Yendor

What Yendor does

YENDOR LLC is a privately held boutique arts organization headquartered in Newark, New Jersey, founded in 2003 by the late Rodney M. Gilbert. It operates as a multi-disciplinary arts producer spanning visual arts, performing arts, arts education, and film, with a stated mission to address challenges for under-resourced artists and communities in Newark. Its core product lines include Community Murals Initiatives (public art installations that cultivate civic pride), Mural Education and Design (Mural ED — a six-week artist residency and workforce development program for youth ages 14-19), Public Art Consultation (end-to-end advisory services for municipal public art projects), the Yendor Theatre Company (producing works by Black, Brown, women, and LGBTQ+ writers), Film Productions (via the Shine Black Productions subsidiary, including 'Zahra and the Oilman'), and a branded merchandise store. The organization has no proprietary technology platform; its delivery model is arts production and consulting using conventional tools.

YENDOR's business model is a hybrid of contract-based consulting, program delivery, grants, and ancillary merchandise. Revenue is generated through direct municipal consulting contracts (e.g., role as lead public art advisor for Mulberry Commons and co-developer for the Newark Riverfront Park with James Corner Field Operations), educational institution partnerships (Rutgers University-Newark, Boys and Girls Club, Newark Boys Chorus School, Help USA), foundation and county government grants (Victoria Foundation, County of Essex), theatre production revenue, and a small e-commerce merchandise line (e.g., $37 t-shirts). The core customer segments are urban municipalities and government entities (primary), educational institutions (primary), under-represented writers and artists (primary), and historically resilient communities in Newark (primary). Distribution is direct via on-site engagement and contracted partnerships; no external resellers or channel partners are involved. Pricing for consulting and programs is not publicly disclosed; merchandise is priced per unit.

YENDOR currently operates from a single headquarters in Newark, NJ, with a team of 11-50 employees. Following the passing of founder Rodney Gilbert in 2021, leadership transitioned to Malcolm A. Rolling (Chief Operating Officer), Kareem Willis (Chief Administrative Director), and Andrew Binger (Artistic Director of Yendor Theatre Company), with Nicolette Lynch serving as Managing Director of YTC. The organization has two jointly-controlled subsidiaries: Yendor Theatre Company and Shine Black Productions.

Name

Yendor

Legal name

YENDOR LLC

Website

https://yendorproductions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

YENDOR is a Newark-based boutique arts organization producing public murals, theatre, youth arts education, and film. It serves the City of Newark, educational institutions, and underrepresented artists and communities through municipal consulting, programming, and community engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Art Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA)

Keywords

• Public art services
• Mural production
• Arts education programs
• Community engagement arts
• Theatre production services

Headquarters

HQ city

Newark

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Yendor is a Newark-based boutique arts organization that produces community murals, delivers arts education and workforce development programs for youth, provides public art consultation to municipalities, develops and produces theatre works by underrepresented writers, and produces films. Its offerings span visual arts, performing arts, film, and arts education through integrated programs that engage historically resilient communities.

Product overview

Yendor is a boutique arts organization offering an integrated portfolio of visual and performing arts programs. The core offerings include Community Murals Initiatives (creating public art for community pride), Mural Education and Design (an artist residency and workforce development program for youth), Public Art Consultation (full-service public art project management), Yendor Theatre Company (producing works by underserved writers), Film Productions (narrative filmmaking), and a Merch Store (branded apparel). These programs work together to bring arts to historically resilient communities through community-driven activities in visual arts, performing arts, and arts education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mural ED: Artist in residency program focused on workforce and career development for students aged 14-19, teaching mural design, history of mural/street art, and providing exposure to guest artists and arts organizations.
• Community Murals Initiatives
• Yendor Theatre Company

