Urban Word
Urban Word is a NYC-based nonprofit youth literary arts organization founded in 1999 that provides free creative writing workshops, mentorship, and performance programs to 25,000+ NYC youth annually ages 13-19, and runs the National Youth Poet Laureate Program across 100+ U.S. partner communities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersNyack, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Urban Word does
Urban Word is a New York City-based nonprofit youth literary arts organization founded in 1999 that champions youth voice through free creative writing workshops, mentorship, performance opportunities, and civic engagement programs targeting NYC youth ages 13-19. The organization annually serves more than 25,000 NYC youth through direct programming and reaches thousands more nationally via the National Youth Poet Laureate Program, which it founded in 2008 and which is replicated through a network of 100+ partner organizations across the United States.
Its core product portfolio comprises five signature programs — Journal 2 Journey (devised theater training for ages 16-20), the NYC Youth Poet Laureate Program (paid fellowship for ages 15-19), College Council (ages 20-25), [UNTITLED] Masterclass at the Guggenheim (ekphrastic poetry), and the First Draft Open Mic (ages 14-21) — supplemented by school and corporate service offerings including teaching artist residencies (8-12 weeks), professional development workshops, and curated performances. Urban Word is a licensed NYC Department of Education vendor with active partnerships at marquee cultural institutions including Lincoln Center, Apollo Theater, Guggenheim Museum, and NYPL.
Urban Word operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with 1-10 employees, funded through a mix of fee-based contracts with schools and corporate clients, foundation and government grants (NYSCA, NYCT, Poetry Foundation, Four Friends Foundation), individual donations via Give Lively, and merchandise sales. The organization has no proprietary technology platform and is not a technology company; its competitive advantage rests on 25 years of brand equity, the provenance of the National Youth Poet Laureate Program, institutional partnerships, and a high-profile alumni network.
Urban Word firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Urban Word
- Legal name
- Urban Word Inc.
- Website
- https://urbanword.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Urban Word is a NYC-based nonprofit youth literary arts organization founded in 1999 that provides free creative writing workshops, mentorship, and performance programs to 25,000+ NYC youth annually ages 13-19, and runs the National Youth Poet Laureate Program across 100+ U.S. partner communities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Urban Word industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Arts Education
- NAICS
- Fine Arts Schools (61161), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Literary Arts & Writing Organizations (BPAGAHAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Spoken Word & Performance Poetry Workshops (EDAMAMAM), Civic Literacy (Voting, Rights, Community Participation) (EDAAAAAH), Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC)
Keywords
Where Urban Word is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nyack
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Urban Word business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Workshop and Program Fees: Urban Word charges schools and community organizations for workshops, teaching artist residencies, performances, and professional development services. They are licensed DOE vendors and offer customizable programs for school and corporate clients.
- Donations and Fundraising: The organization accepts donations through Give Lively platform and likely relies on grants and charitable contributions to support free youth programming.
- Merchandise Sales: Urban Word operates a store selling branded merchandise ('UDub Swag') through a third-party platform (Spring).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free youth programs and workshops |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Customized school and corporate programs |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Urban Word product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Urban Word is a nonprofit youth literary arts organization that provides free creative writing workshops, mentorship programs, and performance opportunities to NYC youth ages 13-19. It operates signature programs including the NYC Youth Poet Laureate fellowship, the National Youth Poet Laureate Program (replicated via 100+ partner communities), Journal 2 Journey theater training, College Council, and the First Draft Open Mic series. It also delivers paid teaching artist residencies, workshops, and performances to schools and corporate clients as a licensed NYC Department of Education vendor.
Product overview
Urban Word is a youth development organization offering free creative writing workshops, mentorship programs, and performance opportunities. The core portfolio includes five signature programs: Journal 2 Journey (devised theater training), NYC Youth Poet Laureate Program (fellowship for young writers ages 15-19), College Council (college-age creative development), [UNTITLED] Masterclass @ The Guggenheim (museum-based poetry education), and First Draft Open Mic (teen open mic series). At the national level, the National Youth Poet Laureate Program is replicated across 100+ partner communities. Supporting service offerings include creative writing workshops, teaching artist residencies, performances, professional development for educators, and a mentor/teaching artist program. Urban Word serves over 25,000 NYC youth annually ages 13-19 through local and school-based programming.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- National Youth Poet Laureate Program: A renowned program celebrating the nation's top youth poets committed to artistic excellence, civic engagement, and social impact.
- NYC Youth Poet Laureate Program
Quantifiable outcome
- 25,000+ youth served annually in NYC alone
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Urban Word
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Urban Word technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Urban Word partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- New York City Department of EducationcoreUrban Word is a licensed DOE vendor providing creative writing workshops, teaching artist residencies, and performances to over 100 NYC public schools annually.
- BloombergminorUrban Word has hosted and curated themed performances for Bloomberg corporate events.
- The Young Presidents OrganizationminorUrban Word has curated performances for the YPO National Conference.
- Guggenheim MuseumcoreThe Guggenheim Museum partners with Urban Word for the '[UNTITLED] Masterclass' series where young writers learn ekphrastic poetry inspired by museum exhibits. This is an 87-year-old cultural landmark opening its galleries to the Urban Word community.
- National Youth Poet Laureate Program Partnerscore100+ partner organizations across the country replicate the Youth Poet Laureate Program model in their communities, supported by Urban Word's network management.
- New York Public Library (NYPL)coreNYPL is a key partner for Urban Word programming, with alumni performances featured at NYPL venues and ongoing collaboration for youth literacy initiatives.
- Dick Blick Art MaterialsminorDick Blick is listed as a partner, likely providing art supplies or sponsorship for Urban Word programs.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Urban Word competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Urban Word social profiles
Digital presenceUrban Word financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Urban Word leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Urban Word funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Urban Word 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 Urban Word
What does Urban Word do?
Urban Word is a nonprofit youth literary arts organization that provides free creative writing workshops, mentorship programs, and performance opportunities to NYC youth ages 13-19. It operates signature programs including the NYC Youth Poet Laureate fellowship, the National Youth Poet Laureate Program (replicated via 100+ partner communities), Journal 2 Journey theater training, College Council, and the First Draft Open Mic series. It also delivers paid teaching artist residencies, workshops, and performances to schools and corporate clients as a licensed NYC Department of Education vendor.
Is Urban Word a public or private company?
Urban Word is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Urban Word founded?
Urban Word was founded in 1999. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Urban Word based?
Urban Word is headquartered in Nyack, United States, in the North America region.
How does Urban Word make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Workshop and Program Fees are the primary driver. The others are donations and Fundraising and merchandise Sales.
Does Urban Word have an API?
No public API is recorded for Urban Word.
What industry is Urban Word in?
Urban Word's product category is Youth Arts Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAK, Literary Arts & Writing Organizations, with a secondary code of EDAMAMAM, Spoken Word & Performance Poetry Workshops. Its NAICS code is 61161 and its SIC code is 2741.