Kizuna Across Cultures

What Kizuna Across Cultures does

Kizuna Across Cultures (KAC) is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization founded in 2011 in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake to address inequitable access to international exchange opportunities for young people in Japan and the United States. Its flagship program, Global Classmates, is a 6-month asynchronous online exchange that pairs Japanese high school English classes with U.S. high school Japanese language classes into virtual classrooms, where students exchange messages, photos, and videos on shared topics in both languages. KAC supplements the core program with the annual Global Classmates Summit (a selective in-person leadership development program in Washington, D.C.), the Omiyage Exchange gift project, the program-wide Video Koshien competition, and the Global Classmates Community for alumni and young professionals. The organization has connected 16,000+ students across approximately 700 high schools since 2012, with 2,000+ students participating annually and a 97% student satisfaction rate reported in the 2019-20 exit survey.

KAC operates on a freemium model for end users: the Global Classmates program is provided at no cost to participating schools, with schools only responsible for shipping costs for the Omiyage Exchange gifts. Revenue is generated exclusively through donations and corporate and institutional sponsorships rather than participant fees. Core strategic partners include the Sasakawa Peace Foundation USA, the U.S. Embassy Tokyo, the Japan Foundation, the TOMODACHI Initiative, Sumitomo Corporation of Americas, CULCON, and the U.S.-Japan Congressional Caucus. KAC is led by President Ayako Smethurst and Vice President Shanti Shoji, with Drew Scronce serving as an advisor, and operates with 1-10 employees plus volunteer and intern support. The go-to-market motion is event-driven and community-led, relying on direct outreach to schools and teacher networks, with annual application cycles beginning in February (U.S.) and March (Japan).

Name

Kizuna Across Cultures

Legal name

Kizuna Across Cultures

Website

https://kacultures.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kizuna Across Cultures is a U.S.-based nonprofit operating the Global Classmates program, a free 6-month asynchronous online exchange pairing Japanese and American high school language classes to build cross-cultural and language skills.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Cultural Exchange Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Language Schools (611630)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Secondary School Exchange Programs (Academic Year/Semester) (EDAIAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

World Languages Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAJ), Live Online Language Tutoring & Small-Group Classes (EDAMAFAD), Youth & Teen Language Camps (Summer/Winter) (EDAIAEAF)

Keywords

• Cultural exchange programs
• Virtual classroom exchange
• Youth leadership programs
• Language education services
• Nonprofit international education

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorship: KAC is a nonprofit organization that provides the Global Classmates program free of charge to participating schools thanks to generous support from corporate and individual sponsors. The organization relies on donations and sponsorship funding to operate.
2. Summit Participation: While the base Global Classmates program is free, the organization runs a selective Global Classmates Summit for outstanding participants, which is sponsored by supporting organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Kizuna Across Cultures (KAC) operates the Global Classmates program, a 6-month asynchronous online exchange that pairs Japanese high school English classes with U.S. high school Japanese language classes for message, photo, and video exchange. It also runs the Global Classmates Summit, an annual in-person leadership program in Washington, D.C. for top-performing participants, and the Global Classmates Community, an online alumni network hosting regular speaker events. All programs are delivered free of charge to schools through sponsor and donor support.

Product overview

Kizuna Across Cultures (KAC) operates a platform of international education programs centered on the Global Classmates program, a 6-month virtual exchange connecting Japanese and U.S. high school students through asynchronous online communication. The core offering includes the Global Classmates online exchange, the in-person Global Classmates Summit leadership program, and the ongoing Global Classmates Community for alumni. Key sub-programs include Omiyage Exchange (gift exchange) and Video Koshien (video competition). The organization also coordinates pre-departure orientations and connects students with international leaders and experts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Global Classmates A 6-month asynchronous online language and cultural exchange program that pairs Japanese high school English classes with U.S. high school Japanese language classes. Students exchange messages, photos, and videos on various topics in both English and Japanese through a custom online platform.
• Global Classmates Summit An annual intensive summer leadership development program in Washington, D.C. that selects outstanding Global Classmates participants from Japan and the U.S. for in-person dialogue, workshops with globally active leaders, and collaboration with peers.
• Global Classmates Community An ongoing online community for students, alumni, and young professionals seeking to enrich their lives and careers through international experiences, hosting regular online events with diverse speakers.
• Omiyage Exchange A tangible gift exchange project embedded within the Global Classmates program in which students send small cultural items to partner classmates to deepen cross-cultural connection beyond digital communication.
• Video Koshien A program-wide video competition in which students produce presentations in English and Japanese, judged on creativity and presentation skills, fostering creative expression and collaborative learning across partner classrooms.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% student satisfaction rate (2019-20 exit survey)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

