CAIR Lab

What CAIR Lab does

CAIR Lab (Cross-sector Artists in Residence) is a privately held, mission-driven consultancy practice founded around 2021 that partners with government staff, artists, and communities to build more equitable places and civic systems. The organization operates as a small interdisciplinary team—anchored by Mallory Rukhsana Nezam (a Harvard GSD-trained cross-sector culture-maker and Curator of Partnerships at Forecast Public Art), Amanda Lovelee (a Twin Cities-based civic artist and Metropolitan Council Parks Ambassador), and Johanna K. Taylor (an Arizona State University assistant professor with a PhD in Urban Policy)—that translates between the languages of culture, creativity, and bureaucracy.

The firm's product surface is entirely service-based and human-delivered: five interconnected service lines covering Training (leadership coaching, training series, collaboration development), Inspiration (speaking, dream shops, facilitation), Global Research & Analysis (field synthesis, tool production), Program Design & Development (program setup, improvement, evaluation), and Special Art Projects (creative community engagement, participatory planning, policy as poetry). Notable intellectual outputs include the 2023 Transportation Artists in Residence Network landscape report produced with Smart Growth America, the "Why Cross-Sector Collaboration Now" three-part policy series produced as Cultural Policy Fellows at NASAA, and downloadable tools/resources for organizations launching artist-in-residence programs.

CAIR Lab generates revenue through professional services engagements—primarily consulting, training, program design, and research—with government agencies and nonprofit partners. No technology platform, software product, AI/ML capability, or proprietary SaaS infrastructure exists; pricing is undisclosed and appears to follow a quote-based engagement model. Distribution is direct-to-client via partnerships, speaking engagements, publications, and an active digital presence across a website, Instagram, and Twitter. Headcount is reported at approximately 5, with a core team of 3, and the organization is concentrated in the United States with global ambition implied in its research practice.

Name

CAIR Lab

Legal name

CAIR Lab

Website

https://cairlab.net

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CAIR Lab is a small US-based consultancy that partners with government agencies, artists, and communities to design artist-in-residence programs and cross-sector collaboration initiatives, delivering training, facilitation, research, and program evaluation services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts-based Government Consulting

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)

Keywords

• Cross-sector collaboration
• Artist-in-residence programs
• Arts-based civic engagement
• Government consulting services
• Cultural policy advisory

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Consulting and Advisory Services: CAIR Lab generates revenue through consulting engagements with government agencies and organizations seeking to implement artist-in-residence programs. Services include training, program design, evaluation, and facilitation.
2. Research and Analysis Services: The organization conducts global research and analysis, synthesizing knowledge in the field of arts-based cross-sector collaboration. They produce reports, policy briefs, and academic publications.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CAIR Lab is an interdisciplinary consultancy that partners with government staff, artists, and communities to advance arts-based cross-sector collaboration. Its core offering is a suite of professional services including Training (leadership coaching, training series, collaboration development), Inspiration (speaking, dream shops, facilitation), Global Research & Analysis, Program Design & Development, and Special Art Projects such as creative community engagement and policy-as-poetry initiatives. The firm also produces field-building publications and downloadable tools, notably the Transportation Artists in Residence Network landscape report produced with Smart Growth America.

Product overview

CAIR Lab is a consultancy practice—not a software platform—that offers a unified suite of services focused on cross-sector collaboration between artists and government. The core offerings include five interconnected service areas: Training Services (leadership coaching, training series, collaboration development), Inspiration Services (speaking, dream shops, facilitation), Global Research & Analysis (writing, field synthesis, tools production), Program Design & Development (program setup, improvement, evaluation), and Special Art Projects (creative community engagement, participatory planning, policy as poetry). These services are complemented by specific programs and publications such as the Transportation Artists in Residence Network and the Why Cross-Sector Collaboration Now policy series, along with downloadable tools and resources. All offerings work together to help partners build equitable places and civic systems through arts-led collaboration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Training Services Leadership coaching, training series, and collaboration development programs designed to help government, arts, and community partners build internal capacity for cross-sector work.
• Inspiration Services Speaking engagements, dream shops, and facilitation services that help organizations envision and plan creative approaches to civic challenges.
• Global Research & Analysis Writing, field synthesis, and production of tools and resources that advance understanding of arts-based cross-sector collaboration, including the Transportation Artists in Residence Network landscape report and "Why Cross-Sector Collaboration Now" policy briefs.
• Program Design & Development Services to set up, improve, and evaluate artist-in-residence and cross-sector collaboration programs for government and nonprofit partners.
• Special Art Projects Creative community engagement, participatory planning, and policy-as-poetry initiatives that use artistic methods to address civic challenges and inform public policy.
• Transportation Artists in Residence Network Report A landscape research initiative conducted with Smart Growth America in 2023 that gathered artists, transportation planners, and arts administrators to document the emerging field of arts and transportation collaboration, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts Our Town program.
• "Why Cross-Sector Collaboration Now" Policy Brief Series A three-part policy conversation starter series produced while CAIR Lab served as Cultural Policy Fellows at NASAA, covering Arts + Infrastructure, Arts + Transportation, and Arts + Health for Social Cohesion.
• CAIR Lab Tools & Resources Proprietary downloadable tools created by CAIR Lab to help organizations get started with artist-in-residence and cross-sector collaboration programs, available via the Resources page with credit attribution required.

