The Moth
The Moth is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit storytelling organization founded in 1997, producing live Mainstage and StorySLAM events, the Peabody Award-winning Moth Radio Hour, a podcast, education programs for K-12 schools, and community workshops serving diverse populations across the U.S. and internationally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What The Moth does
The Moth is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit storytelling organization headquartered at 75 Broad Street, 26th Floor, New York City, founded in 1997 by George Dawes Green. It operates a multi-platform portfolio centered on true personal stories told live and without notes: live Mainstage events and StorySLAM competitions held in 8+ cities (including NYC, Boston, Houston, Louisville, Berkeley, and Melbourne), the Peabody Award-winning Moth Radio Hour distributed nationwide via PRX and Atlantic Public Media, the Moth Podcast (on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, RSS since 2008), and a searchable Story Library of thousands of archived stories. The organization runs two distinct program arms: an Education Program (K-12 All-City, Mainstage Matinee for high school students, Moth Teacher Institute, curriculum resources, and Storytelling School) and a Community Program organized into vertical initiatives serving specific populations (Black Voices, Justice, Economic Mobility, Veterans, Muslim, Immigrant, LGBTQIA+, and Health & Wellbeing), partnered with organizations such as SAGE, JED Foundation, Innocence Project, Harlem Children's Zone, and First Book.
The underlying technology is modest: AWS-based audio and image storage for podcast and story content, and Airtable for community program application management; notably, no proprietary ML pipeline, public API, or patents are present. The business model is a nonprofit hybrid: ticketed event revenue (one-time sales for Mainstage, StorySLAM, and the annual Moth Ball gala), recurring membership donations (monthly), fee-based education programming (sliding-scale for educators, multi-year contracts for school/community institutions), advertising/sponsorship (corporate partnerships including SXSW 2026), merchandise and book sales through an owned e-commerce storefront, and foundation grants (W.K. Kellogg, Doris Duke, Tow, Bill & Melinda Gates, William Penn). GTM is community-led and event-driven: acquisition flows from live events, StorySLAMs, free podcast and radio distribution, email newsletters, a content blog (Dispatches), and partner referrals.
The Moth serves a heterogeneous audience — general ticketholders, members, K-12 educators and students (600,000 educators and 6.5 million children through First Book), partner nonprofits, and dedicated community populations — making it a long-tail, diversified nonprofit with no single enterprise customer dominating revenue. Operationally the organization runs with approximately 50 staff across Education, Community, Production, and Programs, with Catherine Burns as Artistic Director, Sarah Austin Jenness as Executive Producer of the Radio Hour, and a board-governed structure.
The Moth firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Moth
- Legal name
- The Moth
- Website
- https://themoth.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Moth is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit storytelling organization founded in 1997, producing live Mainstage and StorySLAM events, the Peabody Award-winning Moth Radio Hour, a podcast, education programs for K-12 schools, and community workshops serving diverse populations across the U.S. and internationally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where The Moth is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Moth business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Live Events Revenue: Ticket sales for Mainstage events, StorySLAMs, and special programming. Moth Ball annual gala tickets. Membership and donation programs supporting live event access.
- Education Programs: Fee-based educational programming including weekend intensives, week-long programs, 8-week programs, college essay prep, and bespoke programming for schools and community organizations. Also includes Moth Teacher Institute with sliding scale pricing.
- Podcast and Radio Content: The Moth Podcast and Radio Hour distributed via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, RadioPublic, RSS, and presented by PRX. Peabody Award-winning content generating audience engagement and potential membership revenue.
- Sponsorships and Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsorship opportunities for events and programs. Partnerships with media companies including SXSW Comedy Festival collaborations.
- Merchandise Sales: Online store selling books, branded merchandise, and storytelling-related products.
- Foundation and Grant Funding: Non-profit funding from foundations including W.K. Kellogg Foundation ($250,000), Doris Duke Foundation, Tow Foundation, and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation supporting specific programs and community initiatives.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Mainstage Event Tickets |
| Subscription | Monthly | Moth Membership |
| Freemium | Annual | Moth Teacher Institute |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Education Program Partnerships |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Moth product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Moth is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that produces and presents live, true personal storytelling told without notes, distributed through live Mainstage and StorySLAM events, The Moth Radio Hour, The Moth Podcast, and a Story Library archive. It also runs K-12 and educator programs (Mainstage Matinee, Moth Teacher Institute, Curriculum Resources) and a Community Program delivering storytelling workshops to underserved populations including veterans, immigrants, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and justice-involved people, plus MothWorks private workshops for organizations.
Product overview
The Moth is a global storytelling organization operating a multi-platform portfolio centered on live, true personal storytelling. The core offerings include The Moth Radio Hour (Peabody-Award winning public radio show), The Moth Podcast (original podcast episodes), and Live Storytelling Events (Mainstage shows and StorySLAM competitions). Supporting these distribution channels are the Education Program (All-City, Mainstage Matinee, Moth Teacher Institute, Curriculum Resources, Storytelling School) and Community Program (workshops with community partners and initiatives like The Black Voices Project, The Justice Project, The Economic Mobility Project, and Veteran Voices Project). Additional offerings include MothWorks (private/organizational workshops), Books & Games, and My Life in Stories guided journal products. The Moth Global Community extends programming internationally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Moth Radio Hour: Peabody Award-winning radio program featuring true stories told live.
