Capital Storytelling

What Capital Storytelling does

Capital Storytelling is a Sacramento-based 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2018 by Sacramento State University Professor Lisa Cantrell, focused on teaching oral and audio storytelling skills to adults and underserved community groups. The core educational offering is a sequential curriculum spanning Oral Storytelling 101 ($220), 201 ($230), and 301 ($260), supplemented by Podcasting 101 ($295) and Comedic Storytelling 101 ($230), delivered live via Zoom and in person at Sacramento State, with on-demand and recorded variants. The organization also operates recurring community events (Do Tell! monthly open mic at LogOff Brewing, Sacramento Storytellers Guild hybrid program, Community Story Labs), the Immigrant Storytelling Program, and the Story Ambassadors facilitator-training pathway, and it distributes a podcast on iTunes, a $35 illustrated Workbook PDF, and a free storytelling toolkit.

The technology stack is modest and non-proprietary: Zoom for live class delivery, an e-commerce website for direct enrollment, iTunes for podcast distribution, and standard social media (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram) for awareness. The organization does not claim any proprietary algorithms, AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or SDKs, and the core production asset is the credentialed staff (including a Psychology PhD founder, a Neuroscience PhD Director of Operations, a Moth GrandSLAM champion, and an award-winning filmmaker).

Capital Storytelling's business model blends paid consumer education (class fees at $220-$295), sliding-scale event admissions ($5-$15), small digital product sales (workbook, workshop recordings, gift cards), and a substantial donation and grant layer from institutional funders including California Arts Council, Sacramento City Arts & Culture, and Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps. Approximately 500 individuals are trained annually through classes and workshops, with nearly 800 additional attendees at live events, giving the organization a community-led, event-driven go-to-market motion that converts class graduates into ambassadors who lead workshops in their own communities.

Name

Capital Storytelling

Legal name

Capital Storytelling

Website

https://capitalstorytelling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Capital Storytelling is a Sacramento-based 501c3 nonprofit that teaches oral and audio storytelling through a sequential class curriculum (101/201/301, Podcasting, Comedy), community events, and facilitator-training programs, serving roughly 500 adult learners and 800 event attendees annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Storytelling Education

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Creative Writing & Storytelling (Fiction, Poetry, Screenwriting) (EDAMAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Theatre & Storytelling Festivals (MPAGAEAI), Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ), Public Lectures & Speaker Series (MPAGACAI)

Keywords

• Storytelling education
• Oral storytelling classes
• Community storytelling events
• Podcast production training
• Creative arts nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Sacramento

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Workshop and Class Fees: Primary revenue from multi-week course enrollments (Oral Storytelling 101, 201, 301; Podcasting 101; Comedic Storytelling). Classes are priced at $220-$295 per participant, with early-bird discounts available.
2. Digital Products: Sale of downloadable digital workbooks ($35), workshop recordings (name-your-price model), and other digital resources. One-time purchase model.
3. Gift Cards: Prepaid gift cards sold in denominations of $10-$150, redeemable toward any class enrollment or product.
4. Event Admission: Revenue from event admission, including sliding-scale ticket fees for live events (e.g., Do Tell! open mic at $5-$15). Some events are free (Immigrant Storytelling Program showcase, Sacramento Storytellers Guild programs).
5. Donations and Grants: The organization is a 501c3 nonprofit. It was founded with funding from Sacramento State and relies on grants, sponsorships, and donations from funders including California Arts Council, Sacramento City Arts & Culture, Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Capital Storytelling is a Sacramento-based nonprofit that delivers structured oral storytelling classes (Oral Storytelling 101, 201, 301; Podcasting 101; Comedic Storytelling 101) and recurring community storytelling events (Do Tell! open mic, Sacramento Storytellers Guild, Community Story Labs). It also runs facilitator and community programs (Story Ambassadors, Immigrant Storytelling) and sells supporting digital products including an illustrated workbook PDF, workshop recordings, and gift cards.

