What SOZO IMPACT does

SOZO Impact Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit international contemporary arts agency and incubator founded in 2015 by Rika Iino and headquartered in Oakland, California, with additional offices in New York and Los Angeles. The organization operates a trio of related entities — Sozo Artists (artist roster), SOZO Impact (nonprofit incubator for BIPOC artists), and SOZO Vision (institutional consultancy) — and runs two primary service lines: SOZO+, which delivers creative producing and curatorial advisory services to Fortune 100 companies, major universities, and cultural institutions, and the SOZO Fellowship, an annual coaching program for mid-career independent artists built on the APEC (Artists & Producers as Entrepreneurs and Changemakers) framework. Its revenue model combines foundation grants (Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Ford Foundation) with bespoke professional services fees for creative producing and curatorial engagements; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.

SOZO's portfolio spans dance, music, spoken word, theater, and new media, with notable productions including The Dream Machine Experience at Lincoln Center (9,000+ attendees, June 2024), multiple Apollo Theater commissions (Redemption Too, At Least Some, Snakehips In Our DNA), and Carnegie Hall commissions (The Just and The Blind). Marquee enterprise and institutional clients include Google, Apple, Disney, Hulu, BMW, Adidas, Lululemon, TED, National Geographic, Red Bull, and Yale University. The organization also develops technology-mediated immersive works incorporating AR, VR, AI, and generative systems, such as VOICE GEMS (voice-to-gemstone AI), OMNI-VOICE, DÖKK, and the fuse* WORKS installation series.

In January 2026, internationally renowned cultural strategist and TED Global Fellow Marc Bamuthi Joseph joined SOZO as Chief of Impact, formalizing the organization's evolution into a cultural impact hub. SOZO's distribution is direct enterprise and institutional sales supplemented by earned media around high-profile productions, and its Fellowship program serves as a community-building engine with 900+ applications received across three years and 34 fellows selected.

Name

SOZO IMPACT

Legal name

SOZO Impact Inc.

Website

https://sozomedia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SOZO Impact Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts agency and incubator that delivers creative producing and curatorial advisory services to Fortune 100 companies, universities, and cultural institutions while running a fellowship program for mid-career independent artists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Creative Producing Services: SOZO provides creative producing services ranging from tackling single aspects of larger projects to overseeing the entire lifespan from concept to execution. Services include vision development, project management, team coordination, fundraising, contract negotiation, engagement strategies, problem-solving, and sustainability focus.
2. Curatorial Advisory Services: SOZO+ offers curatorial advisory services to Fortune 100 companies, major universities, and cultural organizations, providing thought partnership for immersive experiences, workshops, corporate offsites, and retreats.
3. SOZO Fellowship Program: A coaching program for mid-career independent artists providing sustainability and entrepreneurship training, with a $1,500 honorarium paid to each Fellow for full participation. Funded through foundation support from Mellon Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SOZO is an international contemporary arts agency and incubator offering creative producing services (concept-to-execution project management, fundraising, contract negotiation), curatorial advisory through its SOZO+ division (bespoke immersive experiences, workshops, corporate offsites for Fortune 100 companies, universities, and cultural organizations), and the SOZO Fellowship coaching program (sustainability and entrepreneurship training for mid-career independent artists using the APEC framework).

Product overview

SOZO is an international contemporary arts agency and incubator operating at the intersection of social impact, innovation, and culture. The organization offers a portfolio of products including: SOZO Fellowship (a coaching program for mid-career independent artists), SOZO+ (creative producing and curatorial advisory services), and Sozo Artists (a roster of innovative artists). Their technology-driven projects include VOICE GEMS (AI-powered voice-to-gemstone visualization), OMNI-VOICE (voice data and AI-driven performance installation), The Dream Machine Experience (Mixed Reality VR/AR/AI experience), and fuse* WORKS installations (generative AI and data-driven audiovisual experiences). Projects span dance, music, spoken word, new media, theater, and immersive technology across global venues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SOZO Fellowship: A groundbreaking coaching program designed to equip full-time working, mid-career independent artists with sustainability and entrepreneurship training using the APEC (Artists and Producers as Entrepreneurs and Changemakers) framework.
• SOZO+

