OPAWL - Building AAPI Feminist Leadership

What OPAWL - Building AAPI Feminist Leadership does

OPAWL - Building AAPI Feminist Leadership is a grassroots member-led nonprofit community organization founded in 2016 in Central Ohio under its original name "Ohio Progressive Asian Women's Leadership." It organizes to elevate the voices, visibility, and progressive leadership of Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women, nonbinary, and trans people across Ohio through four primary levers: community building, art and storytelling, political education, and organizing campaigns. The organization operates four Ohio regional hubs (Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, Cleveland) supplemented by an online membership community, and runs a portfolio of programs including the Facilitation for Liberation Fellowship (F4L), the Dear World Podcast (Spotify/Anchor/Verge.FM), QuaranZINE: Pandemic Stories, the #IWillEatWithYou community care campaign, Feminist Grounding healing practice, Writer's Circle, the Love Has No Borders immigration storytelling initiative, and the Educating for Ohio's Future campaign supporting House Bill 171.

Name

OPAWL - Building AAPI Feminist Leadership

Legal name

OPAWL

Website

https://opawl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

OPAWL - Building AAPI Feminist Leadership is a grassroots member-led nonprofit founded in 2016 in Ohio that organizes AAPI women, nonbinary, and trans people across the state through community building, political education, art and storytelling, and social-justice campaigns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Advocacy & Social Justice Organizing

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Individual and Family Services (6241), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Emotional Regulation Programs (EDAMAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Engagement & Caregiver Support Programs (SEL/Mental Health) (EDAKAMAK), Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Life Skills Trade (EDAGAIAH), Cultural, Multilingual & Immigrant Family Engagement Programs (EDACALAL)

Keywords

• Community organizing
• Social justice advocacy
• Political education
• Grassroots nonprofit
• AAPI feminist leadership

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

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, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: The organization accepts donations through Network for Good and merchandise sales. Membership is free for qualifying individuals (AAPI women, nonbinary, and trans people who commit to the mission and values).
2. Grants and Fiscal Sponsorship: OPAWL currently has a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor relationship with Center for Empowered Politics Education Fund. The organization receives grant funding for various programs including the George Gund Foundation support for the Facilitation for Liberation Fellowship.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

OPAWL is a grassroots member-led nonprofit community organization that delivers community building, political education, art and storytelling, and organizing campaign programs for Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women, nonbinary, and trans people across Ohio. Its portfolio includes the Facilitation for Liberation Fellowship (F4L) political education training, the Dear World Podcast, QuaranZINE publication, Feminist Grounding community healing practice, Writer's Circle, and advocacy campaigns such as Love Has No Borders and Educating for Ohio's Future.

Product overview

OPAWL - Building AAPI Feminist Leadership is a grassroots member-led community organization that offers a portfolio of programs for AAPI women, nonbinary, and trans people in Ohio. The core offerings include community healing programs (Feminist Grounding, Writer's Circle), advocacy campaigns (Love Has No Borders immigration storytelling, Educating for Ohio's Future), media productions (Dear World Podcast, QuaranZINE), and the Facilitation for Liberation Fellowship for political education. Programs serve members across regional hubs in Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Cleveland plus an online community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dear World Podcast: A podcast/radio show co-hosted by Balpreet Kaur and Tessa Xuan, featuring AAPI women and nonbinary/trans folks sharing real stories about living in the intersections of culture, gender, sexuality, geography, time, class and experience.
• QuaranZINE
• Facilitation for Liberation Fellowship (F4L)
• #IWillEatWithYou
• Feminist Grounding
• Writer's Circle
• Educating for Ohio's Future
• Love Has No Borders

