Da Poetry Lounge

What Da Poetry Lounge does

Da Poetry Lounge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization headquartered in Los Angeles, California, founded in 1996 as "Dante's Living Room" and operating continuously for over 28 years. The organization produces weekly live spoken-word and poetry events, including a Tuesday open mic night, a 3rd-Tuesday competitive slam night with cash prizes, and a 5th-Tuesday Women+ Femmes Night, held at physical venues across Los Angeles (ASTRO DTLA, Ora Cafe Leimert Park, and Ora Cafe Fairfax), with a new permanent DTLA location at 430 Colyton St slated for 2026. The organization self-describes as the nation's largest weekly open mic platform and serves poets, spoken word artists, youth, emerging creatives, and community supporters.

The underlying technology stack is minimal by design: Da Poetry Lounge delivers an in-person live experience with no proprietary software, mobile app, or digital product. Operational infrastructure consists of a website (dapoetrylounge.com) for event information and reservations, the TicketSource ticketing integration for seat reservations, and payment integrations with CashApp, PayPal, and Venmo for donations. The platform architecture is therefore a lightweight community-organization stack rather than a technology product.

The revenue model is a hybrid of earned event income and charitable contributions. Earned revenue is generated through pay-at-the-door admission fees for open mic, slam, and special events. The second stream is tax-deductible donations collected across CashApp, PayPal, and Venmo, supplemented by a structured fundraising campaign hosted on GiveButter to expand staff capacity and community programming. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on word-of-mouth, the personal networks of its host roster (which includes a former NYC Youth Poet Laureate, NY Times 30 Under 30 honoree, two-time National Poetry Slam finalist, and published authors), and habitual attendance built through weekly recurring programming. There is no disclosed revenue figure and no equity funding; the organization is governed by a board and led by an executive director.

Name

Da Poetry Lounge

Legal name

Da Poetry Lounge Co.

Website

https://dapoetrylounge.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Da Poetry Lounge is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates the nation's largest weekly open mic platform, hosting weekly poetry events, slam competitions, and Women+ Femmes nights for spoken word artists and community members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Spoken Word Poetry Events

NAICS

Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Spoken Word & Performance Poetry Workshops (EDAMAMAM)

Keywords

• Spoken word events
• Poetry open mic
• Poetry slam competitions
• Live performance venue
• Nonprofit arts programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Admission: Pay-at-the-door admission fees for open mic nights, slam competitions, and special events like Women+ Femmes nights. Covers venue costs and supports operational sustainability.
2. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible donations through CashApp, PayPal, and Venmo platforms. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, contributions support core operations, weekly events, educational programming, and community initiatives.
3. Fundraising Campaign: Dedicated fundraising campaign supporting operational infrastructure, staff capacity expansion, and enhanced community programming initiatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Da Poetry Lounge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates the nation's largest weekly open mic platform, hosting weekly spoken word poetry events (Open Mic Night every Tuesday), competitive poetry slams with cash prizes (every 3rd Tuesday), and inclusive Women+ Femmes nights (every 5th Tuesday) at live venues in Los Angeles. Revenue is generated through pay-at-the-door event admissions and tax-deductible donations supporting community programming, educational outreach, and operational sustainability.

Product overview

Da Poetry Lounge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization offering live performance events, primarily centered on spoken word poetry. The core product portfolio includes Open Mic Night (weekly every Tuesday), Slam Night (competitive poetry slams every 3rd Tuesday with cash prizes), and Women+ Femmes Night (inclusive events every 5th Tuesday). The organization also operates a Donation Program accepting contributions via CashApp, PayPal, and Venmo to fund general operations, educational programming, and community initiatives. Founded in 1996 as Dante's Living Room, the organization has evolved from intimate living room gatherings to a premier Los Angeles poetry venue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Open Mic Night Weekly spoken word open mic event held every Tuesday from 9pm-11pm at the ASTRO DTLA venue (430 Colyton St, Los Angeles), offering walk-up stage entry to all poets and performers, with cozy seating on pillows and rugs in an inclusive living-room-style atmosphere.
• Slam Night Competitive poetry slam event held every 3rd Tuesday at the ASTRO DTLA venue, featuring cash prizes and serving as a qualifier pathway for regional and national poetry slam competitions.
• Women+ Femmes Night Open mic event held every 5th Tuesday specifically welcoming women and femme performers, providing a safe, inclusive, and empowering performance space at the DTLA venue.
• Donation Program General operating support program accepting tax-deductible donations via CashApp, PayPal, Venmo, and a Givebutter fundraising page to sustain weekly open mic events, educational programming, and community initiatives.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Poetry Foundation: Major national poetry nonprofit publisher of Poetry magazine and poetry programs. Comparable as a nonprofit supporting poetry community and programming, but operates at a much larger, broader institutional scale with publishing rather than live event focus.

Emerging players

• Youth Speaks: National spoken word and youth literary arts nonprofit where Executive Director Jasmine Williams previously worked as a producer. Comparable nonprofit spoken word mission with explicit focus on youth voices and educational programming.
• Street Poets, Inc. LA nonprofit serving juvenile justice-involved youth through poetry and mentorship, where Da Poetry Lounge hosts Matthew Hernandez (Director of Camp Programming) and Alyesha Wise (Director of Programming) work. Comparable nonprofit spoken word mission with strong overlap in team and community.
• Button Poetry: Performance poetry media company with spoken word stage productions, video publishing, and a national touring competition. Comparable as a spoken word brand with audience development, but distributes via digital/recorded video rather than weekly community open mic.
• Get Lit Words Ignite: Los Angeles-based youth spoken word and literacy nonprofit where Da Poetry Lounge host Jaziyyah 'Blu' Higgins serves as Head of Talent and Performance. Directly comparable mission, overlapping LA community, and youth-focused programming that complements Da Poetry Lounge's open mic.

Regional players

• Mass Poetry: Massachusetts-based poetry organization running readings, festivals, and youth programs. Comparable nonprofit spoken word/community poetry mission but operates regionally in New England rather than LA.
• Split This Rock: DC-based poetry nonprofit using spoken word for social justice, running festivals and poetry programming. Comparable mission-driven spoken word nonprofit but based in a different geographic market.

Others

• Greenway Court Theatre: LA intimate theater where Da Poetry Lounge has historically programmed open mic events. Comparable as a small LA live arts venue, but functions primarily as a partner/host rather than a direct spoken word competitor.

Direct peers

• Bowery Poetry Club: NYC spoken word venue and slam series, formerly curated by Da Poetry Lounge's current host Ashley August. Operates the same open mic + slam format that defines Da Poetry Lounge and serves the same spoken word community.
• Nuyorican Poets Cafe: Iconic NYC live spoken word and slam poetry venue running open mics, slams, and poetry programming. Directly comparable to Da Poetry Lounge as a long-running, weekly community-driven spoken word institution with a city-level reputation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/da-poetry-lounge

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Da Poetry Lounge