International Cultural Exchange Organization

What International Cultural Exchange Organization does

International Cultural Exchange Organization (ICEO) is a California-incorporated nonprofit designated by the U.S. Department of State to sponsor four Exchange Visitor Programs (J-1 visa): Summer Work/Travel, Internship, Training, and the AU & NZ 12 Month Student Work/Travel Pilot. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Folsom, California, ICEO serves international college students, recent graduates, and young professionals seeking temporary U.S. work, internship, or training placements, and also operates an outbound program enabling U.S. residents to travel to Poland, Brazil, and Thailand for volunteering, teaching English, seasonal work, or internships lasting between two weeks and three months. Since inception, ICEO has facilitated participation for 80,000+ individuals from 25+ countries with 1,000+ U.S. host companies.

ICEO's product portfolio is operational rather than technology-centric. Core infrastructure consists of integration with the U.S. Department of State's SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitors Information System) for visa sponsorship and participant tracking, supplemented by the ICEO Hanover Portal, a third-party CRM platform that provides participants, host companies, and international representatives with self-serve access to forms, reports, and program documentation (SEVIS activation, change of address, monthly activity reports, arrival reports). The organization does not maintain proprietary technology beyond its program administration workflow and provides no application programming interface, mobile application, or AI-driven services.

ICEO's revenue is generated through program fees paid by international participants for U.S.-bound Exchange Visitor Programs and by U.S. residents for the outbound program; specific fee schedules are not publicly disclosed, and services are provided at no charge to U.S. host companies. Go-to-market is hybrid: direct-to-consumer via the company's website (iceoinc.org) and an international representative network that recruits and screens participants in their home countries, with direct enterprise outreach to U.S. host companies. The organization is a member of BridgeUSA and the Alliance for Cultural Exchange, operating with an 11-50 employee footprint and no disclosed parent, subsidiary, or external investment structure.

Name

International Cultural Exchange Organization

Legal name

International Cultural Exchange Organization Inc.

Website

https://iceoinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Cultural Exchange Organization (ICEO) is a Folsom, California-based nonprofit designated by the U.S. Department of State to sponsor four J-1 Exchange Visitor Programs, serving international students and young professionals seeking temporary U.S. work placements while also operating an outbound program for U.S. residents traveling to Poland, Brazil, and Thailand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Folsom

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Exchange Visitor Program Fees: International participants pay program fees to participate in ICEO's Exchange Visitor Programs including the Summer Work/Travel Program, Internship Program, Training Program, and AU & NZ 12 Month Pilot Program. Fees cover visa sponsorship, program administration, cultural activities, and support services.
2. Outbound Program Fees: US residents pay fees to participate in outbound exchange programs that allow them to travel overseas to destinations including Poland, Brazil, and Thailand for volunteering, teaching English, seasonal work, or internships.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ICEO is a U.S. nonprofit designated by the U.S. Department of State to sponsor J-1 visa Exchange Visitor Programs for international participants entering the United States. The organization runs four inbound programs — Summer Work/Travel, Internship, Training, and the AU & NZ 12-Month Pilot — plus an outbound exchange program that sends U.S. residents abroad for volunteering, teaching English, seasonal work, or internships in destinations including Poland, Brazil, and Thailand.

