MN Zej Zog
MN Zej Zog is a non profit organization that empowers the community by nurturing the language through arts, wellness, and education.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What MN Zej Zog does
MN Zej Zog is a non-profit organization.
MN Zej Zog firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MN Zej Zog
- Legal name
- MN Zej Zog
- Website
- https://mnzejzog.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- MN Zej Zog is a non profit organization that empowers the community by nurturing the language through arts, wellness, and education.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MN Zej Zog industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Cultural Nonprofit Services
- NAICS
- Language Schools (611630)
- SIC
- Services-Management Services (8741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Physical Education & Health Instruction (EDAJAFAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- World Languages Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAJ), Educational Digital Courseware & Learning Platforms (LMS-Integrated) (MPAJABAH), Open-Source & Self-Hosted LMS (EDAFAAAL)
Keywords
Where MN Zej Zog is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
MN Zej Zog business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: MN Zej Zog relies on public donations through online platforms (GiveButter) to fund programs including iStrive Camp and Untamed Roots Collective. Donation appeals are featured prominently across the website and specific fundraising campaigns are run annually.
- Grant Funding: The organization receives grant funding from government and institutional sources including the Minnesota Legacy Amendment's Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund (for RPA Standardization Project and Hmong Elderly Women Portrait Projects) and the National Cemetery Administration (for Cim Cia Project). A two-year grant (2024-2026) supports the Hmong RPA Standardization Project.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
MN Zej Zog product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MN Zej Zog is a Hmong-led nonprofit that delivers community-driven programs to preserve Hmong language and culture through education, arts, and wellness. Its core offerings include iStrive Camp (a youth summer immersion program in Hmong language, culture, and mental health), Untamed Roots Collective (a collaborative publishing project empowering Hmong teachers and professionals to publish culturally relevant children's books), and the Hmong Language Resource Hub (an online platform of curriculum materials and lesson plans for Hmong language teachers).
Product overview
MN Zej Zog is a Hmong-led nonprofit that operates a portfolio of interconnected community programs rather than a single unified software product. Its core offerings include iStrive Camp (a youth summer program centered on Hmong language, culture, and mental health) and the Untamed Roots Collective (a collaborative publishing initiative for Hmong children's literature). Supporting these are educator coalitions at national and state levels (National Hmong Educators Coalition and MN Hmong Educators Coalition), the Hmong Language Resource Hub (an online teaching resource platform), research initiatives (Critical HMoob Education Studies), and community arts programs including the Hmong Elderly Women Portrait Project and Hmong RPA Standardization Project. The organization also runs youth development programs like C.L.I.M.B. and the Empowering to Thrive conference. Together, these programs form an ecosystem focused on Hmong language preservation, cultural revitalization, and community empowerment through education, arts, and wellness.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- iStrive Camp: Cultural and educational initiative founded in 2021 dedicated to centering students around the Hmong language, culture, and mental health through immersive programs for Hmong-American students.
- Untamed Roots Collective
Products and services
- MN Hmong Educators Coalition (MHEC) A statewide coalition uniting Hmong educators to foster professional growth, collaborative learning, and advocacy. Provides mentorship, professional development, and support networks for educators from elementary to post-secondary levels.
- iStrive Camp A cultural and educational summer camp initiative dedicated to centering students around the Hmong language, culture, and mental health through immersive programs for Hmong-American students to foster a sense of belonging and cultural pride.
- Untamed Roots Collective A collaborative publishing project spearheaded by Dr. Kha Yang Xiong that empowers Hmong teachers and professionals to publish culturally relevant children's books to revitalize Hmong language and culture by creating authentic Hmong texts.
- Hmong Language Resource Hub An online platform offering curriculum materials, lesson plans, and activities for Hmong language teachers, developed by the National Hmong Educators Coalition in collaboration with youth, elders, artists, and community members.
