My Hero

What My Hero does

The MY HERO Project, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization founded in 1995 in Laguna Beach, California, that operates a free digital media storytelling platform centered on celebrating heroes and heroism. Its core offering is a content management system and digital media ecosystem spanning stories, art, films, and audio, with contributor access organized by thematic categories (Angels, Earthkeepers, Peacemakers, Women, etc.) and segmented browse views for students of all ages. The platform's principal products include the MY HERO International Film Festival (an annual short-film competition with named awards such as the Ron Kovic Peace Prize and Sylvia Earle Ocean Conservation Award), the Film Library, the Teacher's Room (a lesson-plan and classroom-management portal), the Create Program (a digital storytelling/web-page tool), the Gallery, the Audio Room, and the Media Arts Education Program with associated Workbook.

The organization serves educators (K-12 and higher education), students from elementary through college, nonprofit partners, and sponsors/donors. Distribution is entirely digital via myhero.com and supporting social channels (Facebook, X, YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram), with supplementary global programming through iEARN-mediated Learning Circles. The business model is donation- and sponsorship-funded: the platform is free to all users, the organization is supported by individual donors, foundations (e.g., Scripps Family Impact Fund), and corporate sponsors (e.g., Rivian, Shure, InkTip, Think Tank Photo, Backstage, Wacom), and operates with 11-50 employees. There is no disclosed revenue or funding-round history, no mobile app, and no AI-native capabilities beyond referenced AI resources in its Media Arts Education curriculum.

Name

My Hero

Legal name

The MY HERO Project, Inc.

Website

https://myhero.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The MY HERO Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates a free digital media storytelling platform with stories, art, films, and audio, serving K-12 and college educators and students across 197 countries and funded through donations and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Media Platform

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (7115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAHAJ

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGAHAC

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

SECONDARYEDAMAAAC

Photography & Videography Arts Programs

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Arts & Creative Enrichment (Visual Arts, Music, Theater, Dance)

Keywords

• Media arts education
• Digital storytelling
• International film festival
• Educator lesson plans
• Nonprofit media platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Laguna Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: The MY HERO Project operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The organization relies on donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations to fund award-winning educational programs. Sponsorship supports media arts educators, global workshops, mentorship programs, and young filmmakers.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The MY HERO Project operates a free, web-based media platform where professional writers, artists, filmmakers, teachers, and students contribute and access stories, art, films, and audio celebrating heroism and positive role models. Core offerings include the MY HERO International Film Festival, a Film Library, the Teacher's Room (lesson plans and educator tools), the Create Program (digital storytelling tool for publishing web pages about heroes), the Gallery (original artwork), the Audio Room, and a Media Arts Education Program with production guides. All content and educational resources are provided free of charge to end users, funded through donations, sponsorships, and grants.

Product overview

The MY HERO Project is a nonprofit educational organization offering a multi-platform digital media ecosystem centered on celebrating heroes and heroism through user-generated content. The core offering consists of the MY HERO International Film Festival (annual film competition), the MY HERO Film Library (thousands of curated short films), the MY HERO Create Program (digital storytelling tool for web pages), the MY HERO Gallery (art), MY HERO Audio Room (narrative and music), and the MY HERO Teacher's Room (lesson plans and classroom resources). Supporting offerings include the MY HERO Media Arts Education Program (production guides), MY HERO Contests (art, poems, films, songs), Learning Circles (global collaboration via iEARN), and specialized awards like the Eva Haller Women Transforming Media Award and Ron Kovic Peace Prize. The platform serves educators and students in elementary through college, reaching millions worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MY HERO International Film Festival Annual international film competition that honors professional and student filmmakers who create short films paying tribute to heroes. Accepts ongoing submissions and awards prizes across multiple categories including Best of Fest, Peace, Environment, Social Justice, and Youth.
• MY HERO Film Library A library of thousands of short inspiring films organized by theme and category, featuring content from students of all ages and professionals on themes of peace, environmental preservation, and social activism.
• MY HERO Teacher's Room A free educator portal providing lesson plans curated with media from the library, organized by grade level and subject/theme, along with tools to create class codes and manage student submissions for K-12 and higher education teachers.
• MY HERO Create Program A free digital storytelling tool that lets users create and publish web pages about heroes containing text, images, links, audio, and short films. Used by writers, teachers, students, and MY HERO staff to publish inspirational hero stories.
• MY HERO Gallery A free digital art gallery featuring original artwork celebrating heroism, contributed by professional and student artists, organized by categories including Angels, Animals, Artists, Earthkeepers, Health, Inventors, Musicians, Scientists, Teachers, and Women.
• MY HERO Audio Room A free library of audio content including narrative stories, music, poetry, spoken word, and audio for ESL-ELL learners, featuring original audio files about heroes from around the world.
• MY HERO Media Arts Education Program A free comprehensive program providing resources for learning filmmaking, including pre-production guides, production guides, post-production tutorials, cinematography resources, sound guides, documentary resources, and AI resources for media creation.
• MY HERO Contests Free prize-giving contests inviting professional artists, emerging artists, and students of all ages to submit inspiring artistic media including art, poems, films, songs, and stories about heroes.
• MY HERO Learning Circles Free collaborative program connecting students around the world through iEARN (International Education and Resource Network), enabling global classroom collaborations on MY HERO projects.
• MY HERO Calendar (365 Days of Heroes) Free daily curated content resource featuring inspiration from the MY HERO library, honoring diverse heroes from all walks of life every day of the year.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SHUREminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrize sponsor for the MY HERO International Film Festival
• InkTipminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrize sponsor for the MY HERO International Film Festival
• Think Tank PhotominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrize sponsor for the MY HERO International Film Festival
• BackstageminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrize sponsor for the MY HERO International Film Festival
• WacomminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrize sponsor for the MY HERO International Film Festival
• iEARNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMY HERO Learning Circles program is run in partnership with iEARN, connecting students around the world through collaborative projects
• Global ExchangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched in 2006 with support from a grant from the U.S. State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Peers

• StoryCorps:
• Sesame Workshop:
• PBS LearningMedia:
• Adobe Education (Adobe Creative Cloud in Education):
• Common Sense Education:

Direct peers

• iEARN (International Education and Resource Network): Global K-12 collaboration network that partners with MY HERO on Learning Circles. Highly comparable as a nonprofit connecting classrooms worldwide through project-based learning, though focused more broadly across subjects.
• TakingITGlobal: Nonprofit digital platform engaging youth globally in social action, storytelling, and media creation. Closely comparable mission and audience to MY HERO, with similar donation-driven model.
• Facing History and Ourselves: Educational nonprofit providing teachers with curricula, lesson plans, and multimedia resources on identity, history, and civic engagement. Highly comparable as a free educational content resource for K-12 educators.

Broad incumbents

• National Geographic Education: Free educational resource arm of National Geographic offering videos, articles, and lesson plans for educators. Comparable as a free multimedia educational platform with global subject matter and storytelling focus.

Regional players

• KQED Education: Public-media education arm providing free media, lesson plans, and student media-making programs (e.g., PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs). Comparable public-media nonprofit model, though more regional and news-focused than MY HERO's hero-themed content.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/myhero
• YouTubeyoutube.com/myhero
• Facebookfacebook.com/MyHeroProject
• Instagraminstagram.com/myheroproject

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 My Hero