What Think!Chinatown does

Think!Chinatown (legally CREATE in Chinatown, Inc.; DBA "T!C") is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2017 and based in Manhattan's Chinatown, operating at the intersection of storytelling, arts programming, and neighborhood engagement. It serves Manhattan's Chinatown residents, immigrant small-business owners, Asian American artists, and corporate affinity groups, with a stated mission of amplifying neighborhood voices, advocating for equitable resources, and preserving cultural heritage. The organization runs a portfolio of recurring programs including the Chinatown Storytelling Festival, Chinatown Arts Festival (in its eighth year as of 2025), Chinatown Night Market, Chinatown Block Party, T!C Lantern Residency, the Chinatown!Studio kitchen space at 1 Pike Street, the Everyday Chinatown oral history project, the HowToChinatown.NYC narrative map-based web platform, the 384 Art Space (with Chashama), and the biennial Chinese American Genealogy Conference (co-presented with AAARI-CUNY).

Underlying technology and infrastructure are modest and appropriate to a community non-profit: a Squarespace-hosted website, the HowToChinatown.NYC narrative map platform, the Art of Storytelling multimedia oral-history platform with audio recordings in Mandarin, Cantonese, and English, and standard SaaS integrations (Airtable, Google Forms, Eventbrite, Give Lively, PayPal) for newsletter, volunteer, vendor, and donor management. There is no proprietary software product; technology serves as connective tissue for content production, storytelling distribution, and operations.

The business model is a hybrid of donations, earned revenue, and public-sector engagement. Revenue streams include tax-deductible individual donations (credit/debit, Apple Pay, donor-advised funds via Give Lively, PayPal), corporate and private cultural programs and storytelling events (minimum $1,000-$1,500 in-person, $500 virtual; $600/$250 for educational institutions and non-profits), ticketed culinary and cultural workshops at Chinatown!Studio (dumpling workshops at $88 per person or $500 per table of six), and biennial Chinese American Genealogy Conference registration ($100-$225). Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: free public events build grassroots reach and donor pipeline, while corporate programs and grants (LMCC, NYSCA, DCLA, DRI) anchor institutional funding. Strategic government partnerships include NYCEDC's Chinatown Connections project and NYC DCLA's Welcome Gateway/Percent for Art program, where T!C serves as sub-consultant on community engagement for the $20M Downtown Revitalization Initiative award and additional $44.5M in City funding.

Name

Think!Chinatown

Legal name

CREATE in Chinatown, Inc.

Website

https://thinkchinatown.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Think!Chinatown is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2017 in Manhattan's Chinatown that runs storytelling, arts, and neighborhood-engagement programs, including the Chinatown Storytelling Festival, Chinatown Arts Festival, Night Market, and Chinatown!Studio kitchen. It serves Chinatown residents, Asian American artists, and corporate affinity groups via donations, ticketed workshops, and public-sector cultural partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Cultural Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Heritage & Traditional Festivals (Folk, Ethnic, Indigenous) (MPAGAEAB), Food, Drink & Culinary Community Festivals (Community-Led) (MPAGAEAF), Neighborhood & Community Markets/Pop-Ups (Community-Led Bazaars) (MPAGAEAJ), Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ), Arts, Culture, Heritage & Tourism Congresses (THAHAJAN)

Keywords

• Community cultural programming
• Neighborhood storytelling initiatives
• Arts festival production
• Grassroots community organizing
• Immigrant neighborhood advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals via credit/debit card, Apple Pay, donor-advised funds through Give Lively, and direct PayPal contributions. The organization is a 501(c)(3) public charity with EIN 20-0434850.
2. Corporate Sponsorship and Private Events: Corporate cultural programs and storytelling events for company teams, affinity groups, and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month celebrations. Minimum rates: $1000-1500 in-person; $500 virtual for companies. Educational institutions/non-profits: $600 in-person; $250 virtual.
3. Workshop and Class Fees: Ticketed cooking workshops including dumpling making classes at $88 per person, group rates of $500 for table of 6. Proceeds support community programs.
4. Conference Registration: Chinese American Genealogy Conference with registration fees: Full Two-Day $225 (Early Bird $175), One-Day $125 (Early Bird $100).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Think!Chinatown operates a portfolio of intergenerational cultural and community programs in Manhattan's Chinatown, including festivals (Storytelling Festival, Arts Festival, Night Market, Block Party), artist residencies (T!C Lantern Residency), community kitchen programs (Chinatown!Studio), oral history projects (Everyday Chinatown), narrative web maps (HowToChinatown.NYC), workshops, and conferences (Chinese American Genealogy Conference). The organization generates revenue through donations, corporate event bookings, ticketed workshops, and conference fees.

