The Immigrant Story

What The Immigrant Story does

The Immigrant Story is a nonprofit media organization headquartered in Portland, Oregon, that documents and shares the personal narratives of immigrants and refugees through multiple media formats. Its product portfolio includes written story profiles (200+ immigrant narratives from countries including Vietnam, South Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Congo, Haiti, Guatemala, Mexico, Somalia, Kenya, Sudan, Bosnia, Hungary, Germany, Romania, and Iran), the 'Many Roads to Here' podcast distributed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, and RSS, documentary films in the 'To Bear Witness' series, live storytelling and music events at Portland Center Stage / The Armory (U.S. Bank Main Stage), the published book 'I Lived to Tell the World,' the 'What We Carried' photo-narrative project, the 'I Am An American' musical album, and add-on educational resources including classroom lesson plans and a scholarship program for immigrant students.

The organization's underlying technology is a digital storytelling platform (theimmigrantstory.org) and podcast production pipeline, with no proprietary AI/ML or technical IP disclosed. Its business model is donation-based: content is distributed free to a global public audience, and revenue is generated through public donations via its website and contributions from foundations such as the Zidell Family Foundation. No products or services are sold commercially, and no pricing model exists beyond optional donations. The go-to-market is community-led, relying on the website as a primary content hub, social sharing, email newsletter (~250 subscribers), and live event programming.

The organization serves two primary segments: a general public/global audience interested in immigrant narratives and cultural understanding, and educators and students who use its classroom lesson plans and scholarship opportunities. The company operates primarily in the Pacific Northwest (Portland Metropolitan Area), though its digital content reaches a global audience. Founder and executive producer Sankar Raman is the central editorial figure, and the organization maintains partnerships with Portland Center Stage, Portland Community College, APANO, and These Numbers Have Faces (TNHF).

Name

The Immigrant Story

Legal name

The Immigrant Story

Website

https://theimmigrantstory.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Immigrant Story is a Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit media organization that documents immigrant and refugee experiences through written narratives, a podcast, live events, documentary films, a published book, and educational resources, serving a global public audience and educators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Multimedia Storytelling

NAICS

Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Refugee & Immigrant Support Services (BPAGAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Immigrant & Refugee Community Education (Integration/Navigation) (EDAAAFAH), Immigrant & Refugee Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAG)

Keywords

• Immigrant storytelling platform
• Multimedia journalism nonprofit
• Documentary podcast production
• Refugee narrative media
• Community cultural education

Headquarters

HQ city

Hillsboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The organization is funded through public donations via its website donation page. The website explicitly invites visitors to donate to support the continuation of immigrant-focused content and programming.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Immigrant Story is a nonprofit media organization that produces and distributes free multimedia storytelling content focused exclusively on the experiences of immigrants and refugees. Its core offerings are written first-person story profiles, a podcast (Many Roads to Here), documentary films (To Bear Witness series), live stage storytelling and music events (The Immigrant Story Live), a published book (I Lived to Tell the World), and a photo-narrative project (What We Carried), all funded by public donations and foundation grants.

Product overview

The Immigrant Story is a nonprofit media organization that serves as a multimedia storytelling platform documenting the experiences of immigrants and refugees. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected content products centered on personal narrative: Stories (written profiles), The Immigrant Story Live (stage storytelling events), Many Roads to Here Podcast (audio conversations), Movies (documentary films), Live! Music (cultural music performances), the book 'I Lived to Tell the World,' the 'What We Carried' photo-narrative project, the 'I Am An American' album, plus educational resources for educators and a scholarship program. The core offering is the narrative archive of over 200 immigrant stories, supplemented by live events, audio content, documentary films, published works, and educational outreach programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Many Roads to Here: The organization's podcast featuring immigrant stories and conversations
• What We Carried
• I Lived to Tell the World
• The Immigrant Story Live

