CONGA KIDS

What CONGA KIDS does

Conga Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2016 by Brad Gluckstein, headquartered at 5858 Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles. It delivers social-emotional learning through dance, music, and sports instruction to children in underserved communities across Los Angeles and Orange County. The organization runs five core programs: In-School Residency Programs (10-20 lessons of 30-50 minutes for TK-5th grade covering Merengue, Salsa, Cumbia, Hip-Hop, Charleston, Bollywood, and Conga Slide), Discover the Diaspora Assemblies (60-minute interactive Afro-Diasporic performances), Bridge the Generations (five 2-hour intergenerational family workshops), Expanded Learning Program (20 after-school lessons), and Conga Beatz (a sports-integrated physical-education program combining dance styles with soccer, basketball, and football). Curriculum is built on the CASEL social-emotional learning framework and emphasizes African Diaspora dance traditions; the organization also collaborates with UCLA Community Schools Initiatives on an English Language Arts-aligned 6th-grade curriculum.

The organization operates a hybrid go-to-market combining sales-led direct engagement with school districts (via a website 'Get a Quote' inquiry form and principal/administrator outreach), community-led partnerships with Boys & Girls Club and YMCA, and an event-driven annual competition series culminating in a Grand Finale at LA Live. Its revenue model mixes contracted program fees from schools and districts with foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations; named foundation supporters include The Ahmanson Foundation, Max H. Gluck Foundation, The Johnny Carson Foundation, The Herb Alpert Foundation, and California Community Foundation. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. As of 2024 the organization is active in 17 school districts across 140+ elementary schools, serves approximately 60,000 children annually, and projects growth to 70,000+ in 2025-2026 with premier 4th- and 5th-grade residencies.

Name

CONGA KIDS

Legal name

Conga Kids

Website

https://congakids.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Conga Kids is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit delivering CASEL-aligned social-emotional learning through dance, music, and sports programs to approximately 60,000-70,000 TK-5th grade children annually across 17 school districts in Los Angeles and Orange County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Arts Education Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Educational Support Services (611710), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Classroom Learning Centers & Thematic Units (Dramatic Play, Blocks, Sensory, STEM) (EDACAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialized Intervention & Skill-Building Programs (Speech/OT Support Materials, Social Skills) (EDACAJAJ)

Keywords

• Youth arts education
• Social-emotional learning
• School residency programs
• After-school dance programs
• Community arts nonprofits

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

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, Others

Revenue model

1. School District Contracts and Program Fees: Revenue generated from contracted programs with schools and school districts for in-school residencies, after-school programs, and specialized workshops
2. Donations and Grants: 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by foundations, corporations, elected officials, and individual donors. Includes grants from The Ahmanson Foundation, Max H. Gluck Foundation, The Johnny Carson Foundation, The Herb Alpert Foundation, and others
3. Corporate Partnerships: Support from corporations including Caliba Inc., ProCare Commercial Services, Inc., Colliers International, CJR Restaurant LLC, Buffalo Distribution Inc., and Superior Roofing System

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Conga Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers dance, music, and movement education programs to children in underserved Los Angeles and Orange County schools. The organization offers in-school residencies, after-school expanded learning, schoolwide assemblies, intergenerational family workshops, and a sports-integration program, all aligned with the CASEL social-emotional learning framework. Programs are contracted directly with elementary and middle schools, school districts, and community partners such as Boys & Girls Club and YMCA.

