African Soul International

What African Soul International does

African Soul International (ASI) is a Los Angeles-based cultural arts education organization founded in 1998 by Dr. Adama "Jewel" Jackson. Its core offering is live, in-person instruction in African dance, drumming, storytelling, and theater, delivered through three primary channels: standards-aligned K-12 school programs (assemblies, classroom workshops, multi-week residencies, year-long programs), corporate wellness and team-building programs, and an 8-week summer cultural arts camp for youth ages 5-17. The organization does not rely on proprietary technology; its competitive positioning rests on the founder's 25+ years of direct study with African Master artists from Guinea, Senegal, Mali, Congo, Liberia, and The Gambia, and a working relationship with 4X Grammy Award-winning composer Magatte Sow.

ASI operates as a project of the Artist Success Institute and is credentialed as an LAUSD Preferred Vendor, a 2X Congressional Award Honoree, and a 1st Place winner of the African Dance Awards (2019). In February 2025 it opened the first Black woman-owned cultural arts center in Los Angeles at 2650 MLK Blvd in the Baldwin Hills/Crenshaw Mall, supplementing an earlier location at 4302 Crenshaw Blvd. A mailing address is maintained in West Covina, CA.

Revenue is generated through five streams: fee-based school and corporate programs (quote-based, multi-year contracts), summer camp tuition ($249/week), event ticket sales (e.g., Wilshire Ebell Theatre productions, annual Culture Conference), Shopify e-commerce merchandise (t-shirts $25, hoodies $60, tote bags, digital eBooks at $20 individual or $70 bundle), and donations. The company markets through organic social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn), earned media (KTLA 5 Morning News feature, February 2025), and signature events including Disneyland's Festival of the Holidays. Customer concentration is diversified across K-12 schools, corporate clients (NASA, Amgen, UCLA Healing Arts), and youth/families, with no individual customer dominating disclosed revenue.

Name

African Soul International

Legal name

African Soul International

Website

https://africansoulinternational.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

African Soul International is a Los Angeles-based cultural arts education organization founded in 1998 that delivers standards-aligned African dance, drumming, storytelling, and theater programs to K-12 schools, corporate clients, and youth through its new cultural arts center, summer camp, and e-commerce merchandise store.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Arts Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Fine Arts Schools (611610), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts Education Instruction (Visual/Performing) (EDAJAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Arts & Culture Service/Support Organizations (Networks, Advocacy, Capacity Building) (BPAGAHAL)

Keywords

• Cultural arts education
• African dance programs
• K-12 arts education
• Corporate wellness workshops
• Youth summer camp

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

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. Cultural Arts Education Programs: Fees for school-based programs including assemblies, classroom workshops, multi-week residencies, and year-long programs. Programs serve K-12 schools with standards-aligned instruction in African dance, drumming, theater, and storytelling. Pricing varies by program format and duration.
2. Corporate Programs: Corporate wellness and team building programs including team building dance workshops, corporate performance assemblies, lunch and learn sessions, wellness workshops, leadership through dance, cultural competency training, interactive drum workshops, and custom choreography. Trusted by NASA, Amgen, UCLA Healing Arts.
3. Summer Camp Programs: 8-week summer cultural arts camp for youth ages 5-17 featuring African dance, drumming, theater, digital arts, and film making. Priced at $249/week with before/after care available and free lunch included.
4. Merchandise Sales: E-commerce sales of branded merchandise including t-shirts ($25), hoodies ($60), tote bags ($28.40), and statement apparel. Additional revenue from eBooks ($20 individual, $70 bundle) covering topics like African diaspora history, Black history, Kwanzaa, Juneteenth, and African dance benefits.
5. Event Tickets and Performances: Revenue from ticketed performances such as the Wilshire Ebell Theater production 'A Voyage to Africa' and annual Culture Conference events. Includes school matinees and evening performances.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

African Soul International delivers standards-aligned African cultural arts education through K-12 school programs (assemblies, classroom workshops, multi-week residencies, year-long programs), corporate wellness and team-building workshops, an eight-week youth summer camp, the Black Dance Academy, and the annual Culture Conference. The organization also operates the ASI Cultural Arts Center in Los Angeles and sells branded merchandise (apparel, tote bags, posters) and educational eBooks via its own Shopify e-commerce storefront.

