Just Like You Films
Just Like You Films is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit producing documentary films and VR experiences that share authentic first-person stories about disabilities and chronic conditions. It serves schools, workplaces, healthcare systems, and community organizations through films, the Empathy Engine learning system, and institutional licensing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersPrairie Village, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Just Like You Films does
Just Like You Films (JLYF) is a women-run, 501(c)(3) nonprofit film production company founded in 2009 (originating from a 2006 community fundraiser) and headquartered in Prairie Village, Kansas. JLYF produces documentary films, narrative shorts, and VR experiences that center authentic first-person stories from individuals with disabilities, chronic health conditions, and visible differences — covering subjects such as autism, Down syndrome, cancer, burns, facial anomalies, cleft lip and palate, Type 1 diabetes, anxiety, depression, and food allergies. The organization has produced 12 documentaries and operates sub-brands including May Contain Films (food allergies) and the Empathy Engine (a licensed story-driven learning system that embeds film into organizational training). Films are distributed through AMC Theatres, major VOD platforms (Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube, Vimeo), JLYF's own streaming platform (justlikeyoutv.org), and educational platforms (Kanopy, ClickView, Learn 360).
JLYF's business model is donation- and licensing-driven. Revenue streams include individual donations (one-time tiers from $25 to $20,000 with donor-wall recognition), recurring monthly/annual giving, corporate sponsorships, event-based fundraising (Power of Film gala, Pickleball Classic), limited VOD purchases on select titles, and direct institutional licensing for schools, workplaces, healthcare systems, and community organizations (pricing via contact). Most films are available free for personal viewing, with institutional/group use requiring licensing. The organization is funded through donations, grants, and partnership sponsorships rather than equity investment, and has no parent company or subsidiaries.
The company serves a horizontal cross-section of customers: K-12 schools, workplaces, healthcare providers, community organizations, and families/individuals. Strategic partnerships with major advocacy nonprofits (JDRF, Operation Smile, Phoenix Society, Leukemia Lymphoma Society, Hannah Storm Foundation, Changing Perspectives, UCP) anchor content credibility and audience reach. Operational indicators include 13 employees, a 4-person leadership team, and a cumulative reach claim of 1.2 million people across 320 countries, anchored by awards including Mid-American Emmys, a Gold Anthem Award, and an Oscar-qualified documentary.
Just Like You Films firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Just Like You Films
- Legal name
- Just Like You, Inc.
- Website
- https://justlikeyoufilms.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Just Like You Films is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit producing documentary films and VR experiences that share authentic first-person stories about disabilities and chronic conditions. It serves schools, workplaces, healthcare systems, and community organizations through films, the Empathy Engine learning system, and institutional licensing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Just Like You Films industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Documentary Film Production and Empathy Education
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (51211)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Branded Documentary / Nonfiction (Corporate & NGO) (MPADADAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Branded Documentary & Purpose-Driven Content (MPADAEAJ), Feature-Length Documentaries (MPADADAA)
Keywords
Where Just Like You Films is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Prairie Village
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Just Like You Films business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Donations and Sponsorships: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, JLYF relies on donations from individuals and corporate sponsors. Donation tiers range from $1,000 to $20,000, offering donor wall recognition. Monthly and annual recurring donation options are available.
- Video-on-Demand Sales: Some films like 'Just Like You - Anxiety + Depression' are available for purchase on VOD platforms including Amazon Prime Video ($7.99-$6.99), Apple TV ($9.99-$6.99), Google Play ($9.99-$12.99), and AMC On Demand ($12.99).
- Institutional Licensing: Films licensed alongside workshops, curriculum, and activities for use in schools, workplaces, healthcare systems, and community organizations. Group screenings and facilitated discussions require separate licensing agreements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time | $1,000 Donor Tier - Marquee listing on Donor Wall |
| Other | One time | $2,500 Donor Tier - Grand marquee on Donor Wall |
| Other | One time | $5,000 Donor Tier - Premier marquee on Donor Wall |
| Other | One time | $10,000 Donor Tier - Paramount marquee on Donor Wall |
| Other | One time | $20,000 Donor Tier - Paramount marquee on Donor Wall |
| Subscription | Monthly | Recurring Donations |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | VOD Purchase - Just Like You: Anxiety + Depression |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Just Like You Films product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Just Like You Films is a women-run nonprofit film production company that creates documentary films centered on disabilities, chronic conditions, and differences to stop bullying and foster empathy. The organization licenses its film library alongside workshops, curriculum, and activities to schools, workplaces, healthcare systems, and community organizations, while also offering films free for personal viewing. Its flagship complementary offering, the Empathy Engine, is a licensed learning system that helps organizations embed film-based storytelling into learning, communication, and care environments.