Products and services

• Facilitation for Liberation Fellowship (F4L) A political education training series that trains AAPI Ohioans to become grassroots political educators, teaching principles of popular education and transformative facilitation techniques. Fellows receive stipends and micro-grants to run independent workshops in their communities.
• Dear World Podcast A podcast and radio show co-hosted by Balpreet Kaur and Tessa Xuan featuring AAPI women and nonbinary/trans folks sharing personal stories about living at the intersections of culture, gender, sexuality, geography, class, and experience.
• QuaranZINE: Pandemic Stories A digital zine featuring visual, auditory, and written art from over 40 women and non-binary/trans creatives of color in Ohio and beyond, exploring themes of the pandemic, mass protests for justice, and community building and advocacy in 2020.
• #IWillEatWithYou Campaign A community care campaign launched during the COVID-19 pandemic that has evolved into online solidarity dinner discussions supporting local BIPOC-owned restaurants and addressing COVID-related racism.
• Love Has No Borders A digital storytelling campaign that uplifts Ohio and Midwestern immigration narratives through photography, video, podcast episodes, personal essays, and poetry to shift public support for comprehensive immigration reform.
• Educating for Ohio's Future A coalition campaign advocating for House Bill 171 to update Ohio's K-12 social studies curriculum to reflect the diverse backgrounds and histories of all Ohioans.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached 27,000+ individuals organically through {in}VISIBLE campaign storytelling
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Value Our Families CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOPAWL is part of the Value Our Families coalition advocating for family immigration system protection and reform. The coalition provides financial support and policy advocacy for the Love Has No Borders campaign.
• Asian Law CaucusmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOPAWL and Asian Law Caucus joined together in November 2024 to decry Ohio voter suppression tactics and support AANHPI communities in casting their ballots. Asian Law Caucus provides legal expertise and advocacy support.
• Honesty for Ohio EducationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead coalition partner in the Educating for Ohio's Future campaign advocating for updated K-12 social studies curriculum.
• CAIR-OhiomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in the Educating for Ohio's Future campaign for educational equity.
• Young Latino NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in the Educating for Ohio's Future campaign for educational equity.
• The Freedom BLOCmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in the Educating for Ohio's Future campaign for educational equity.
• Ohio VoiceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborated on paid digital advertising for the {in}VISIBLE Census 2020 campaign, making 274,000+ impressions on additional viewers.
• Hyphenate, LLCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCreative agency that built OPAWL's website and developed the Love Has No Borders digital gallery. Contact: Tan Nguyen.
• NAKASECminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministered grant funding to OPAWL for the Love Has No Borders campaign through the Value Our Families coalition.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Faith Choice Ohio: Ohio-based progressive advocacy organization led by OPAWL Board Chair Elaina Ramsey. Operates an analogous member-and-coalition-driven organizing model in Ohio around religion and reproductive justice, intersecting with OPAWL's coalition.
• Asian Law Caucus: Legal advocacy organization advancing AAPI civil rights through litigation and policy. Co-litigated the 2024 Ohio foreign-donation lawsuit with OPAWL, and operates a comparable AAPI advocacy model combining legal, policy, and community organizing.
• CAIR-Ohio: Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Coalition partner in the Educating for Ohio's Future campaign and operates a comparable community-advocacy model serving a marginalized Ohio constituency.
• NAKASEC: National Korean American civil rights organization with grassroots chapters in multiple states. Already an active OPAWL partner (administers Love Has No Borders grant funding) and runs a comparable community-organizing model with civic engagement and immigrant rights focus.
• APIAVote: National AAPI civic engagement organization focused on voter mobilization and political participation. Directly comparable to OPAWL's civic engagement organizer role, voter suppression advocacy, and Ohio-based voter engagement campaigns.
• Ohio Voice: Ohio statewide civic engagement coalition. Already a paid-media partner on OPAWL's {in}VISIBLE campaign (274K+ impressions) and operates a comparable voter engagement and AAPI-inclusive organizing model across Ohio.

Broad incumbents

• National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF): The leading national AAPI women's advocacy organization focused on reproductive rights, economic justice, and immigrant rights. Directly comparable to OPAWL's intersectional AAPI feminist framing and community-organizing model, though operating nationally rather than at state level.
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice: National AAPI civil rights organization offering advocacy, policy, and litigation across multiple AAPI subpopulations. Comparable to OPAWL as both operate at the intersection of AAPI identity, civil rights, and policy advocacy, though AAJC operates nationally and at significantly larger scale.

Regional players

• CAA (Council on Asian-American Affairs) - Ohio: Ohio-based AAPI advocacy organizations sharing OPAWL's statewide operating geography and constituent base. Comparable as fellow Ohio-focused AAPI community organizations with overlapping coalition membership.

Emerging players

• AAPI Women Lead: National nonprofit elevating AAPI women and girls through storytelling and advocacy. Closely comparable to OPAWL's intersectional feminist, art-and-storytelling-driven model and the QuaranZINE/Dear World approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/teamopawl
• Instagraminstagram.com/teamopawl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/opawl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 OPAWL - Building AAPI Feminist Leadership