Products and services

• SOZO Fellowship A coaching program equipping full-time working, mid-career independent artists with sustainability and entrepreneurship training using the Artists & Producers as Entrepreneurs and Changemakers (APEC) framework. Each Fellow receives a $1,500 honorarium for full participation. Funded by the Mellon Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts.
• SOZO+ Creative and impact producing and curatorial advisory services that elevate experiences for institutions, civic, corporate, and private entities through tailored producing and curatorial partnerships. Serves Fortune 100 companies, major universities, and cultural organizations.
• Creative Producing Services Full-spectrum creative producing services ranging from single aspects of larger projects to overseeing the entire lifespan from concept to execution. Includes vision development, project management, team coordination, fundraising, contract negotiation, engagement strategies, problem-solving, and sustainability focus.
• Sozo Artists A dynamic roster of artists in dance, music, spoken word, new media, and film focused on innovation and social justice, providing artist representation and producing partnership support.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 9,000 attendees at Dream Machine Experience at Lincoln Center
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability12 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lincoln CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2024SOZO co-produced The Dream Machine Experience with Nona Hendryx at Lincoln Center, June 12-30, 2024. The mixed reality experience combining AR, VR, AI, and Afro-Futurism drew over 9,000 attendees.
• Nona HendryxcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Creator of The Dream Machine Experience, with SOZO as co-producer. The mixed reality experience combines music, AR, VR, AI, and Afro-Futurist art featuring collaborators including Mickalene Thomas, George Clinton, Laurie Anderson, Carrie Mae Weems, and Vernon Reid.
• PROTOTYPE: Opera | Theatre | NowcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 January 2023Commissioning, developing, and producing partner for The All Sing: HERE LIES JOY, co-created by DBR and Marc Bamuthi Joseph, premiered in Times Square January 2023.
• Apollo TheatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioning partner for multiple SOZO-produced works including Redemption Too, At Least Some (with Bandaloop and DBR) and Snakehips In Our DNA. Part of Apollo New Works initiative funded by Ford Foundation.
• Creative & Independent Producers Alliance (CIPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork established in 2020 to support artist-driven works by independent producers. SOZO Founder Rika Iino is among early members.
• Sozo ArtistscoreOthersOne of three SOZO companies - a dynamic roster of artists in dance, music, spoken word, new media and film focused on innovation and social justice.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• MASS MoCA: Large contemporary art museum and commissioning institution that incubates large-scale artist projects and cultural productions. Comparable in producing ambitious multi-disciplinary cultural work, but at significantly larger scale and broader arts scope.
• The Shed: NYC cultural institution commissioning original art across disciplines including tech-enabled and immersive work. Comparable in producing boundary-pushing commissioned work for major partners, but at much larger institutional scale than SOZO.
• Sundance Institute: Large established artist incubator supporting independent film, theater, and media makers through labs, fellowships, and residencies. Comparable as a higher-profile artist development institution but at much larger scale and broader scope.

Direct peers

• Creative Time: Nonprofit public art and curatorial organization that commissions and produces artist projects with institutions and civic partners. Highly comparable to SOZO's model of producing ambitious artistic commissions for cultural institutions and corporate partners.
• National Performance Network (NPN): National network of performing arts presenters, producers, and artists supporting contemporary performance. Comparable in providing producing infrastructure and partnership pathways for independent performing artists, including BIPOC-focused programs.
• Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC): NYC-based arts nonprofit that provides grants, residencies, and workspace to artists and arts organizations. Comparable as an arts support institution with residency/grant programs and cultural partnership work.
• The Laundromat Project: Nonprofit that creates community-based art and cultural engagement programs with BIPOC artists. Comparable as a smaller-scale arts nonprofit focused on equity, creative practice, and community impact.
• Pentacle: Nonprofit dance and performing arts management organization providing administrative support, fiscal sponsorship, and producing services to independent dance artists. Directly comparable model of providing infrastructure to independent performing artists.
• New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA): Nonprofit that supports working artists and arts organizations across disciplines through grants, programs, and resources. Closely comparable mission and operating model to SOZO's fellowship and artist development work.
• Creative & Independent Producers Alliance (CIPA): Network founded in 2020 to support artist-driven works by independent producers; SOZO founder Rika Iino is an early member. Direct peer in the independent creative producing ecosystem that SOZO operates within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sozoimpact

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 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 SOZO IMPACT