- Hmong RPA Standardization Project A two-year grant project (2024-2026) to standardize the Hmong Roman Popular Alphabet writing language in Minnesota, working with PreK-Higher Educational Institutions and community experts to create a unified Latin alphabet form.
- National Hmong Educators Coalition A network of Hmong language, literacy, and culture teachers from K-12 and higher education across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and California, partnering with UW-Whitewater to create culturally sustaining teaching resources.
- Cim Cia (Remember) Project A project dedicated to preserving the legacy of Hmong American veterans and their contributions through storytelling and memento gathering, funded by the National Cemetery Administration.
- MHEC Mentorship Program A mentorship program supporting Less Commonly Taught Language Educators (Hmong, Karen, Korean, Somali) with goals of awareness of marginalized BIPOC communities, educational equity, and professional development.
- Hmong Elderly Women Portrait Project A portrait project creating empowering legacy images of elder women of the Hmong community to celebrate their lives and provide a safe space for storytelling, funded by Minnesota Legacy Amendment's Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.
- Pathways to Hmong Language Teaching A partnership with Concordia University in Moorhead supporting Hmong language teachers in earning K-12 World Language & Cultures teaching licenses and Master of Education degrees, fully funded through state grants.
Quantifiable outcome
- Impacted over 20,000 Hmong individuals in Minnesota and across the U.S.
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use MN Zej Zog
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
MN Zej Zog technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
MN Zej Zog partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- MN Hmong Educators Coalition (MHEC)coreEstablished in 2021, MHEC unites Hmong educators across Minnesota to foster professional growth, collaborative learning, and advocacy. MN Zej Zog supports this coalition which addresses educational concerns from elementary to post-secondary levels and ensures state and local educational dialogues reflect Hmong community priorities.
- Concordia University in MoorheadcoreMN Zej Zog partnered with Concordia University in Moorhead to support a cohort of Hmong language and culture teachers in earning K-12 World Language & Cultures teaching licenses and a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree, fully funded through state grants.
- National Coalition of Hmong Language EducatorscoreEstablished in 2016, this coalition drives national efforts to revitalize Hmong language and culture through education. MN Zej Zog leads this coalition to safeguard the Hmong language for future generations through structured educational programs. The coalition also developed the Hmong Language Resource Hub in partnership with UW-Whitewater's College of Education.
- UW-Whitewater Department of Curriculum & InstructioncorePartnership with UW-Whitewater's College of Education to create culturally sustaining teaching resources for Hmong language, literacy, and culture teachers from K-12 and higher education across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and California. Jointly developed the Hmong Language Resource Hub.
- National Cemetery AdministrationminorFunded the Cim Cia (Remember) Project dedicated to preserving the legacy of Hmong American veterans and their contributions. The project will culminate in educational tools for K-12 classrooms using the Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM) platform.
- City of Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn CenterminorCo-organized Brooklyn's Hmong New Year celebration, honoring and celebrating Hmong heritage, traditions, and contributions. This collaboration involves local nonprofits and school districts.
- Untamed Roots Collective / Dr. Kha Yang XiongcoreSpearheaded by Dr. Kha Yang Xiong, this initiative empowers Hmong teachers and professionals to publish their own books. Untamed Roots Collective brings together self-published Hmong authors to offer Hmong literature print to the community. MN Zej Zog serves as the organizational host for this collaborative publishing effort.
- Hmong Bricks / Greg RhodesminorHmong Bricks founder Greg Rhodes creates LEGO versions of Hmong cultural artifacts. In partnership with MN Zej Zog, Hmong Bricks has hosted Storybuilding Workshops encouraging kids, parents, and grandparents to build Hmong stories with LEGO bricks.
- CLIMB High Achievers, LLCminorCLIMB High Achievers provides culturally specific leadership skills for underprivileged Hmong youths. MN Zej Zog collaborates on student-centered learning focused on transformation of mindsets, combined with cultural relevance, trauma-informed therapy and leadership development.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
MN Zej Zog competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hmong Cultural Center: St. Paul-based Hmong-led nonprofit dedicated to preserving and promoting Hmong culture through education, language, and arts programs. Directly comparable in mission and target community to MN Zej Zog, though based in neighboring St. Paul.