Product overview

Conga Kids is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering dance and music education programs for children. The organization operates five distinct programs: In-School Residency Programs (dance lessons for TK-5th grade), Discover the Diaspora Assemblies (interactive performances), Bridge the Generations (intergenerational workshops), Expanded Learning Program (after-school dance instruction), and Conga Beatz (sports and movement integration). The programs focus on social-emotional learning through African Diaspora dances including Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia, Authentic Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Reggaetón, serving approximately 60,000-70,000 children annually across 17 school districts in Los Angeles and Orange County.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Conga Beatz: Physical Education program blending music and movement with traditional sports such as Basketball, Football, and Soccer for elementary and middle school students.
• Bridge the Generations
• Discover the Diaspora Assemblies
• Expanded Learning Program
• In-School Residency Programs

Products and services

• In-School Residency Programs Social dance lessons for TK-5th grade students delivered as 10-20 lessons lasting 30-50 minutes each. Covers Merengue, Salsa, Cumbia, Hip-Hop, Charleston, Bollywood, and Conga Slide, with culminating performances and competition opportunities for 5th graders.
• Discover the Diaspora Assemblies 60-minute interactive schoolwide performances featuring professional artists delivering Afro-Diasporic narratives including Afro-Cuban Traditions and Bridge to America themes, with music, dance, and storytelling educational content.
• Bridge the Generations Five 2-hour workshops bringing students and their caregivers together to learn dances such as Cumbia, Merengue, Rock 'n' Roll, and Go-Go, designed to promote family and community engagement through intergenerational dance experiences.
• Expanded Learning Program After-school dance and music program with 20 lessons delivered once weekly for 20 weeks or twice weekly for 10 weeks, covering dance performances, music appreciation, choreography creation, healing/mindfulness through movement, and acting through movement. Open to all grade levels.
• Conga Beatz Physical education program blending music, movement, and SEL into sports, combining dance styles (Salsa, Hip-Hop, 70's Disco) with sports (Soccer, Basketball, Football) for elementary and middle school students.

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Boys & Girls ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Community organization partner where Conga Kids delivers dance and music programming to youth in the Boys & Girls Club network in Los Angeles and Orange County
• YMCAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Community organization partner where Conga Kids delivers dance and music programming through YMCA locations serving youth and families
• UCLA Community Schools InitiativesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaboration with UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies to develop English Language Arts aligned curriculum for 6th graders, combining ethnic studies and dance education - believed to be the first program of its kind
• LA County Office of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment education partner supporting SEL programming and dance education in Los Angeles County schools

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Inner-City Arts: Inner-City Arts is a Los Angeles nonprofit providing arts education to underserved youth through in-school and on-site programs. It shares Conga Kids' target population, regional footprint, and nonprofit funding model, though with a broader multi-arts rather than dance-specific focus.
• Education Through Music: Education Through Music is a nonprofit that partners with underserved schools to provide music instruction as part of the regular school day. Its in-school residency model, mixed grant-plus-district funding, and underserved-school mission closely parallel Conga Kids' operating approach.
• National Dance Institute (NDI): National Dance Institute is a New York-based nonprofit delivering in-school dance education and performance programs to underserved children, with a similar residency-and-showcase model. It shares Conga Kids' focus on dance as a vehicle for confidence-building and life skills in school settings.
• The Harmony Project: Harmony Project is a Los Angeles nonprofit providing music education and youth development services to underserved students. It shares Conga Kids' LA footprint, target demographic, and SEL framing of arts education, but specializes in instrumental music rather than dance.
• AileyCamp (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater): AileyCamp is the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's summer dance education program for underserved youth ages 11-14. It shares Conga Kids' dance-education-as-youth-development mission and target demographic, but operates as a national summer program rather than year-round in-school residencies.
• Dancing Classrooms: Dancing Classrooms is a nonprofit that provides social dance residencies in K-12 schools with a focus on social-emotional skills and respect, operating in multiple US cities. Its in-school residency model, target demographic, and SEL-through-dance mission closely mirror Conga Kids, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• The Music Center: The Music Center is Los Angeles's premier performing arts center and operates extensive in-school arts residency and community education programs. It is both a potential collaborator and the largest LA-based competitor in school arts education.

Broad incumbents

• Young Audiences Arts for Learning: Young Audiences is the largest national arts-in-education nonprofit network, with affiliate chapters providing in-school artist residencies across the US. It is broader in scope than Conga Kids but competes for the same school-district arts education budgets and grant funding pools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/congakids

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 CONGA KIDS