- The Moth Podcast
- Moth Education Program
- Moth Community Program
- MothWorks
- StorySLAM
- GrandSLAM
- Mainstage
Quantifiable outcome
- Reaching 600,000 educators and 6.5 million children through First Book partnership
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Moth
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments10 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Moth technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Moth partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and ongoing.
- First BookflagshipNational storytelling partnership for children and educators in low-income communities. Made possible by $250,000 W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant over 18 months. Leverages The Moth's storytelling expertise with First Book's distribution network of 600,000 educators and 6.5 million children.
- SXSWcoreThe Moth as media partner for SXSW 2026 Comedy Festival lineup featuring stand-up showcases, improv, and live podcast recordings alongside Dropout, Netflix, Fox Entertainment Studios, iHeartMedia, and Comic Relief.
- New AmericacoreJoint 'American Dreams' storytelling show celebrating America's 250th anniversary, bringing storytelling programming to Washington D.C.
- SAGEongoingLGBTQIA+ initiative partner advocating for LGBT seniors through storytelling workshops and community showcases.
- The JED FoundationongoingHealth and wellbeing initiative partner providing mental health support through storytelling programs.
- The Innocence ProjectongoingJustice Project partner working to exonerate wrongly convicted individuals through storytelling and advocacy.
- MOBIongoingLGBTQIA+ initiative partner providing workshops and storytelling opportunities for the community.
- Muslim Writers CollectiveongoingMuslim Voices Project partner supporting storytelling workshops and narrative bridge-building.
- Achilles InternationalongoingVeteran Voices Project partner supporting veterans through adaptive sports and storytelling.
- Bronx Legal ServicesongoingImmigrant Voices initiative partner providing immigration legal support combined with storytelling programs.
- Harlem Children's ZoneongoingEconomic Mobility Project partner serving children and families in Harlem through community-based programs.
- PRX (Public Radio Exchange)corePodcast distribution partner presenting The Moth Radio Hour nationally, making content available through public radio stations and podcast platforms.
- Atlantic Public MediacoreProduction partner for The Moth Radio Hour through Jay Allison, producing the Peabody Award-winning program.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Moth competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Story Collider: The Story Collider produces live storytelling shows and a podcast centered on true personal stories about science, with the same nonprofit structure and live storytelling format as The Moth, making it a close direct peer.
- Story District: Story District (formerly SpeakeasyDC) runs storytelling workshops, classes, and live shows in Washington D.C. It competes directly with The Moth in the live personal storytelling events category and offers comparable education programs.
- StoryCorps: StoryCorps is a nonprofit oral history and storytelling organization that records, preserves, and shares personal stories, with a similar mission to amplify human voices through audio storytelling. It is the most direct mission-aligned peer to The Moth.
- RISK!: RISK! is a live storytelling show and podcast featuring true stories people never thought they'd dare to share, operating in a similar live-event plus podcast format that directly competes for storytelling audiences.
- Live Wire Radio: Live Wire Radio is a public radio program blending live storytelling, interviews, and comedy, distributed on public radio stations. It competes in the same audio storytelling and live performance category as The Moth Radio Hour.
- Snap Judgment: Snap Judgment is a storytelling radio show and podcast with themed episodes of true stories, distributed via public radio and podcast platforms in a manner closely parallel to The Moth Radio Hour and Podcast.
- Selected Shorts: Selected Shorts is a public radio show and live performance series featuring short fiction read by notable actors, sharing The Moth's format of curated literary/narrative content delivered live and broadcast on public radio.
Broad incumbents
- This American Life: This American Life is the dominant public radio storytelling program and podcast, produced by WBEZ and serialized by PRX. It occupies the same audio storytelling category as The Moth but at significantly greater scale and broader thematic scope.
- WNYC Studios: WNYC Studios is a major public radio podcast producer behind shows like Radiolab and On the Media. It operates at much larger scale in adjacent storytelling and audio journalism categories overlapping The Moth's audience.
Others
- PRX (Public Radio Exchange): PRX is The Moth's distribution partner for the Radio Hour and a leading public radio podcast network. It is thematically adjacent as an infrastructure and distribution provider for narrative audio content similar to The Moth's.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Moth social profiles
Digital presenceThe Moth financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Moth leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
The Moth funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Moth 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 The Moth
What does The Moth do?
The Moth is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that produces and presents live, true personal storytelling told without notes, distributed through live Mainstage and StorySLAM events, The Moth Radio Hour, The Moth Podcast, and a Story Library archive. It also runs K-12 and educator programs (Mainstage Matinee, Moth Teacher Institute, Curriculum Resources) and a Community Program delivering storytelling workshops to underserved populations including veterans, immigrants, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and justice-involved people, plus MothWorks private workshops for organizations.
Is The Moth a public or private company?
The Moth is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Moth founded?
The Moth was founded in 1997. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Moth based?
The Moth is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Moth make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Live Events Revenue is the primary driver. The others are education Programs, podcast and Radio Content, sponsorships and Corporate Partnerships, merchandise Sales and foundation and Grant Funding.
Who are The Moth's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Story Collider, Story District, StoryCorps, RISK!, Live Wire Radio, Snap Judgment and Selected Shorts. Broad incumbents are This American Life and WNYC Studios. PRX (Public Radio Exchange) is listed as an others.
Does The Moth have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Moth.