Creative Acts
Creative Acts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses arts education and immersive virtual reality to deliver rehabilitation, reentry preparation, and civic engagement programming for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals inside California state prisons and the communities they return to.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersInglewood, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Creative Acts does
Creative Acts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Inglewood, California, founded in 2003 and operating with a staff of 14. The organization uses arts education and immersive virtual reality (VR) to deliver rehabilitation, reentry preparation, civic engagement, and mental health programming inside carceral systems and the communities people return to. Its core program portfolio comprises Art Attacks! (civic engagement and voter education for incarcerated youth), VR Reentry (immersive curriculum preparing adults serving life sentences for reentry), Alumni Lab (a lived-experience-driven curriculum design cohort), D.O.O.R.S., and Organizational Trainings. Creative Acts claims multiple industry firsts, including being the first VR program recognized by mental health professionals and invited into a Restrictive Housing Unit (solitary confinement) at a maximum-security prison, and reports a 96% drop in in-prison infractions within the first year of VR Reentry and 100% voter turnout among Art Attacks! youth participants.
The organization is Black-founded and primarily Global Majority-led, with teaching artists and curriculum staff drawn from people with lived experience of incarceration. Service delivery occurs directly within California state correctional facilities (Valley State Prison, California Men's Colony, Central California Women's Facility) through partnerships with correctional administration. The platform architecture is essentially curated curriculum assets (VR modules, arts lesson plans) tuned for restricted carceral environments — there is no public evidence of software-as-a-service productization, AI features, or proprietary APIs; the 'platform' operates as program-fulfillment infrastructure rather than a commercial product.
Revenue mechanics consist primarily of individual donations and monthly recurring donor commitments (processed via PayPal) supplemented by grants — the only publicly disclosed grant is a $10,000 award from MYLA2050 in July 2020 — and a fee-for-service consultancy and training arm delivering anti-racism training, curriculum-building, and reentry program development to other organizations. Customer segments are bifurcated: a primary persona segment of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals served through correctional facility contracts, and a secondary business segment of mission-aligned organizations purchasing training services. Go-to-market is community-led rather than commercial, with earned-media amplification via Associated Press, TEDx talks, and a Washington Post op-ed co-authored with Jane Fonda.
Creative Acts firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Creative Acts
- Legal name
- Creative Acts
- Website
- https://creativeacts.us
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Creative Acts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses arts education and immersive virtual reality to deliver rehabilitation, reentry preparation, and civic engagement programming for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals inside California state prisons and the communities they return to.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Creative Acts industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Correctional Rehabilitation Services
- NAICS
- Performing Arts Companies (7111), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (71151)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises (BPAGALAO)
Keywords
Where Creative Acts is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Inglewood
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Creative Acts business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, Creative Acts relies on donations from individual donors and grant funding. The organization encourages monthly recurring donors to support ongoing programming.
- Consulting and Training Services: The organization offers consulting, curriculum-building, anti-racism training, in-prison/re-entry program development support, and event curation to other organizations.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Creative Acts product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Creative Acts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses arts and virtual reality to transform justice and healing in carceral systems. It designs and delivers programs such as Art Attacks! (civic engagement curriculum for incarcerated youth), VR Reentry (immersive reentry preparation for adults serving life sentences), Alumni Lab (alumni-led curriculum development), D.O.O.R.S., and fee-based Organizational Trainings on anti-racism and justice.
Product overview
Creative Acts offers a portfolio of programs centered on the revolutionary power of the Arts for transformation in carceral systems. The core offerings include Art Attacks! (civic engagement curriculum for incarcerated youth), VR Reentry (immersive virtual reality for adults preparing for release), Alumni Lab (alumni-driven curriculum development), and Organizational Trainings (arts-based organizational change programs). The organization also runs D.O.O.R.S. programming. These programs are unified by the mission to heal trauma, build community, raise power, and center voices of those impacted by incarceration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Art Attacks!: Arts curriculum for incarcerated youth focused on civic change and voter turnout
- VR Reentry
- Alumni Lab
Products and services
- Art Attacks! Civic engagement curriculum using creative arts for incarcerated youth, designed to build critical thinking, self-expression, and civic awareness.
- VR Reentry Virtual reality-based reentry preparation program that uses immersive VR experiences to help adults serving life sentences build life skills and prepare for post-release life.
- Alumni Lab Alumni-driven program in which formerly incarcerated participants help develop and refine Creative Acts' curriculum and approach.
- D.O.O.R.S. Program supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, associated with Creative Acts' justice and rehabilitation work.