Quantifiable outcome

• Transportation Artists in Residence Network Report produced and published in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Smart Growth AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023CAIR Lab collaborated with Smart Growth America to lead the Transportation Artists in Residence (TAIR) Network in 2023. The partnership gathered artists, transportation planners, and arts administrators with experience working at the intersection of arts and transportation. This collaboration produced a landscape report on the emerging field of transportation artists in residence, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, Our Town program.
• National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023CAIR Lab is currently serving as Cultural Policy Fellows with NASAA, exploring the advancement of arts-based cross-sector collaborations within government at federal, state, and jurisdictional levels. Produced policy brief series including 'Why Cross-Sector Collaboration Now' covering Arts + Infrastructure, Arts + Transportation, and Arts + Health for Social Cohesion.
• University of St ThomassupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerScience department collaboration on Urban Flower Field project where soil testing was conducted and a report published, along with hosting gatherings around the future of the space.
• Los Angeles County Department of Arts and CultureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohanna K. Taylor served as panelist on 2020 webinar about artist residencies in municipal government, discussing possibilities and challenges of placing artists in residence in government agencies.
• ArtPlace AmericasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLyz Crane, Deputy Director at ArtPlace America, provided testimonial endorsement of CAIR Lab's work in helping government think outside the box and create empathetic policies and programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Forecast Public Art: Public art organization that advances creative placemaking through publications (including FORWARD, where CAIR Lab's Mallory Nezam is Curator), training, and convenings. Directly comparable: both bridge arts practice with civic/government systems and produce field-building resources.
• A Blade of Grass: Nonprofit that funds and supports socially engaged art and artist-in-residence programs. Direct overlap with CAIR Lab's artist-in-residence practice (Johanna Taylor's prior employer), though A Blade of Grass operates as a funder rather than a consultancy.
• Project for Public Spaces: Placemaking nonprofit that advises communities and governments on activating public space through participatory engagement. Highly comparable GTM (training, facilitation, government advisory) and end-customers (municipalities, planning agencies).
• PolicyLink: National research and action institute advancing racial and economic equity through policy. Direct prior employer of CAIR Lab's Mallory Nezam; comparable in delivering equity-focused policy and community engagement advisory to government and cross-sector partners.
• Animating Democracy (Americans for the Arts): Program supporting arts-driven civic dialogue and community engagement; produces research, tools, and training for artists and cultural organizations working on social issues. Closely comparable content/audience and field-building mission.
• Center for Performance and Civic Practice: Organization that partners artists with civic and community institutions to strengthen democratic practice. Direct overlap with CAIR Lab's artist-in-government focus and similar small-team operating model.

Broad incumbents

• ArtPlace America: National arts-and-culture funder focused on creative placemaking and community development. Comparable as a larger, better-capitalized player operating in CAIR Lab's intersection of arts, government, and equitable place-based outcomes — CAIR Lab is positioned as a delivery partner rather than direct competitor.
• Smart Growth America: National advocacy organization promoting equitable, sustainable land use and transportation. Direct partner on the 2023 TAIR Network Report; operates at a much larger scale across CAIR Lab's transportation and infrastructure verticals.

Emerging players

• National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA): Membership organization for state and jurisdictional arts agencies that produces field research, policy briefs, and convenings — the same content CAIR Lab is producing as Cultural Policy Fellows. Comparable as a research/field-builder rather than a consulting competitor.

Regional players

• Transportation for America: Smart Growth America's transportation equity campaign — Mallory Nezam previously helped build its arts-and-culture work. Operates in CAIR Lab's transportation/cross-sector lane at the policy-advocacy layer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xmobile.twitter.com/cair_lab
• Instagraminstagram.com/cairlab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 CAIR Lab