Products and services

• Immigrant Stories (Written Profiles) Written first-person narrative profiles featuring immigrants and refugees discussing their experiences, journeys, and contributions to American society. Free to read on the organization's website.
• The Immigrant Story Live In-person storytelling and world music events at Portland Center Stage / The Armory featuring immigrants and refugees sharing personal narratives on stage before a live audience.
• Many Roads to Here Podcast Audio podcast series featuring immigrant stories told through conversation, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, and RSS feed for free streaming and download.
• Documentary Films Documentary films produced by the organization, including the 'To Bear Witness' series exploring Holocaust survivors, Rwandan genocide survivors, and Southeast Asian refugee experiences.
• I Lived to Tell the World (Book) Published book documenting immigrant narratives and stories collected by the organization, available through the organization's own book sales channel on its website.
• What We Carried Visual storytelling project featuring photographs of objects immigrants carried from their home countries, paired with personal narratives about migration and displacement.
• I Am An American - The Album Musical album project celebrating immigrant stories through song and audio storytelling.
• Scholarship Program Financial scholarship program supporting immigrant and refugee students in their educational pursuits.
• For Educators / Lesson Plans Educational resources including lesson plans designed for classroom use to teach immigration history and immigrant experiences, distributed to educators via the organization's website.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 immigrant stories shared with a global audience

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Portland Center Stage / The ArmorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Immigrant Story partners with Portland Center Stage (at The Armory in Portland, Oregon) to produce The Immigrant Story Live! — a series of in-person storytelling and world music performances featuring immigrant voices. Events are held at the U.S. Bank Main Stage at Portland Center Stage.
• Portland Community College Southeast Campus LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPodcast interviews for 'Many Roads to Here' have been conducted at Portland Community College's Southeast Campus Library, indicating an educational partnership for content production.
• APANO (Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPANO is featured in immigrant stories produced by The Immigrant Story, indicating community collaboration. A story profile features a man associated with APANO who works to elevate lives of fellow immigrants.
• These Numbers Have Faces (TNHF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTNHF, an NGO from Portland, Oregon, awards college scholarships to bright Congolese refugees. One scholarship recipient, Jean Paul, was later resettled to Portland where TNHF is based, demonstrating a community support ecosystem for refugees in Portland.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Humans of New York: Photographic and narrative storytelling platform featuring in-depth personal stories of individuals, frequently including immigrants and refugees. Comparable content format (first-person stories with photography) and global audience reach.
• The Kitchen Sisters (Davia Nelson & Nikki Silva): Independent producers of storytelling radio documentaries and podcasts, including Hidden Kitchens and The Keepers. Comparable storytelling-first podcast and documentary production with similar archival approach.
• The Moth: Nonprofit dedicated to the art and craft of personal storytelling through live events, podcasts, and a published story archive. Closely comparable to The Immigrant Story Live and the Many Roads to Here podcast model.
• StoryCorps: National nonprofit that records and preserves personal interviews, primarily from everyday Americans, including immigrants and refugees. Directly comparable as a storytelling nonprofit with audio archive, broadcast distribution, and educational outreach.
• Define American: Nonprofit media and culture organization that uses storytelling, film, and research to shift the narrative around immigration in America. Direct overlap on immigrant-focused narrative content and educational programming.
• StoryCenter: Nonprofit that supports digital storytelling workshops and archives, including with immigrant, refugee, and marginalized communities. Comparable educational storytelling methodology and community-led content approach.

Broad incumbents

• This American Life: Long-running public radio program and podcast featuring first-person narrative and reported storytelling. Comparable as a large-scale storytelling outlet with podcast distribution, though broader in subject matter and substantially larger audience.
• Welcoming America: Nonprofit that leads a network of communities working to become more welcoming to immigrants. Comparable mission of immigrant inclusion, though focused on civic policy and community programs rather than storytelling media.
• Center for Asian American Media (CAAM): Nonprofit organization supporting Asian American storytelling through film, television, and digital media. Comparable mission of elevating immigrant narratives via media production and community partnerships.

Emerging players

• The Marshall Project: Nonprofit news organization focused on criminal justice, with strong storytelling and podcast production. Comparable in nonprofit media model, podcast distribution, and narrative-driven journalism approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/themigrantstory
• Facebookfacebook.com/theimmigrantstory
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-immigrant-story

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 The Immigrant Story