Product overview

Capital Storytelling is an educational organization offering structured storytelling education and community events. Their core educational products follow a sequential curriculum: Oral Storytelling 101, 201, and 301 (foundational to advanced storytelling skills), supplemented by specialized courses in Podcasting 101 and Comedic Storytelling 101. They host recurring community events including Do Tell! in-person open mics, Sacramento Storytellers Guild hybrid programs, and Community Story Labs virtual sessions. Their programs include the Story Ambassadors 6-month training program and Immigrant Storytelling Program. They offer downloadable resources including an Oral Storytelling Workbook PDF and Workshop Recording, plus a Free Storytelling ToolKit. Financial accessibility is supported through scholarship applications for both oral storytelling and audio-radio storytelling workshops. Classes and workshops range from $220-$295, with various early-bird pricing options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Story Ambassadors Program: A 6-month training program that teaches people to lead Capital Storytelling's oral storytelling workshops in their communities
• Immigrant Storytelling Program
• Do Tell!
• Sacramento Storytellers Guild Program
• Community Story Labs

Products and services

• Oral Storytelling 101 Introduction to oral storytelling fundamentals teaching participants how to find and tell personal stories. Offered as a live virtual class (4 weeks), fully online/on-demand course, or occasional in-person class. Includes a digital Oral Storytelling Workbook. Priced at $220 per participant with $195 early-bird pricing.
• Oral Storytelling 201

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 500 individuals trained annually through classes and workshops
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sacramento State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Founded in 2018 by Sacramento State Professor Lisa Cantrell with initial funding from Sacramento State University. The first classes were held on the Sacramento State campus. The university continues to be a key institutional partner.
• LogOff BrewingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonthly venue partner for the Do Tell! in-person storytelling open mic events. Located at 3054 Sunrise Blvd Suite J, Rancho Cordova, CA 95742. Food and beverages are available for purchase at the venue during events.
• Sacramento Poetry CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for the monthly Sacramento Storytellers Guild hybrid event. The Sacramento Storytellers Guild Program is held in person at the Sacramento Poetry Center with a simultaneous Zoom audience.
• Sacramento Storytellers GuildcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA related storytelling organization that hosts a monthly hybrid storytelling program featuring 6 storytellers and 2 poets. Capital Storytelling collaborates by hosting the guild's events on its platform and promoting them through its calendar. The guild has its own website at sacramentostorytellersguild.org.
• UC Davis HealthminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOrganizational client that engaged Capital Storytelling to facilitate a storytelling workshop for faculty and staff as part of a restorative and reflective retreat focused on well-being and connection.
• NCECA (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Capital Storytelling to host a live storytelling event, 'Ground Beneath My Feet,' at the annual NCECA national conference held in Sacramento, CA in March 2022.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Story Center: Story Center is a Berkeley-based nonprofit that runs digital storytelling workshops, courses, and conferences for social change, health, and education. It is a broader incumbent in the personal-narrative education space with comparable mission focus and workshop products, but at much larger national scale.
• Hurricane Katrina oral history projects (e.g., StoryCorps): StoryCorps is a national nonprofit pioneering personal storytelling for community and immigrant narratives, with a major podcast and DIY recording tools. It is a broad incumbent in the same community storytelling category as Capital Storytelling's Immigrant Storytelling Program, though at vastly greater scale and brand recognition.
• Second City: Second City is a long-running comedy and improvisation institution offering classes and live shows. It is a broader incumbent in live comedic storytelling and adult education, comparable to Capital Storytelling's Comedic Storytelling 101 course and event programming.
• The Moth: The Moth is the dominant national storytelling organization, running paid live shows, a podcast, and The Moth Education program that teaches true storytelling in schools and workplaces. It is a broader incumbent in the same storytelling education and live-event niche as Capital Storytelling, serving similar audiences and instructors but at national scale.

Direct peers

• Risk!: Risk! is a live storytelling show and podcast featuring true, uncensored personal stories, with associated live events and workshops. It competes with Capital Storytelling in the live true-storytelling open-mic and podcast space (vs. Do Tell! and the Capital Storytelling podcast).
• True Story Theater: True Story Theater is a Greater Boston nonprofit that uses personal storytelling as a vehicle for community dialogue and social change, with workshops and performances. It overlaps with Capital Storytelling's immigrant storytelling, community events, and empathy-building mission in a nonprofit arts-education context.
• Storytelling Schools: Storytelling Schools teaches personal narrative skills via online courses and workshops targeting adults seeking self-expression and communication improvements. It is a direct competitor to Capital Storytelling's Oral Storytelling 101/201/301 curriculum and uses a similar cohort-based virtual format.

Regional players

• Mass Story: Mass Story is a Boston-based storytelling nonprofit that runs workshops, a podcast, and community events around personal narrative. It is a regional peer to Capital Storytelling with a comparable nonprofit/community model and educational offerings, but operating in a different US metro.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CapStorytelling
• Facebookfacebook.com/capitalstorytelling
• Instagraminstagram.com/capitalstorytelling/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/capital-storytelling

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Capital Storytelling