Kepler's Literary Foundation

What Kepler's Literary Foundation does

Kepler's Literary Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization founded in 2017 and headquartered at 1010 El Camino Real in Menlo Park, California. The foundation operates a portfolio of literary and cultural programs including live author events, youth events, signature interview series ('This Is Now with Angie Coiro'), local author readings ('Story Is the Thing'), literary seminars, writing workshops, and book clubs (both in-person and virtual). Programming serves literary enthusiasts, youth and families, and aspiring authors through a hybrid of free community events and paid ticketed premier events, workshops, and seminars.

The foundation generates revenue through two primary streams: ticketed event and book sales (paid author events, workshops, book clubs) and donations/charitable contributions from individual supporters. Pricing follows a freemium model — many community programs are free while premium author events, multi-week workshops, and premier events require paid tickets. The go-to-market motion is event-driven, supported by a website (keplers.org), email newsletter, social media, and community partnerships. Distribution is regional (San Francisco Bay Area) with a virtual extension for select book clubs and events via Google Meet, and offsite premier events held at partner venues such as the Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center. The foundation also runs thematic initiatives such as the America 250 Community Reads program and collaborates with the Bay Area Book Festival on the Bay Area Writes workshop series.

The foundation operates with a small team of 5 employees and is governed as an independent nonprofit with no parent company or institutional investment backing. It has no proprietary technology, API, or AI/ML capabilities; the platform stack is consumer-grade (Squarespace website, Google Meet for virtual events, email newsletter). Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. Recent strategic activity centers on expanding programming breadth (writing workshops, signature series), extending distribution via offsite venue and virtual partnerships, and formalizing outcome reporting through an annual impact report.

Name

Kepler's Literary Foundation

Legal name

Kepler's Literary Foundation

Website

https://keplers.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kepler's Literary Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization in Menlo Park, California that hosts author events, writing workshops, book clubs, and youth programs for Bay Area literary enthusiasts, families, and aspiring authors, funded through ticket sales and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Arts & Cultural Programming

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

akta.pro primary industry

Literary Arts & Writing Organizations (BPAGAHAK)

Keywords

• Literary events programming
• Author talks series
• Community book clubs
• Writing workshops education
• Youth literacy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Menlo Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Tickets and Book Sales: Revenue generated through ticket sales for author events, book clubs, and writing workshops, with proceeds supporting the foundation's mission.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the foundation relies on donations and charitable contributions from supporters to fund literary programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kepler's Literary Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization that hosts in-person and virtual literary programming, including author events, youth events, writing workshops, book clubs, literary seminars, and signature interview/readings series. Programs are delivered at its Menlo Park venue and online, with revenue from event tickets, book sales, and charitable donations supporting its nonprofit mission.

Product overview

Kepler's Literary Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization offering a portfolio of literary and cultural programs. The core offering consists of live in-person events featuring celebrated authors, youth programming, and writing workshops held at its Menlo Park, California venue. The program portfolio includes signature series like 'This Is Now with Angie Coiro' (interview format), 'Story Is the Thing' (local author readings), Literary Seminars, Writing Workshops, and Book Clubs (both in-person and virtual). The foundation also runs special initiatives like America 250 Community Reads. Events range from intimate author conversations to large-scale premier events at partner venues, serving audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Events In-person author events, book discussions, and literary programs held at the Kepler's Books venue in Menlo Park, California, featuring celebrated writers, artists, and thinkers. Targeted at general literary enthusiasts and book lovers in the Bay Area.
• Youth Events Literary and cultural programs designed for young readers and children, including workshops and author appearances tailored to youth audiences. Targeted at families and children seeking age-appropriate literary engagement.
• This Is Now with Angie Coiro A signature interview series hosted by Angie Coiro featuring conversations with notable authors and public intellectuals on contemporary issues and current events. Targeted at literary enthusiasts interested in author interviews and cultural discourse.
• Story Is the Thing A reading series featuring local Northern California fiction authors reading from their debut and latest titles, with discussions and book signings. Targeted at readers interested in discovering local authors.
• Literary Seminars In-depth literary programs and seminars exploring specific themes, genres, or bodies of work in collaboration with authors and scholars. Targeted at literary enthusiasts seeking deeper exploration of particular topics.
• Writing Workshops Educational workshops teaching writing skills including personal essay writing, book proposals, and genre-specific techniques for aspiring authors. Targeted at aspiring and established writers seeking professional development.
• Book Clubs Monthly book discussion groups including the Non-Fiction Book Club (meeting virtually via Google Meet) and the Deep Cuts Book Club, covering various literary genres. Targeted at readers seeking community-based book discussions.
• America 250 Community Reads A community reading program celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence, featuring selected books and related events. Targeted at community readers interested in American history and literature.
• Virtual Events Online versions of book club meetings and select author events accessible via Google Meet, allowing remote participation. Targeted at readers and literary enthusiasts outside the immediate Bay Area geographic reach.
• Premier Events Special featured author events with notable speakers, often held at the Kepler's venue or partner locations such as the Menlo-Atherton Performing Arts Center. Targeted at literary enthusiasts seeking high-profile author experiences.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bay Area Book FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for Bay Area Writes writing workshop series. The Bay Area Book Festival and Kepler's Literary Foundation jointly present writing workshops featuring accomplished authors covering various genres including family stories, nature poetry, and travel writing.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• PEN America: National literary and free-expression nonprofit that hosts author events, writing workshops, and literary advocacy. Broader scope than Kepler's, but operates in the same literary-arts nonprofit category and often competes for the same author talent.
• National Book Foundation: National nonprofit that runs literary programming, awards, and author events. Comparable to Kepler's as a literary-arts nonprofit, though at a much larger scale and with primarily awards-driven programming.

Direct peers

• City Lights Bookstore: Iconic San Francisco independent bookstore and literary institution running author readings, events, and community programs. Comparable to Kepler's as a Bay Area literary venue with strong brand recognition.
• The Center for Fiction: New York-based literary nonprofit running author events, writing workshops, book clubs, and awards. Comparable to Kepler's as a literary-arts nonprofit with an event-driven model and similar program mix.
• Bay Area Book Festival: Bay Area literary nonprofit that partners with Kepler's on joint programming; comparable as a regional literary events organization with similar Bay Area audiences and author programming.
• 826 Valencia: San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit dedicated to writing and literacy programs for youth. Comparable to Kepler's youth programming and literary-arts nonprofit mission with shared regional audience.
• Litquake: San Francisco-based literary nonprofit running the annual Litquake festival and year-round author events. Directly comparable as a Bay Area literary arts organization with identical mission and event-driven model.
• Book Passage: Independent Bay Area bookstore that hosts an extensive calendar of author events, writing workshops, and book clubs. Direct competitor for the same audience and author appearances, with overlapping event-driven mission.

Others

• Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP): National nonprofit service organization supporting independent literary publishers and literary organizations. Comparable to Kepler's as a literary-arts nonprofit, but focused on capacity-building rather than direct audience programming.

Regional players

• Green Apple Books: Independent San Francisco bookstore hosting author events and literary programming. Comparable to Kepler's as a Bay Area literary venue, though operates primarily as a bookstore rather than a nonprofit foundation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kepler-s-literary-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Kepler's Literary Foundation