Product overview

African Soul International is a cultural arts education organization founded in 1998, offering a diverse portfolio of programs and products centered on authentic African dance, drumming, storytelling, and cultural education. The core offerings include School-Based Programs (K-12) featuring standards-aligned cultural arts instruction, Corporate Programs for team building and wellness, and Summer Camp 2026 with youth ages 5-17 including dance, drum, theater, digital arts and film making. The company operates the ASI Cultural Arts Center in Los Angeles and runs the Black Dance Academy Summer Session, the annual ASI Culture Conference, and Community Company Auditions. Merchandise offerings include branded apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, tote bags), Juneteenth Legacy Collection, Dear Mama Collection, Gifts for Her Collection, ASI Statement Apparel, and an eBook Collection covering Black history, African diaspora studies, and cultural celebration guides. The company also offers Prop 28 School Programs for California schools. All offerings are tied together through a mission of preserving African cultural traditions while empowering youth and communities through the arts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School-Based Programs (K-12) Standards-aligned cultural arts programming for K-12 students featuring West African dance, drumming, theater, and storytelling through assemblies, classroom workshops, multi-week residencies, and theater productions that support literacy, math, and social-emotional learning.
• Corporate Programs Arts-driven team building, wellness, and cultural programming for corporate audiences including team building dance workshops, corporate performance assemblies, lunch and learn sessions, wellness and movement workshops, leadership through dance, cultural competency training, and interactive drum workshops.
• Summer Cultural & Digital Arts Camp Eight-week cultural arts experience for youth ages 5-17 featuring African dance, drumming, theater, digital arts, film making, storytelling, and community. Includes free lunch and before/after care, priced at $249/week.
• Black Dance Academy Summer Session World-class dance instruction featuring African dance techniques with professional artists at the ASI Cultural Arts Center.
• ASI Cultural Arts Center The first Black woman-owned cultural arts center in Los Angeles, operating as a project of the Artist Success Institute. Houses performances, classes, community company activities, and serves as ASI's primary venue.
• Prop 28 School Programs Standards-aligned, culturally rooted arts education for K-12 schools using California Proposition 28 funding. Programs include schoolwide assemblies, classroom-based workshops, multi-week residencies, and cultural heritage celebrations.
• Community Company Auditions Auditions for the African Soul International Community Company seeking dancers, drummers, singers, actors, acrobats, and special talents. Offers training company, performance company, educational outreach, and paid opportunities.
• ASI Culture Conference Annual three-day cultural conference featuring master artists, dance classes, live shows, workshops, and performances.
• ASI Merch - T-Shirts Branded apparel including cultural celebration t-shirts, dance-themed tees (I Love African Dance, I Love Djembe, I Love Sabar), African Soul International 2025 tee, and statement shirts priced from $25 to $35.
• ASI Statement Hoodies Statement hoodies featuring messages including Abolish ICE, Black History Is American History, Black History Is World History, Black People Are series, Call Your Senators, Still I Rise, and We've Overcome More Than This. Price: $60.
• ASI Statement T-Shirts Statement t-shirts with social and cultural messages including Abolish ICE designs, Black History Is American History, Black History Is World History, Black People Are series, and Black People Are Lit. Price: $25.
• Juneteenth Legacy Collection Juneteenth-themed merchandise including Black Queen T-Shirt, Burn It Down Tee, Cookout Rebellion Tee, Frederick & Harriet Legacy Tee, Inspirational T-Shirt, My Ancestors Weren't Free Tee, The Real Independence Day Tee, and They Not Like Us T-Shirt. Prices range from $16.07 to $35.
• Dear Mama / Gifts for Her Collection Mother's Day collection featuring Dear Mama, You Are Appreciated T-shirt, I'll Always Love My Mama She's My Favorite Girl T-shirt, I Love My Kids T-shirt, and Raised by a Strong Beautiful Black Woman T-shirt. Buy 3 Get 1 FREE promotion.
• Vibrant Canvas Tote Bag African Soul International branded canvas tote bag in multiple colors (Beige, Black, Light Blue, Light Pink, White). Price: $28.40.
• Honoring Our Legends Ancestral Poster Art print featuring the Dancing To The Rhythm Of Our Ancestors design. Price: $35.