Product overview
Just Like You Films is a Mid-American Emmy award winning women-run nonprofit film production company that creates documentary films to stop bullying and spread empathy through the power of storytelling. The core product is the Just Like You Films Library—a collection of documentary films covering 12 topics including anxiety/depression, diabetes, autism, Down syndrome, cancer, burns, facial anomalies, cleft lip/palate, and food allergies. Films are available for personal viewing at home or licensed with workshops, curriculum, and activities for schools, workplaces, healthcare systems, and community organizations. The Empathy Engine is a complementary licensed system that helps organizations embed these films and storytelling into learning, communication, and care environments. The company also produces feature-length narratives like Rise and Shine about cerebral palsy.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- May Contain Films: A docudrama collection about food allergies featuring 'May Contain: My Life' - a feature-length documentary and immersive VR experience.
- Empathy Engine
Products and services
- Just Like You Films Library A library of 12 documentary films covering disabilities and chronic conditions including autism, Down syndrome, cancer, burns, facial anomalies, cleft lip/palate, Type 1 diabetes, anxiety, depression, and food allergies. Films are available free for personal viewing and licensed with curriculum for schools, workplaces, healthcare systems, and community organizations.
- Empathy Engine A story-driven licensed learning system that helps organizations turn empathy into understanding, connection, and action at scale. Embeds storytelling into learning, communication, and care environments with tools that guide reflection, dialogue, and application over time, designed to live inside institutions.
- Just Like You - Diabetes Award-winning documentary offering an intimate look into the daily lives of four children living with Type 1 diabetes, alongside their closest friends and supporters, including JDRF National Director and Baseball Hall of Famer George Brett.
- Just Like You - Facial Anomalies Mid-American Emmy Nominated and Oscar qualified documentary following four children living with facial anomalies sharing what it is really like to navigate the world socially, emotionally, and physically.
- Just Like You - Anxiety & Depression Documentary featuring 10 brave kids, an Emmy award winning journalist, and a clinical psychologist at Columbia University addressing anxiety disorders and depression to help prevent suicide. Available for purchase on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, and AMC On Demand.
- May Contain Collection Compelling docudrama and short film collection on food allergies featuring children living with food allergies, their mothers, and notable figures including NFL Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis and Disney stars; includes an immersive VR experience.
- Rise and Shine Inaugural feature narrative about Terri, a neurodiverse teenager with cerebral palsy, produced in partnership with Voyage Media and Low Road Films; entered film festival circuit and distribution phase.
- May Contain: My Life Feature-length docudrama about food allergies, part of the May Contain Collection, streaming on justlikeyoutv.org and accompanied by immersive VR and narrative short content.
- The Walk Beside You Promise Short film inviting viewers to take a stand against bullying and exclusion by choosing empathy, understanding, and human connection.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reached over 1.2 million people in 320 countries
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Just Like You Films
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Just Like You Films technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Just Like You Films partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- AMC TheatrescoreMajor theatrical distribution partner for documentary screenings. AMC Cares Foundation has provided funding support for specific productions including 'You're Invited'. JLYF films have premiered at AMC locations, and the partnership coincided with the release of major studio films like 'Wonder' (2017) featuring facial anomaly storylines.
- KanopycoreEducational streaming platform providing JLYF film access to libraries and educational institutions globally, expanding reach to institutional audiences.
- ClickViewminorEducational video platform partner distributing JLYF content to schools for classroom use.
- Learn 360minorEducational streaming platform partner providing JLYF content access to schools and educational institutions.
- JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation)coreNational nonprofit partner collaborating on diabetes awareness. JDRF National Director appears in Just Like You - Diabetes documentary alongside Baseball Hall of Famer George Brett. Partnership supports global efforts to foster understanding and acceptance of Type 1 diabetes through storytelling.
- Operation Smilecore35-year global nonprofit that heals cleft lips and palates worldwide. Dr. Bill Magee, co-founder of Operation Smile, provides medical expertise and guidance for JLYF's cleft lip and palate documentary. Partnership connects JLYF content with Operation Smile's international patient community and medical expertise.
- Phoenix SocietycoreNational nonprofit supporting burn survivors. Partnership emerged from collaboration with burn survivor community; JLYF's Burns documentary addresses real needs identified by child life specialists working with burn survivors.
- Leukemia Lymphoma SocietycoreNational nonprofit partner for blood cancer awareness. Collaboration supports JLYF's cancer documentary and broader cancer awareness initiatives.
- The Hannah Storm FoundationminorNational partner organization focused on media and burn survivor advocacy, supporting JLYF's mission and burn-related content.
- Voyage MediacoreProduction partner for 'Rise and Shine' feature narrative film, working with JLYF on storytelling and distribution.
