DIVAS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE INC

What DIVAS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE INC does

DIVAS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE INC is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2008 by Clarisa James and Sha Sha Feng, headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, with a satellite makerspace opened in South Minneapolis in June 2024. The organization delivers free and sliding-scale STEAM-based after-school programming, community mapping projects, and makerspace access to youth ages 8-18 in underserved communities across Central Brooklyn, Southeast Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, and South Minneapolis. Core offerings include the STEAM for Social Change after-school program, the Forward Social Justice Makerspace, the Imaging Ourselves photography curriculum, the Anti-Gun Violence Asset Mapping Project, the Black Homeownership Project, the My Sister's Keeper mobile app, the Laurelton.nyc civic engagement platform, and the upcoming CAMP SEE summer program.

The underlying technology stack comprises consumer and prosumer creative tools—digital photography equipment, Adobe Photoshop, VR/AR hardware, 3D printers, laser cutters, sewing machines, videography gear, and open-source mapping tools (Google Drive, Jamboard)—deployed through community co-designed makerspaces and school- and NYCHA-based after-school sites. The My Sister's Keeper mobile app represents the organization's primary software product, available on iOS and Android. Programmatic output includes interactive multimedia maps, short films, augmented reality exhibits, and participatory design artifacts co-created by youth participants.

The organization's business model is nonprofit grant-and-donation funded: revenues derive from individual donations via PayPal, foundation and corporate grants (Verizon Foundation, Con Edison, Pinkerton Foundation, ABNY Foundation, Open Meadows Foundation, Aim High/New York Life Foundation, Ben & Jerry's Foundation, Gilder Lehrman Institute), and government contracts via NYC DYCD Cornerstone and discretionary council funding. All youth-facing programming is free; makerspace and summer camp access use free or sliding-scale memberships. The customer base is mission-aligned youth participants and institutional partners (schools, NYCHA, charter schools), with no paying enterprise customers.

Name

DIVAS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE INC

Legal name

DIVAS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE INC

Website

https://divasforsocialjustice.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DIVAS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE INC is a Brooklyn-based 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2008 that delivers free STEAM education, makerspace access, and community mapping projects to youth ages 8-18 in underserved NYC and Minneapolis communities, funded primarily by foundation and government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education and Community Development Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM), Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises (BPAGALAO)

Keywords

• Youth education programs
• STEAM after-school programs
• Community makerspace services
• Social justice education
• Nonprofit youth services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: DIVAS is a 501c3 non-profit organization that accepts monetary donations via PayPal and equipment donations from individuals and organizations.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Funding from foundations including Verizon Foundation, ABNY Foundation, Pinkerton Foundation, Con Edison, Aim High/New York Life Foundation, and others. Grants fund specific programs such as the Anti-Gun Violence Asset Mapping Project and STEAM programming.
3. Government Grants and Contracts: Funding from city agencies including the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), Department of Cultural Affairs, and discretionary funding from NYC council members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DIVAS for Social Justice is a 501c3 nonprofit that delivers free and sliding-scale STEAM-based after-school programming, multimedia storytelling projects, community asset mapping, makerspace access, and mobile applications to youth (ages 8-18) in underserved communities across Central Brooklyn, Southeast Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, and South Minneapolis. Programming integrates digital photography, Adobe Photoshop, virtual reality, 3D printing, laser cutting, robotics, coding, and community mapping tools to empower youth to address social justice issues in their neighborhoods.

Product overview

DIVAS for Social Justice is a grassroots community organization that offers a portfolio of educational programs and technology-focused initiatives for youth in underserved NYC communities. The core offerings include STEAM for Social Change as the primary after-school program, supplemented by specialized programs like Imaging Ourselves (photography), Through My Lens (documentary), and DIBS (inter-generational business development). The organization also operates community-focused projects including the Anti-Gun Violence Asset Mapping Project, Black Homeownership Project, My Sister's Keeper mobile app, the Forward Social Justice Maker Space, Garden of Resilience, and the Laurelton.nyc citizen journalism platform. Additional initiatives include the Making Space For Justice documentary and CAMP SEE summer program. Together these programs provide technology training, media arts education, and community engagement opportunities using digital tools including photography, VR/AR, 3D printing, and interactive mapping.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• STEAM for Social Change After-school program that trains youth in creating social action projects through technology training in digital media, robotics, coding, and 3D printing, encouraging critical thinking to address community problems. Targets youth in underserved NYC communities.
• Imaging Ourselves 8-week program teaching young women in underserved communities the fundamentals of digital photography and Adobe Photoshop, using examples of how images of women of color are manipulated in media. Designed to foster media literacy and self-representation.
• Through My Lens 10-week workshop training young women in media literacy and documentary production skills, covering pitch development, camera technique, sound, editing, and shooting on location. Developed in collaboration with Brooklyn Young Mothers Collective.
• DIBS (Digital Inter-Generational Bridges to Success)

Quantifiable outcome

• Youth demonstrate improved academic performance in reading and math through STEM program participation.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, notable and minor.