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rutgers University-NewarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYendor collaborates with Rutgers-Newark on mural projects including the My Brother's Keeper mural created with 50 RU-N students. The partnership includes the Chancellor's office, College of Arts & Sciences Dean's Office, and Arts, Culture and Media department. Faculty members Anne Englot and Rodney Gilbert co-taught mural courses.
• City of NewarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Newark, including Mayor Ras Baraka's office and Department of Arts and Cultural Affairs, partners with Yendor on public art initiatives including the Murals for Social Justice series. Yendor serves as lead arts organization managing the Newark Murals Program.
• James Corner Field OperationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYendor serves as advisor and co-developer with James Corner Field Operations for the design and acquisition of public art for Newark Riverfront Park revitalization.
• Gallery AferrocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit alternative arts space founded in Newark in 2003 by artists Evonne M. Davis and Emma Wilcox, collaborating on community arts engagement projects like the My Brother's Keeper mural.
• Boys and Girls ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoys and Girls Club serves as a housing location for the Mural ED program, providing space for youth arts education and career readiness programming.
• Newark Boys Chorus SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNewark Boys Chorus School serves as housing for the Mural ED program and where Andrew Binger teaches history; YTC also incorporates youth performer training through the school's arts programs.
• Help USA (JBJ Soul Home)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJBJ Soul Home, part of Help USA, provides housing for the Mural ED artist residency program serving youth employees ages 14-19.
• Newark Housing AuthorityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on the My Brother's Keeper mural project, contributing to community arts engagement in Newark's South Ward.
• Greater Newark ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization collaborated on the My Brother's Keeper project, rehabilitating the formerly abandoned lot where the mural was installed.
• YouthBuild NewarkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth employment organization that participated in rehabilitating the lot for the My Brother's Keeper mural project alongside YENDOR.
• My Brother's Keeper–NewarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational community development program that provided the framework and initiative for the My Brother's Keeper mural project, originally launched in 2015.
• Newark ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNewark Arts organization supported the Mildred Helms Park Girls Scouts Mural project through Newark Arts programming.
• Arts ED NewarkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts education organization provided support for the Mildred Helms Park Girls Scouts Mural project highlighting women and girl empowerment.
• Girl Scouts of NJminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting the Girls Scouts Mural in Mildred Helms Park, part of a five-mural series on women and girl empowerment.
• Mural Arts PhiladelphiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMural Arts in Philadelphia served as the model for Yendor's Mural ED curriculum and is the destination for culminating student trips in the program.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Groundswell: NYC-based nonprofit that produces community-driven murals with and for underserved communities, including youth-led mural projects. Directly comparable in combining public art production with youth workforce development.
• CityArts: NYC nonprofit producing public murals and arts education programs for youth in underserved neighborhoods. Closely aligned in offering mural production combined with youth arts education and community engagement.
• The Laundromat Project: NYC nonprofit that brings arts programming into historically under-resourced communities through neighborhood-based artist residencies. Comparable in its equity-centered creative placemaking approach and community-embedded operating model.
• Mural Arts Philadelphia: Philadelphia's public art and mural program, explicitly cited as the model for Yendor's Mural ED curriculum. Operates community murals, youth education, and citywide mural programs at significantly larger scale, making it the closest comparable in mission and operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Creative Time: NYC-based public art organization commissioning ambitious temporary and permanent public art projects. Operates at a much larger scale and broader geographic scope, but is comparable as a public art producer working with municipalities.
• Public Art Fund: NYC nonprofit that presents temporary public art projects across the city. Comparable as an established public art curator/advisor working with municipal partners, but at significantly greater scale and reach.
• Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC): NYC-based arts organization providing artist residencies and producing public cultural programming. Comparable as a community arts producer that places artists in civic contexts, though with broader programming and larger scale.

Regional players

• Newark Arts: Newark-based arts council and grantmaking organization supporting local artists and cultural programming. Operates in the same city as Yendor and shares overlapping networks of municipal and community partners.

Emerging players

• More Art: NYC nonprofit commissioning public art that engages social issues, with programs for underrepresented artists. Comparable as a smaller-scale public art nonprofit focused on equity-driven creative work in urban communities.
• Urban Bush Women: Brooklyn-based performing arts organization developing and producing works by Black women artists and engaging underrepresented communities through theatre. Comparable to Yendor Theatre Company in its focus on underserved voices in performing arts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Yendor