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

• U.S. EmbassycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Sole institutional sponsor for the 2020 virtual Global Classmates Summit due to COVID-19 pandemic constraints.
• TOMODACHI InitiativemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019U.S.-Japan exchange initiative that supports programs fostering next generation leaders. Co-sponsor of the Global Classmates Summit.
• Sumitomo Corporation of AmericasmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Corporate partner providing support for Global Classmates Summit activities and U.S.-Japan exchange programs.
• San-J Asian FoodminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018Corporate sponsor of the Global Classmates Summit 2018, providing financial support for the program.
• Happi Enterprises, LLCminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018Corporate sponsor of the Global Classmates Summit 2018, supporting international youth exchange activities.
• Sasakawa Peace Foundation USAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Major sponsor and strategic partner for the Global Classmates Summit program. Provides funding and programmatic support for leadership development activities connecting Japanese and American high school students.
• U.S. Embassy TokyocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Provides support for Global Classmates Summit activities, including hosting events at the Japan Information and Culture Center. Supports pre-departure orientations for Japanese participants.
• Japan FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Japanese government-affiliated cultural organization providing sponsorship and support for international cultural exchange programs between Japan and the United States.
• U.S.-Japan Conference on Cultural and Educational Interchange (CULCON)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBilateral advisory committee that supports cultural and educational exchange between the United States and Japan, participating in summit activities.
• U.S.-Japan Congressional CaucusmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBipartisan congressional caucus supporting people-to-people exchanges between the United States and Japan, participating in Global Classmates Summit programs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• iEARN: iEARN is a global nonprofit network that connects classrooms in 140+ countries for collaborative online projects, the closest direct analog to KAC's asynchronous classroom-pairing model.
• Participate Learning: Participate Learning places international teachers and runs K-12 global education programs in US schools, addressing the same gap as KAC: bringing authentic international experience into American high school classrooms.
• Nacel International: Nacel International operates language immersion and high school exchange programs including Japan-US flows, directly overlapping KAC's customer base of high school language teachers and students.
• AFS Intercultural Programs: AFS operates student exchange and intercultural learning programs globally, including Japan-US flows; comparable mission of building cross-cultural competence among secondary-school-aged youth.
• Global Citizen Year: Global Citizen Year runs immersive international experiences for young people; it overlaps KAC in mission (equity-focused global youth development) and audience (high-school-aged students) although its delivery model is gap-year-based.
• CIEE: CIEE runs international high school and university exchange programs with strong US-Japan corridors; it is a direct comparator in the youth international exchange category, though larger and more diversified.
• World Learning (Experiment in International Living): World Learning's Experiment in International Living runs cross-cultural youth exchange programs with a 90+ year track record, operating in adjacent space to KAC's mission of intercultural competence development for young people.
• Cultural Vistas: Cultural Vistas runs international professional and educational exchange programs with US-Japan as a strategic corridor, sharing KAC's bilateral exchange orientation and youth/professional audience.
• Generation Global: Generation Global (Tony Blair Institute) runs virtual cross-cultural dialogue programs for secondary school students worldwide, closely mirroring KAC's online classroom-to-classroom model but with broader country coverage.

Broad incumbents

• Japan Foundation: The Japan Foundation is a Japanese government-affiliated organization that funds and operates Japanese language and cultural exchange programs globally, making it both a KAC sponsor and the broader incumbent in KAC's niche.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kizuna.across.cultures
• Instagraminstagram.com/kacultures
• Xx.com/KACultures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Kizuna Across Cultures