threads Magazine

What threads Magazine does

threads Magazine is a student-run publication at the University of California, Berkeley, founded in 2017 and operating as a non-profit student organization. It functions as UC Berkeley's self-described "premiere Muslim publication," producing an annual print issue each spring (with the 26th issue released in 2024 and a Spring 2026 issue in production) alongside a continuous stream of web-based articles, essays, poetry, and photography. The publication is organized around a 7-person student board (Creative Director, Design & Layout Editor, Print Editor, Web Editor, Finance & Logistics Director, Marketing & Social Media Director, and Internal Affairs Director) and a broader volunteer staff of student writers, photographers, designers, and artists.

The publication's core product is editorial content centered on underrepresented Muslim voices and taboo social topics including sexual violence, mental health, Islamophobia, identity, and political issues. Content is distributed through three channels: an annual print magazine distributed on and around the UC Berkeley campus, a continuously updated website (threadsatcal.org), and a historical digital archive hosted on Issuu. The technology stack is minimal and conventional: a website, social media (Instagram and others), Canva for design, and Slack/email for internal communications. The publication also runs community-engagement programming such as "Threads Cafe" writing workshops and participates in regional MSA West events.

threads Magazine's business model is non-commercial. The organization is funded through UC Berkeley student fees and community fundraising, and does not publicly disclose pricing, advertising rates, or subscription fees. There are no funding rounds, parent companies, or institutional investors. The publication has no API, no proprietary software product, and no disclosed revenue. Operating geography is primarily Berkeley, California, with the digital web and Issuu channels providing a global secondary audience.

Name

threads Magazine

Legal name

threads Magazine

Website

https://threadsatcal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

threads Magazine is a student-run, non-profit Muslim publication at UC Berkeley producing an annual print issue and continuous web content focused on underrepresented voices, social issues, and identity within Muslim communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Publication

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Fiction & Inspirational Literature Publishing (MPAJAHAF), Online & Hybrid Creative Writing Workshops (EDAMAMAL)

Keywords

• Student publication
• Cultural magazine
• Print journalism
• Digital storytelling
• Community media

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

threads Magazine is a student-run publication at UC Berkeley that produces an annual print magazine and continuously published web content. The publication focuses on elevating underrepresented Muslim voices through stories, essays, photography, and poetry on topics including social issues, culture, identity, politics, and personal narratives. It serves as both a creative publishing platform for student contributors and a community resource for Muslim students and allies.

Product overview

threads Magazine is a student-run publication at UC Berkeley serving as the university's premiere Muslim publication. The publication operates as a single unified magazine product offering both print issues and web-based digital content. The print issues (such as the 26th issue in 2024 and upcoming Spring 2026 issue) feature written articles, photography, and design work, while the web platform hosts digital stories, essays, and ongoing content. Historical publications are archived on Issuu. The publication does not offer a technology platform, API, or software product—it's a traditional print and digital magazine operation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• threads Magazine Print Issues Annual print magazine featuring articles, photography, poetry, and design work from UC Berkeley student contributors, distributed to the campus community and broader Muslim readership.
• threads Magazine Web Stories Digital web-based articles and stories published on the threads Magazine website, covering topics including social issues, culture, travel, politics, poetry, and personal essays, freely accessible to a global online audience.
• threads Magazine Historical Publications Archive Historical archive of past threads Magazine print issues hosted on the Issuu digital publishing platform, providing public access to previous print editions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Published 26th print issue in 2024, with continuous web content spanning 2016–present covering social, political, cultural, and personal topics.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• HEART Women and GirlsmediumGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2017HEART (Health Education, Advocacy, Research and Training) Women and Girls is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that provides culturally-sensitive sexual health resources, workshops, and advocacy for Muslim women and girls. threads Magazine featured an interview with HEART representative Mahreen Alam about sexual violence in Muslim communities, published both as a web article and referenced in the Fall 2017 print issue. HEART conducts in-person workshops at mosques, college MSAs, and community centers, and maintains a virtual resource center. This collaboration serves to break stigma and provide resources to the threads readership on sensitive social issues.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Michigan Daily: An independent student newspaper at the University of Michigan with print and digital distribution and a volunteer-based newsroom. It is comparable to threads as a campus-based, student-run publication operating under a similar funding and governance model, illustrating the broader category of university-level media outlets threads belongs to.
• Islamic Horizons: The flagship magazine of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), covering Muslim community life, culture, and current affairs in print and digital. It is comparable to threads as a magazine-format publication serving an American Muslim audience with a mix of editorial, cultural, and community content.
• The Daily Californian: UC Berkeley's main independent student newspaper, also produced by and for the campus community with both print and digital distribution. As threads Magazine's direct institutional peer, it shares the same funding model (student fees), audience base (UC Berkeley students), and operational constraints (volunteer staff, annual turnover).
• The Muslim Observer: An American Muslim newspaper and digital outlet covering community news, culture, and identity. It is comparable to threads in its mission to amplify Muslim-American voices in mainstream media discourse and its mix of print heritage with digital publishing.

Broad incumbents

• Middle East Eye: A London-based digital news outlet covering the Middle East and North Africa region as well as Muslim communities globally. While professionally staffed and far broader in scope, it overlaps with threads in covering topics such as the Yemen conflict, Islamophobia, and identity within Muslim communities.
• Al Jazeera English: A major international news organization with substantial coverage of Muslim-world affairs and diaspora communities. As a broad incumbent with a much larger audience and professional staff, it represents the scaled version of the editorial niche threads Magazine serves.

Emerging players

• Salaam Magazine: A long-running publication targeting Muslim youth in North America with content on identity, culture, and social issues. Comparable to threads in its age-tier audience focus and editorial emphasis on underrepresented Muslim perspectives, though operating at a national rather than campus scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/threadsatcal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 threads Magazine