- Hmong American Partnership: Minnesota-based Hmong community nonprofit providing education, youth, and family services to Hmong Americans. Comparable as a Hmong-led, Minnesota-rooted community organization with overlapping educational and cultural programming.
- Hmong National Development: National nonprofit advocating for Hmong American communities through policy, education, and community development. Comparable as a higher-level national Hmong advocacy/education organization serving similar populations.
- Hmong Women's Heritage Association: Minnesota-based Hmong women-led nonprofit working on cultural preservation, education, and family wellness. Comparable in mission (Hmong cultural preservation, MN-based, community-led programs) and demographic focus.
- Lao Family Community of Minnesota: Minnesota-based Southeast Asian community nonprofit providing education, youth, and cultural programs to Hmong, Lao, and other refugee/immigrant communities. Comparable in service mix (language classes, youth programming, community advocacy) and target geography.
Emerging players
- Center for Hmong Studies: Housed at Concordia University St. Paul, this center conducts research and education on Hmong history, language, and culture. Comparable as an institutional hub for Hmong studies and language preservation, with academic rather than grassroots orientation.
- Indigenous Language Institute: National nonprofit supporting Indigenous language revitalization through grants, training, and advocacy. Comparable in core focus on endangered-language preservation, though targeting Indigenous languages rather than Hmong specifically.
Broad incumbents
- Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans: State government agency advising Minnesota on policy affecting Asian Pacific Minnesotans. Comparable as a stakeholder in Asian American education policy in Minnesota, though operating as a public agency rather than grassroots nonprofit.
Regional players
- Coalition of Asian American Leaders: Minnesota-based leadership development organization for Asian American communities. Comparable as a Minnesota-rooted pan-Asian advocacy and capacity-building organization that overlaps in cultural-preservation mission space.
Others
- American Indian College Fund: National nonprofit supporting Indigenous education and cultural preservation through scholarships and program funding. Comparable as a culturally-rooted education nonprofit that could share funder ecosystems (AmeriCorps, Legacy-type cultural funds).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MN Zej Zog social profiles
Digital presenceMN Zej Zog financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MN Zej Zog leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
MN Zej Zog funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MN Zej Zog 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 MN Zej Zog
What does MN Zej Zog do?
MN Zej Zog is a Hmong-led nonprofit that delivers community-driven programs to preserve Hmong language and culture through education, arts, and wellness. Its core offerings include iStrive Camp (a youth summer immersion program in Hmong language, culture, and mental health), Untamed Roots Collective (a collaborative publishing project empowering Hmong teachers and professionals to publish culturally relevant children's books), and the Hmong Language Resource Hub (an online platform of curriculum materials and lesson plans for Hmong language teachers).
Is MN Zej Zog a public or private company?
MN Zej Zog is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was MN Zej Zog founded?
MN Zej Zog was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is MN Zej Zog based?
MN Zej Zog is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does MN Zej Zog make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are grant Funding.
Who are MN Zej Zog's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hmong Cultural Center, Hmong American Partnership, Hmong National Development, Hmong Women's Heritage Association and Lao Family Community of Minnesota. Emerging players are Center for Hmong Studies and Indigenous Language Institute. Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans is listed as a broad incumbent. Coalition of Asian American Leaders is listed as a regional player. American Indian College Fund is listed as an others.
Does MN Zej Zog have an API?
No public API is recorded for MN Zej Zog.
What industry is MN Zej Zog in?
MN Zej Zog's product category is Community Cultural Nonprofit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAFAL, Physical Education & Health Instruction, with a secondary code of EDAJAFAJ, World Languages Instruction (School-Delivered). Its NAICS code is 611630 and its SIC code is 8741.