• eBook Collection Educational eBooks including Black Facts eBook, Black Scientists and Inventors eBook, Diaspora Delights: Recipes from the African Diaspora, How To Celebrate Black History Month Properly, How To Celebrate Juneteenth Properly, How to Celebrate Kwanzaa Properly, The Benefits of African Dance, and complete 7-eBook bundle. Individual eBooks: $20; Bundle: $70.
• A Voyage to Africa Theatrical Production Ticketed theatrical production featuring African cultural performances, presented at venues such as Wilshire Ebell Theater, with school matinees and evening performances.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200,000 youth impacted through arts education, cultural programming, and community engagement
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Wilshire Ebell TheaterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 February 2025Venue partnership for 'A Voyage to Africa' theatrical production on February 27, 2025, featuring sold-out school matinee and evening performance.
• Artist Success InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ASI Cultural Arts Center operates as a project of the Artist Success Institute. This parent organization supports the cultural arts center's mission and operations.
• LAUSD (Los Angeles Unified School District)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAfrican Soul International is a Preferred Vendor for LAUSD, enabling the organization to provide cultural arts programming across Los Angeles public schools.
• DisneylandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerASI performed at Disneyland's Festival of the Holidays (December 3, 19, and 29, 2024), bringing African culture to Disneyland guests.
• Magatte Sow (4X Grammy Award-winning composer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured composer for 'A Voyage to Africa' production. Composed for Black Panther and Coming to America 2. Also performed at Culture Conference 2025.
• Mandinka Music Society of the GambiaminorOthersMembership organization (The home of Kunta Kinte) supporting preservation of Mandinka musical traditions.
• KTLA 5 Morning NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTelevision news feature on February 5, 2025, showcasing ASI's mission and cultural programming to morning news audience.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Mandinka Music Society of The Gambia: Cultural/advocacy organization ASI holds membership in, supporting preservation of Mandinka musical traditions. Comparable as a stakeholder in the same cultural ecosystem rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Step Afrika!: Washington DC-based cultural dance company specializing in stepping and African-diaspora percussive dance with K-12 educational programming and touring performances. Closely comparable cultural-arts-education mission and B2B school delivery model.
• National Dance Institute: Founded in 1976 by Jacques d'Amboise, NDI delivers in-school dance education programs to K-12 students nationwide. Directly comparable as a school-based dance education organization with a similar assembly/workshop/residency delivery model.
• Urban Bush Women: Brooklyn-based dance company rooted in African-diaspora traditions with active education and community engagement programming. Comparable as a culturally-rooted dance organization with school and community workshops.
• Young Audiences: National nonprofit network delivering arts-in-education programming to K-12 schools. Directly comparable as a school-based arts education provider with assembly, workshop, and residency formats; operates at much larger national scale.

Broad incumbents

• Disney Musicals in Schools: Disney-funded initiative that provides schools with free musical theater resources and residency programs. Comparable as a school-based arts residency provider, though much larger and backed by a major entertainment brand.
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Iconic American modern dance company with extensive Ailey-school education programs serving youth nationwide. Comparable cultural-dance education mission at significantly larger scale and brand recognition.
• Cal Performances / UC Berkeley Arts Education: Bay Area performing arts presenter with K-12 arts education programs. Comparable as an institutional arts-education provider with school residency offerings, though broader in genre than ASI's African focus.

Regional players

• National Black Arts Festival: Atlanta-based nonprofit presenting Black arts across dance, music, theater, and visual arts with educational programming. Comparable cultural-arts mission serving the African-diaspora community but geographically focused on the Southeast.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@africansoulinternational1
• Facebookfacebook.com/africansoulla
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/africansoulinternational
• Instagraminstagram.com/africansoulinternational1
• TikToktiktok.com/@thedrjewelshow

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 African Soul International