STRIVE PUBLISHING

What STRIVE PUBLISHING does

Strive Publishing & Bookstore is a Black-owned, founder-led publishing house and retail bookstore based in Downtown Minneapolis at 825 Nicollet Mall, Suite 160, in the Medical Arts Building. The company was founded by Mary Taris with two stated objectives: producing culturally relevant children's books and addressing the underrepresentation of Black authors in mainstream publishing. The retail bookstore operates Monday through Friday, 10:00am to 6:00pm, and serves as both a point-of-sale location and a community gathering space for literary events and author meetups.

The publishing arm has produced 'Our First Bus Ride,' a children's picture book written by Derek Francis and based on the film 'Separate Not Equal: Minnesota's Integration Story'; the title has sold out twice, indicating demand within its niche. Distribution runs through three channels: the physical Nicollet Mall store, the Bookshop.org online marketplace, and direct ordering through the company's own e-commerce storefront. The company also monetizes its physical space by hosting third-party events and accepts donations through its website as a supplementary funding channel. Commercial partnerships include the Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and Gallery (hosting author events and cross-promoting the integration-story book) and membership in the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA).

The business model is a mix of book sales (one-time purchase of published titles and third-party retail inventory) and event hosting (bookable venue use). Primary customer segments are families and children seeking culturally relevant literature, general readers interested in diverse authors, Black authors seeking a publishing platform, and community members attending events. The company does not disclose pricing, revenue, headcount, funding, or founding date in the available materials, and its core technology stack is 'Not disclosed.' Geographic footprint is limited to Minneapolis with online order fulfillment extending reach nationally.

Name

STRIVE PUBLISHING

Legal name

Strive Publishing

Website

https://strivepublishing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Strive Publishing & Bookstore is a Black-owned, Minneapolis-based publisher and retail bookstore founded by Mary Taris, producing culturally relevant children's books by Black authors and operating a single Nicollet Mall storefront with literary events and online sales via Bookshop.org.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Bookstore & Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Book Retailers and News Dealers (459210)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s Educational & Curriculum Publishing (MPAJAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction) (MPAJAAAA)

Keywords

• Children's book publishing
• Independent bookstore
• Diverse book publishing
• Community bookstore
• Literary event hosting

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Book Sales (Publishing): Publishing children's books with culturally relevant content, focusing on works by Black authors. Currently published 'Our First Bus Ride' which sold out twice.
2. Retail Bookstore Sales: Operates physical bookstore at Nicollet Mall in Downtown Minneapolis, selling books directly to consumers. Also maintains online shop through bookshop.org.
3. Event Hosting: Hosts literary events at the bookstore location, connecting authors and readers across cultures.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Strive Publishing & Bookstore is a Black-owned publishing house and retail bookstore in Downtown Minneapolis. The company publishes culturally relevant children's books with a significant emphasis on works by Black authors, and operates a physical bookstore at 825 Nicollet Mall, complemented by literary events that connect readers and authors across cultures.

Product overview

Strive Publishing & Bookstore operates as a unified black-owned publishing house and retail bookstore in Minneapolis. The core offerings consist of Strive Publishing, which produces culturally relevant children's books with an emphasis on works by Black authors, and the Strive Bookstore retail location. The flagship product is 'Our First Bus Ride,' a children's picture book that was newly published and sold out twice. The company also hosts literary events and connects readers and authors across cultures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Our First Bus Ride A children's picture book based on the film 'Separate Not Equal: Minnesota's Integration Story,' telling Minnesota's integration story through a child's perspective, authored by Derek Francis and published by Strive Publishing.
• Strive Bookstore Black-owned bookstore located in Downtown Minneapolis at 825 Nicollet Mall, Suite 160, Medical Arts Building, offering a curated selection of books with a significant emphasis on works by Black authors and marginalized voices. Operates Monday-Friday, 10:00am-6:00pm.
• Literary Event Hosting Community-focused literary events hosted at the bookstore, connecting authors and readers across cultures through author meetups and cultural programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• Published children's book sold out twice indicating strong market demand for culturally relevant content

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Minnesota African American Heritage Museum and GallerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMuseum partnership for hosting author Derek Francis to meet readers and promote 'Our First Bus Ride' book. The book is based on the museum's featured film 'Separate Not Equal: Minnesota's Integration Story.'
• Bookshop.orgcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline marketplace distribution partner for Strive Bookstore, enabling sales through the bookshop.org platform.
• IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association)minorOthersMember of Independent Book Publishers Association, shown as logo on website indicating industry membership and affiliation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Lit. Bar: Black-owned independent bookstore in the Bronx that combines retail with literary events and community programming. Closely comparable business model — single-location indie bookstore with event-driven GTM and cultural-community focus.
• Lee & Low Books: Independent children's book publisher with a long-standing commitment to diversity and multicultural content. Closely comparable in editorial focus (diverse children's titles) and target customer segments, though significantly larger and more established.
• Just Us Books: Black-owned independent children's book publisher focused on Black history, culture, and experiences. Directly comparable to Strive's publishing mission and target readership (families and children seeking culturally relevant Black-authored titles).
• Uncle Bobbie's Coffee & Books: Black-owned independent bookstore (Philadelphia) combining retail with cultural programming and community events. Directly comparable to Strive's bookstore-plus-community-event positioning and Black-owned differentiation.
• Semicolon Bookstore & Gallery: Black-owned independent bookstore in Chicago hosting literary events and amplifying diverse authors. Comparable in mission (amplifying underrepresented voices) and hybrid retail/event operating model.

Regional players

• Magers & Quinn Booksellers: Long-established independent bookstore in Minneapolis. Comparable as a local Minneapolis indie bookstore competitor for foot traffic, event hosting, and curated diverse selections, though not Black-owned.
• Milkweed Books: Independent nonprofit bookstore in Minneapolis affiliated with Milkweed Editions publisher. Comparable local Minneapolis indie-retail-and-publishing ecosystem with literary-event programming.
• Birchbark Books: Independent bookstore in Minneapolis run by novelist Louise Erdrich, focused on Native American literature and community literary events. Comparable as a Minneapolis indie bookstore with strong community-event programming, though with a different cultural-mission focus.

Broad incumbents

• Kokila (Penguin Young Readers imprint): Penguin imprint dedicated to diverse and underrepresented voices in children's and YA publishing. Comparable editorial focus on multicultural children's content, but operates at the scale of a major publisher rather than as an independent.

Emerging players

• Crown Books: Black-owned independent bookstore operating with a strong community and events programming focus. Comparable as a Black-owned indie bookstore competing in the same culturally specific retail category.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/strivepubandco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/strive-publishing

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 STRIVE PUBLISHING