a different age cohort.

Emerging players

• National Indigenous Women's Resource Center: National nonprofit supporting Indigenous women through advocacy, training, and culturally-rooted healing resources. Comparable mission in centering Indigenous women's wellness and traditional knowledge, but operates at national policy scale.

Broad incumbents

• Black Women's Health Imperative: National nonprofit advancing health equity and wellness for Black women through advocacy, programming, and research. Broader incumbent peer in the women-of-color wellness space, with national policy reach that MdM lacks.
• National Museum of Mexican Art: Chicago-based cultural institution with a broader (museum-scale) mandate but overlapping audience and mission: preserving and exhibiting Mexican, Chicano, and Latinx art and culture. Comparable as a BROAD_INCUMBENT in the same cultural space, with institutional scale MdM does not match.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC42R-AXSuU9_59-27bgpZJA
• Facebookfacebook.com/mujeresdemaizpage
• Instagraminstagram.com/mujeresdemaiz
• Xx.com/mujeresdemaiz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mujeres-de-maiz

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Mujeres de Maiz