• Center for NYC NeighborhoodscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Center for NYC Neighborhoods partnered with DIVAS for Social Justice and ABNY Foundation to launch the Black Housing Project, a collaborative youth-led multimedia storytelling project highlighting Black homeownership across NYC.
• NYCHA (New York City Housing Authority)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYCHA facilitated the Anti-Gun Violence Asset Mapping Project through its Public Private Partnerships department, providing community center space for DIVAS programming and acting as liaison between DIVAS and DYCD.
• Cooper UnionnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Black Housing Project exhibit was displayed at Cooper Union. DIVAS also partnered with Cooper Union Summer STEM First Service Scholars program in 2022.
• New York University (NYU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Kayla DesPortes from NYU's Human Computer Interaction and Learning Sciences developed the pilot curriculum for the Anti-Gun Violence Asset Mapping Project with DIVAS. NYU students collaborated on transforming DIVAS's storefront into a social justice maker space.
• ManderfilmnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerManderfilm produced the documentary 'Making Space For Justice' directed by Emily Gallagher, chronicling the 16-year journey of DIVAS for Social Justice.
• Urban Design PerspectivesnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban Design Perspectives partnered with DIVAS for Social Justice to present Camp SEE (Summer of Exploration & Empowerment), a community design and architecture program for youth ages 9-14 in South Minneapolis.
• BetaNYCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDIVAS partnered with BetaNYC to host a Mapping 4 Equity Workshop at the makerspace, providing free community education on mapping and civic technology tools.
• Operation Clean UpnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperation Clean Up collaborated with DIVAS for Social Justice and local elected officials to establish the Garden of Resilience community garden in an abandoned lot in Springfield Gardens.
• Mayor's Office of Technology and Innovation (NYC)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerDIVAS for Social Justice is a community partner with the Mayor's Office of Technology and Innovation to power Laurelton.nyc, an online platform for civic engagement and inter-generational citizen journalism.
• Historic Coliseum (Minneapolis)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Historic Coliseum Building in South Minneapolis serves as the location for DIVAS's satellite makerspace and future Democracy Center, with DIVAS participating in its grand opening on Juneteenth 2024.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• BetaNYC: NYC civic technology community organization that partnered with DIVAS on the Mapping 4 Equity Workshop; comparable as a local civic-tech/mapping peer and an ecosystem collaborator rather than direct service competitor.

Direct peers

• DreamYard: Bronx-based arts and social justice education nonprofit serving NYC youth through in-school and after-school programming, community exhibitions, and youth-led social action projects - directly comparable to DIVAS's STEAM for Social Change and community-mapping model.
• All Star Code: NYC-based nonprofit preparing young men of color for careers in technology through coding, entrepreneurship, and mentorship - closely comparable in mission (closing the tech access gap for underserved NYC youth) and target demographic.
• The Knowledge House: Bronx-based nonprofit delivering technology training and career pathways to underserved young adults in NYC - closely comparable in target population, geography, and STEAM/careers-for-underrepresented-youth focus.
• Beam Center: NYC nonprofit running hands-on maker, engineering, and arts programs for young people, including dedicated maker spaces - directly comparable to DIVAS's Forward makerspace and youth STEAM pedagogy.
• Black Girls Code: National nonprofit providing Black girls with STEAM and coding education - directly comparable to DIVAS's original 'Imaging Ourselves' and STEAM for Social Change programs focused on girls/young women of color in technology.
• Global Kids: NYC nonprofit developing youth leaders through civic engagement, global education, and media/tech programs - directly comparable to DIVAS's civic-tech, anti-gun violence mapping, and citizen journalism work.
• Mouse (formerly Mouse.org): National youth tech empowerment nonprofit that combines design, coding, and maker programs with a strong NYC presence - comparable in STEAM curriculum, school-based delivery model, and youth-of-color focus.

Broad incumbents

• Citizen Schools: National nonprofit providing expanded learning time, STEM apprenticeships, and career exposure for underserved middle schoolers - comparable in underserved-youth STEAM focus but operates at a much larger, national scale.
• Maker Ed: National nonprofit advancing maker education across K-12 settings; not NYC-based but operates as a broader umbrella in the same social-justice-tinged maker education space DIVAS occupies with its Forward makerspace.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVl3vhmXv3DW3sEdAIfYAgw
• Facebookfacebook.com/divasforsocialjustice
• Instagraminstagram.com/divasforsocialjustice/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/divas-for-social-justice-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DIVAS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE INC