- Organizational Trainings Fee-based consulting, workshops, panels, and keynotes on racism, bias, and justice, delivered to companies, universities, conferences, and other organizations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 96% reduction in in-prison infractions within first year of VR Reentry Program
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Creative Acts
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Creative Acts technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Creative Acts partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and high.
- The WingcorePartnership for community dialogue events with systems-impacted women, focusing on narrative change around incarceration and reentry.
- UCLA Visual & Performing Arts Education ProgramcoreEducational partnership connecting Creative Acts' arts-based programming with UCLA's academic resources.
- LA Mayor's Office Blue Ribbon CommissionminorCreative Acts brought the Power of the Arts to the Mayor's Office Blue Ribbon Commission for criminal justice reform.
- Associated PresshighAssociated Press documented Creative Acts' Arts and Virtual Reality Reentry program at Valley State Prison, creating a video piece that amplifies the organization's work and impact. Coverage by Haven Daley provided significant visibility.
- Valley State PrisoncorePartner facility for Youth Opportunity Program featuring VR and arts programming. Associated Press coverage of programming at this location.
- California Men's Colony (CMC)corePartner facility for VR, Arts and Mental Health programming, including programs in restrictive housing units.
- Central California Women's Facility (CCWF)corePartner facility for Restrictive Housing Unit Virtual Reality Reentry Program.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Creative Acts competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Black & Pink: National nonprofit advocating for LGBTQ+ people who are incarcerated. Overlaps on serving incarcerated populations and centering lived experience, though with an advocacy rather than arts/VR modality.
- BehaVR: VR-based mental health and behavioral health company. Comparable technology modality (immersive VR for mental health outcomes) but operating commercially in clinical settings rather than carceral environments.
Direct peers
- The Fortune Society: New York nonprofit providing reentry services, housing, education, and arts programming for people with justice involvement. Direct overlap on reentry support and arts-in-corrections programming.
- A New Way of Life Reentry Project: Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing housing and reentry support to formerly incarcerated women, with a justice-and-arts orientation. Operates in the same Southern California geography and similar reentry/rehabilitation mission.
- Rehabilitation Through the Arts: Nonprofit that uses theater and other arts to build critical life skills in incarcerated populations in New York state prisons. Most direct comparator — arts-based rehabilitation in carceral settings with measurable participant outcomes.
- Osborne Association: New York-based nonprofit serving people involved in the criminal justice system through reentry, advocacy, and arts programs. Comparable mission and broader service portfolio in correctional and reentry settings.
- Inner-City Arts: Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing arts education to underserved youth. Comparable arts-education mission and LA geography, though focused on community youth rather than incarcerated populations.
- Center for Employment Opportunities: National nonprofit providing immediate employment and reentry services to people returning from incarceration. Comparable reentry mission and measurable-outcomes orientation, though focused on employment rather than arts.
- Anti-Recidivism Coalition: California-based nonprofit supporting formerly incarcerated individuals through advocacy, leadership development, and reentry services. Comparable California footprint and systems-impacted leadership model.
Others
- Justice Arts Coalition: National network of arts-in-corrections programs and practitioners. Ecosystem/peer-network peer rather than direct competitor, but directly relevant to Creative Acts' arts-in-corrections field and partnership opportunities.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Creative Acts social profiles
Digital presenceCreative Acts compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Creative Acts financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Creative Acts leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Creative Acts funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Creative Acts M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Creative Acts
What does Creative Acts do?
Creative Acts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses arts and virtual reality to transform justice and healing in carceral systems. It designs and delivers programs such as Art Attacks! (civic engagement curriculum for incarcerated youth), VR Reentry (immersive reentry preparation for adults serving life sentences), Alumni Lab (alumni-led curriculum development), D.O.O.R.S., and fee-based Organizational Trainings on anti-racism and justice.
Is Creative Acts a public or private company?
Creative Acts is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Creative Acts founded?
Creative Acts was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Creative Acts based?
Creative Acts is headquartered in Inglewood, United States, in the North America region.
How does Creative Acts make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Grants are the primary driver. The others are consulting and Training Services.
Who are Creative Acts's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Black & Pink and BehaVR. Direct peers are The Fortune Society, A New Way of Life Reentry Project, Rehabilitation Through the Arts, Osborne Association, Inner-City Arts, Center for Employment Opportunities and Anti-Recidivism Coalition. Justice Arts Coalition is listed as an others.
Does Creative Acts have an API?
No public API is recorded for Creative Acts.
What industry is Creative Acts in?
Creative Acts's product category is Correctional Rehabilitation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAC, Arts Education & Community Arts Programs, with a secondary code of BPAGALAO, Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises. Its NAICS code is 7111 and its SIC code is 7990.