- Low Road FilmscoreProduction partner for 'Rise and Shine' feature narrative, collaborating on JLYF's first feature film project.
- United Cerebral Palsy (UCP)coreConsulted for authenticity and depth in 'Rise and Shine' production about cerebral palsy. UCP advocates provided respected voices to ensure accurate representation of the cerebral palsy community.
- Changing PerspectivesminorCollaborative partner for the 'Awake to Autism Experience,' presenting weekly videos from documentary stars sharing personal narratives about autism.
- FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education)coreFood allergy nonprofit; Mandi Kearns, JLYF Director of Impact, has worked extensively with FARE and was a food allergy support group founder.
- Elijah-Alavi FoundationminorFeatured in 'May Contain' food allergy collection. Dina Hawthorne shares story of son Elijah who died from severe food allergy reaction; foundation advocates for Elijah's Law requiring allergy-related measures in child care centers.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Just Like You Films competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ro*Co Films: Educational documentary distribution company focused on films for libraries, schools, and community screenings. Comparable in its educational/non-theatrical distribution focus and audience-building approach for nonfiction films.
- Picture Motion: Impact distribution and engagement agency that helps filmmakers reach advocacy audiences through strategic campaigns. Comparable in connecting documentary content to nonprofit and educational distribution channels.
- Working Films: Nonprofit organization that supports documentary impact campaigns and connects films to advocacy organizations. Closely comparable in its bridge between nonprofit documentary content and distribution to community/advocacy audiences.
- Kartemquin Films: Long-established Chicago-based nonprofit documentary production company known for social-issue films like 'Hoop Dreams' and 'The Interrupters.' Highly comparable to JLYF as a mission-driven nonprofit producing documentaries for social impact, with similar grant/donation funding models.
- Vulcan Productions: Philanthropic documentary production company producing feature-length films on social issues (climate, conservation). Comparable as a purpose-driven documentary producer, though with substantially larger budget scale.
Broad incumbents
- Participant Media: Purpose-driven entertainment company producing films, television, and digital content around social issues (e.g., 'An Inconvenient Truth,' 'Green Book'). Comparable in mission-driven content strategy, though Participant operates at significantly larger scale with commercial studio partnerships.
- SoulPancake: Purpose-driven media company producing content focused on kindness, empathy, and human connection. Comparable in empathy/human-stories content strategy, though now operating as a Hallmark company with broader consumer media reach.
- Sesame Workshop: Nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street with extensive autism and disability inclusion programming (e.g., Julia). Comparable as a mission-driven content producer addressing disability and inclusion for educational audiences, though at much larger institutional scale.
- Discovery Education: Major provider of digital content and curriculum for K-12 classrooms, including substantial DEI and character education offerings. Comparable as a channel reaching schools for educational content, though Discovery Education is substantially larger and broader in scope.
Emerging players
- EVERFI: Ed-tech company providing K-12 and corporate training on social-emotional learning, DEI, and character education. Comparable in selling structured empathy/DEI learning content to schools and employers, though as a for-profit scaled business model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Just Like You Films social profiles
Digital presenceJust Like You Films financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Just Like You Films leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Just Like You Films funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Just Like You Films 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 Just Like You Films
What does Just Like You Films do?
Just Like You Films is a women-run nonprofit film production company that creates documentary films centered on disabilities, chronic conditions, and differences to stop bullying and foster empathy. The organization licenses its film library alongside workshops, curriculum, and activities to schools, workplaces, healthcare systems, and community organizations, while also offering films free for personal viewing. Its flagship complementary offering, the Empathy Engine, is a licensed learning system that helps organizations embed film-based storytelling into learning, communication, and care environments.
Is Just Like You Films a public or private company?
Just Like You Films is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Just Like You Films founded?
Just Like You Films was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Just Like You Films based?
Just Like You Films is headquartered in Prairie Village, United States, in the North America region.
How does Just Like You Films make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Sponsorships are the primary driver. The others are video-on-Demand Sales and institutional Licensing.
Who are Just Like You Films's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ro*Co Films, Picture Motion, Working Films, Kartemquin Films and Vulcan Productions. Broad incumbents are Participant Media, SoulPancake, Sesame Workshop and Discovery Education. EVERFI is listed as an emerging player.
Does Just Like You Films have an API?
No public API is recorded for Just Like You Films.
What industry is Just Like You Films in?
Just Like You Films's product category is Documentary Film Production and Empathy Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADADAK, Branded Documentary / Nonfiction (Corporate & NGO), with a secondary code of MPADAEAJ, Branded Documentary & Purpose-Driven Content. Its NAICS code is 51211 and its SIC code is 7812.