Red Sands Project

What Red Sands Project does

Red Sand Project is a nonprofit participatory art initiative founded in 2014 by interdisciplinary artist Molly Gochman and operated as a program of the Stardust Arts Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The project raises public awareness about human trafficking and modern slavery through two core activations: (1) sidewalk installations where participants fill cracks in public sidewalks with red sand to symbolize individuals who "fall through the cracks" of social, economic, and political systems, and (2) large-scale earthwork land art installations — site-specific trenches stretching hundreds of feet in the shapes of political borders — placed at high-visibility public venues including Houston International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma Airport, and Tougaloo College.

The project distributes free toolkits (small pre-filled sand bags printed with statistics and instructions) and 25-pound bulk sand boxes to community organizers, charging only shipping costs. Materials are produced from crushed feldspar rock colored with organic pigments. The distribution model is community-led: groups of 15 or more people order supplies through the Shopify-powered website and organize public activations, sharing results on social media under #RedSandProject. Since inception, the project claims participation from all 50 U.S. states and 70 countries with over one million participants.

Revenue is generated entirely through donations to Stardust Arts Foundation; no direct revenue model exists for the project itself. The organization operates with 1-10 employees and a PO Box in Sharon, Connecticut. Strategic partnerships include Freedom United (the world's largest anti-trafficking community), Medicine Wheel Ride (Indigenous women's motorcycle organization, with a $10,000 donation and co-produced documentary 'We Ride for Her'), and featured content relationships with Polaris, Love146, Freedom Fund, PACT, and Thorn. International shipping is not supported; international participants are directed to local sand manufacturers.

Name

Red Sands Project

Legal name

Red Sand Project

Website

https://redsandproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Red Sand Project is a nonprofit participatory art initiative founded in 2014 that raises awareness about human trafficking and modern slavery through sidewalk crack-filling with red sand and large-scale earthwork installations at public venues, serving community groups, schools, and institutions in all 50 U.S. states and 70 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and charitable contributions: Red Sand Project is an initiative of Stardust Arts Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Revenue is generated through donations. The organization provides toolkits and sand free of charge to participants, requesting only shipping costs.
2. Toolkit and sand fulfillment: Toolkits (small pre-filled bags of red sand with printed information) and bulk 25-pound boxes of red sand are distributed to participants who pay only shipping costs. The sand is free; shipping is the only cost to participants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Red Sand Project is a participatory artwork initiative created by Molly Gochman that uses sidewalk interventions — pouring red sand into sidewalk cracks — and large-scale outdoor earthwork land art installations to raise awareness about human trafficking, modern slavery, and exploitation. The organization distributes free red sand toolkits and bulk sand to community participants (who pay only shipping costs) and produces educational content such as the documentary film 'We Ride for Her.' The initiative operates as a program of the Stardust Arts Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Product overview

Red Sand Project is a single, unified participatory artwork and social activism initiative rather than a platform with modules. The core offering is the Red Sand Project itself—a sidewalk intervention and awareness-raising movement—supported by tangible products including Red Sand Project Toolkits (small pre-filled sand bags for individual participants) and Bulk Sand boxes (25-pound containers for larger group events). Additional offerings include Earthworks (large-scale outdoor land art installations at public venues) and the We Ride for Her documentary film. All offerings work together to advance the organization's mission of raising awareness about human trafficking and modern slavery through participatory art.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Red Sand Project Toolkits Small pre-filled bags of red sand (approximately 4 inches wide by 5.5 inches high, ~4 ounces each) printed with contact information, instructions, and statistics about human trafficking. Designed for individual participants to take home or share at sidewalk installation activations. Provided free of charge; participants pay only shipping.
• Bulk Red Sand Boxes 25-pound boxes of red sand made from crushed feldspar rock colored with organic pigments and resins, tested and certified non-toxic. One box covers approximately 100 people at a sidewalk installation event. Provided free of charge; participants pay only shipping.
• Earthwork Land Art Installations Large-scale, site-specific outdoor land art installations stretching hundreds of feet in the shapes of political borders. Created to highlight how arbitrarily drawn borders divide communities and increase vulnerability to human trafficking, modern slavery, and exploitation. Four earthworks have been installed to date at public venues including airports, universities, and streetscapes.
• We Ride for Her Documentary

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million participants across all 50 U.S. states and 70 countries since 2014
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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, flagship and minor.