Product overview

International Cultural Exchange Organization (ICEO) operates a portfolio of cultural exchange programs organized around four Exchange Visitor Programs to the United States for international participants and one outbound program for U.S. residents. The core products include the USA Summer Work/Travel Program, USA Internship Program, USA Training Program, and the AU & NZ 12 Month Student Work/Travel Pilot Program, all of which enable international participants to live, work, and explore American culture while being hosted by U.S. companies. The Outbound Program allows U.S. residents to travel overseas to various destinations. ICEO provides participant management through the ICEO Hanover Portal, which offers online forms and reporting tools for program administration. ICEO is designated by the U.S. Department of State to sponsor these exchange visitor programs and has facilitated over 80,000 participants from 25+ countries since its establishment in 2001.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• USA Summer Work/Travel Program J-1 visa-sponsored cultural exchange program allowing college and university students from around the world to work at seasonal or temporary U.S. jobs, travel, and experience American culture during their summer break.
• USA Internship Program J-1 visa-sponsored program providing international interns with a structured and guided work-based learning experience at American host companies for career development.
• USA Training Program J-1 visa-sponsored program enabling international trainees to expand their professional experience through bona fide training programs at U.S. host companies.
• AU & NZ 12 Month Student Work/Travel Pilot Program J-1 visa-sponsored program providing college and university students or recent graduates who are citizens of New Zealand or Australia the opportunity to explore U.S. culture via travel and workplace experiences for up to 12 months.
• Outbound Program Exchange program offering U.S. residents the opportunity to live and explore overseas destinations including Poland, Brazil, and Thailand, with options to volunteer, teach English, do seasonal work, or intern at companies. Programs last between 2 weeks and 3 months.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80,000+ participants have successfully completed ICEO exchange programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BridgeUSAcoreOthersICEO is a member organization of BridgeUSA, an initiative that promotes brand consistency and standards for exchange visitor programs sponsored by U.S. Department of State designated sponsors. BridgeUSA provides guidelines and best practices for cultural exchange organizations.
• Alliance for Cultural ExchangecoreOthersICEO holds membership in the Alliance for Cultural Exchange, a trade association or alliance organization for cultural exchange program providers. Members collaborate on industry standards and advocacy for the cultural exchange sector.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): CIEE is the largest U.S. Department of State-designated J-1 visa sponsor, operating Summer Work/Travel, internship, and training programs. It is the most direct competitor to ICEO, serving the same participant segments and host-company demand with a much larger operational footprint.
• InterExchange: InterExchange is a designated J-1 sponsor offering Au Pair, Summer Work/Travel, internship, and training programs. It directly overlaps ICEO's core programs, participant demographics, and host-company value proposition.
• AFS Intercultural Programs: AFS is a long-established international cultural exchange organization operating student exchange and host-family programs globally. It competes with ICEO for inbound cultural exchange participants and is a member of the same BridgeUSA and Alliance for Cultural Exchange networks.
• Alliance Abroad Group: Alliance Abroad Group is a designated J-1 visa sponsor offering work, internship, and training programs to international participants in the United States. It directly competes for both participants and U.S. host companies in the same regulatory framework as ICEO.
• Greenheart Exchange: Greenheart Exchange is a designated J-1 sponsor providing high school exchange, au pair, and work-based cultural exchange programs. It overlaps ICEO's inbound program portfolio and competes in the same source markets and U.S. host networks.
• Cultural Vistas: Cultural Vistas administers J-1 internship and training programs for international participants and is an active member of Alliance for Cultural Exchange. It competes directly with ICEO for U.S. host companies seeking international interns and trainees.
• Intrax (Cultural Exchange Division): Intrax operates a J-1 cultural exchange division that sponsors Summer Work/Travel, internship, and training programs. It is a direct competitor to ICEO across multiple program categories and host-company segments.
• GeoVisions: GeoVisions is a designated J-1 sponsor operating work, internship, and au pair programs. It competes with ICEO for inbound participants from overlapping source markets and for U.S. host-company placements.

Broad incumbents

• World Learning: World Learning is a broader international education and exchange nonprofit operating the School for International Training and Fulbright programs. While larger and more diversified than ICEO, it participates in the same U.S. State Department-designated exchange ecosystem and competes for talent and partnerships.

Emerging players

• Academic Programs International (API): API is a study abroad and international programs provider that participates in the J-1 visa ecosystem through internship and training sponsorships. It has partial overlap with ICEO's internship and training programs and represents a younger, education-focused competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ICEO_USA
• Instagraminstagram.com/iceo_usa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-cultural-exchange

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Cultural Exchange Organization