Product overview

Think!Chinatown is an intergenerational non-profit organization based in Manhattan's Chinatown that operates at the intersection of storytelling, arts, and neighborhood engagement. Rather than a unified software product, the organization offers a portfolio of community programs including the Chinatown Storytelling Festival, Chinatown Night Market, Chinatown Arts Festival (formerly Chinatown Arts Week), T!C Lantern Residency, Chinatown!Studio Kitchen Programs, Everyday Chinatown oral history project, HowToChinatown.NYC web platform, 384 Art Space, various workshops, and the Chinese American Genealogy Conference. These programs work together to foster community cohesion, amplify voices, advocate for equity, honor cultural heritage, and support the vitality of Manhattan's Chinatown neighborhood.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chinatown Storytelling Festival Annual celebration of Think!Chinatown's newly produced storytelling projects, featuring a deep dive across archives of short films about Chinatown to foster the creation and viewership of projects featuring under-told community stories.
• Chinatown Night Market Summer open-air cultural festival of food, art, and music at the iconic gateway of the Manhattan Bridge, featuring Chinatown-focused programming alongside local art and food vendors.
• Chinatown Block Party Neighborhood block party held at the historic newsstand at Mott & Mosco Streets, a monthly summer series of food, art, and music at Forsyth Plaza for the whole family.
• Chinatown Arts Festival Annual festival celebrating the cultural richness of Manhattan's Chinatown through cultural programs featuring traditional Chinese arts groups and emerging Asian American artists. Now in its eighth year (2025).
• T!C Lantern Residency Annual artist-in-residency program since 2019 commissioning artists to interpret the concept of the lantern to celebrate the Lantern Festival and the Lunar New Year.
• Chinatown!Studio Kitchen Programs Intergenerational community space at 1 Pike Street where Chinatown aunties and uncles teach culture through food, including dumpling workshops, tea workshops, and cooking classes.
• Everyday Chinatown Multi-media oral history project recording stories about everyday objects found in Chinatown, featuring audio guides in Mandarin, Cantonese, and English with illustrated animations.
• HowToChinatown.NYC Narrative map-based web platform highlighting Chinatown small businesses and cultural organizations with cultural context, created to strengthen understanding of Chinatown's cultural assets and empower community contributions.
• 384 Art Space Temporary art space at 384 Broadway operated in partnership with Chashama, focused on increasing representation of Asian American artists and community-engaged art.
• Chinatown Workshops Multi-lingual civic engagement workshops and programs for Chinatown small businesses and arts groups, including ULURP workshops and Designing for Chinatown panel discussions.
• Chinese American Genealogy Conference Biennial conference providing tools and methodologies for discovering family roots and Chinese American genealogy research, with full two-day registration at $225 ($175 early bird) and one-day registration at $125 ($100 early bird).

Quantifiable outcome

• 8 consecutive years of Chinatown Arts Festival
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Think!Chinatown serves as sub-consultant to advise on community engagement process for NYCEDC's Chinatown Connections project, which includes redesigning Kimlau Square and surrounding streets. T!C is advising Marvel Architects on community engagement and will support the selected artist with cultural context.
• NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partner for Chinatown Welcome Gateway project through the Percent for Art program, selecting artists for the gateway cultural marker.
• Marvel ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural design consultant for NYCEDC's Chinatown Connections project. Working with Think!Chinatown as sub-consultant for community engagement.
• ChashamaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to present temporary art space at 384 Broadway to increase representation of Asian American artists.
• AAARI-CUNYminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAsian American/American Immigrant Abstract References & Resources - CUNY. Co-presenter of 2019 Chinese American Genealogy Conference.
• Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported Art X Archives exhibition through grants. LMCC supports artists and arts organizations in Lower Manhattan.
• NYC Department of Small Business ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported Chinatown Shopping video series as part of the All IN NYC campaign to highlight Chinatown's small businesses and locally made delicacies.
• LMCCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor sponsor of Chinatown Arts Week 2018, providing support for festival programming.
• Asia SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner venue for Chinatown Arts Week preview events featuring Cantonese Opera performances and traditional tea ceremony.
• StoryCorpsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership for storytelling workshops, recordings, and listening events with AAPI communities.
• Chung Pak Local Development CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsored Chinatown Arts Week 2019 events including panel discussions and workshops.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Asia Society: Major New York-based cultural institution presenting Asian arts, culture, and policy programming — overlaps with Think!Chinatown on cultural programming, partnership venues, and Asian-American community engagement but operates at a much larger scale.
• Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC): Long-standing Lower Manhattan arts funder and programming partner supporting cultural organizations and artists — directly comparable as a partner/fundersponsor in Think!Chinatown's Arts Festival and exhibitions.

Regional players

• Charles B. Wang Community Health Center: Federally qualified health center and Chinatown-rooted nonprofit serving Asian American communities with multilingual services — comparable as a neighborhood-anchored AAPI nonprofit operating community programs in NYC.

Direct peers

• Asian American Arts Centre (AAAC): Long-standing New York-based nonprofit supporting Asian American visual artists through exhibitions, archives, and community programming — a direct peer for the arts programming and Art X Archives-style exhibitions.
• Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA): Manhattan Chinatown-based nonprofit preserving and presenting Chinese American history and culture through exhibitions, public programs, and storytelling — the closest direct peer in mission, geography, and programming.
• StoryCorps: National oral-history nonprofit recording and preserving personal stories — Think!Chinatown's Storytelling Team Lead was trained there and the organizations partner on AAPI storytelling workshops, making the model directly comparable.
• Welcome to Chinatown: A grassroots nonprofit driving foot traffic and cultural engagement in Manhattan's Chinatown through the Mott Street Walk and related community programming — directly comparable neighborhood-rooted model.
• Chashama: NYC nonprofit providing temporary art spaces to emerging artists — directly comparable as the co-partner on Think!Chinatown's 384 Broadway Art Space and similar in mission of expanding artist access.
• Chinatown Partnership Local Development Corporation: Manhattan Chinatown BID and neighborhood improvement organization focused on small business support, public space, and cultural promotion — directly comparable geographic mandate and small-business advocacy work.

Emerging players

• AAARI-CUNY (Asian American / Asian Research Institute): CUNY-based research and community institute focused on Asian American immigrant communities — directly comparable as a co-presenter on the Chinese American Genealogy Conference and overlapping in cultural/community programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/think-chinatown

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Think!Chinatown