• Tougaloo College (Study of Modern-Day Slavery Institute and Art Department)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017In partnership with the Study of Modern-Day Slavery Institute and the Art Department at Tougaloo College (a Historically Black College or University), Red Sand Project installed its third earthwork 'Border US-MX' at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi in 2017. The installation remains in place and has hosted panels, conferences, and other convenings on modern-day slavery. This was the first earthwork installed at an HBCU.
• Freedom UnitedcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFreedom United is described as the world's largest community dedicated to ending human trafficking and modern slavery. Red Sand Project partners with Freedom United to direct supporters to take action through campaigns and petitions. Freedom United hosts Red Sand Project-specific campaign pages on its website. The partnership provides Red Sand Project with access to millions of potential supporters and an established action-taking platform.
• Medicine Wheel RideflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedicine Wheel Ride (MWR) is a grassroots organization of Indigenous women motorcyclists raising awareness about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIW/R). Red Sand Project partnered with MWR to produce the short documentary film 'We Ride for Her,' which follows Indigenous women riders while a community member searches for her missing sister. Red Sand Project donated $10,000 to Medicine Wheel Ride as part of a commitment to fight human trafficking.
• Stardust Arts FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRed Sand Project is an initiative of Stardust Arts Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The foundation provides the organizational structure and likely the funding for Red Sand Project. Molly Gochman also serves as Founder & President of Stardust, linking the two entities closely. Stardust describes itself as a multidisciplinary team working towards a future where all women and girls can fulfill their potential.
• Freedom FundminorOthersThe Freedom Fund is a philanthropic initiative designed to bring strategic focus and financial resources to the fight against modern slavery. It is featured as a recommended partner organization on Red Sand Project's website alongside a description. Survivor story content about Roshan is sourced courtesy of the Freedom Fund.
• PolarisminorOthersPolaris is a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern slavery, named after the North Star that guided slaves to freedom in the U.S. It is featured as a recommended partner organization on Red Sand Project's website. Survivor story content about Sabine is sourced courtesy of Polaris.
• Love146minorOthersLove146 is an international human rights organization working to end child trafficking and exploitation through survivor care, prevention education, professional training, and research. It is featured as a recommended partner organization on Red Sand Project's website.
• PACT (Protect All Children from Trafficking)minorOthersPACT (Protect All Children from Trafficking), formerly ECPAT-USA, is an organization working to end child sexual exploitation and trafficking through education, legislative advocacy, and partnerships. It is featured as a recommended partner organization on Red Sand Project's website.
• ThornminorOthersThorn is an international anti-human-trafficking organization that addresses sexual exploitation of children through internet technology, programs, resources, and awareness campaigns. It is featured as a recommended partner organization on Red Sand Project's website.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Love146: Love146 is an international anti-child-trafficking organization focused on survivor care and prevention education. An existing featured partner; directly comparable as a peer anti-trafficking nonprofit with overlapping awareness and education programs.
• Thorn: Thorn builds technology and awareness tools to combat child sexual exploitation. An existing featured partner; directly comparable as a peer in anti-trafficking awareness and a potential digital-amplification partner.
• A21 Campaign: A21 is a global anti-human-trafficking nonprofit operating awareness, prevention, and survivor-care programs. Directly comparable as a peer organization in the anti-trafficking awareness space and a potential partner for Red Sand Project's campaign activations.
• Polaris Project: Polaris operates the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline and runs awareness campaigns. Already a featured partner of Red Sand Project; comparable as a leading U.S. anti-trafficking nonprofit with overlapping mission.
• Freedom United: Freedom United is described as the world's largest community dedicated to ending human trafficking. Already a core GTM partner of Red Sand Project; comparable as a peer in mobilizing mass grassroots action against trafficking.
• ECPAT International: ECPAT is a global network combating child sexual exploitation and trafficking through research, advocacy, and awareness. Comparable as a peer in international anti-trafficking awareness and campaign infrastructure.
• Free the Slaves: Free the Slaves is a frontline anti-slavery organization working on prevention, rescue, and restoration. Comparable as a peer in the anti-trafficking nonprofit space with overlapping awareness-raising goals.
• Not For Sale: Not For Sale is a social enterprise fighting modern slavery through awareness campaigns and ethical supply-chain programs. Comparable as a peer nonprofit combining anti-trafficking mission with public engagement and creative campaigns.

Emerging players

• Creative Time: Creative Time commissions and presents public art projects addressing social issues. Comparable to Red Sand Project as a nonprofit producing large-scale public art installations with social-impact intent.
• Artworks for Change: Artworks for Change produces socially engaged art exhibitions addressing human rights and social justice issues. Closely comparable to Red Sand Project's participatory art-for-awareness model and its use of large-scale installations for advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/redsandproject
• Instagraminstagram.com/redsandproject

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Red Sands Project