Kearny Street Workshop
Kearny Street Workshop is a San Francisco-based nonprofit, founded in 1972, that operates multidisciplinary arts programs supporting emerging Asian American and Pacific Islander artists in the Bay Area through the annual APAture festival, writers and visual artists mentorship labs, reading series, and a podcast.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1972
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Kearny Street Workshop does
Kearny Street Workshop (KSW) is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1972 and recognized as the oldest Asian American and Pacific Islander multidisciplinary arts organization in the United States. It supports emerging AAPI artists in the Bay Area through five core program verticals: the annual APAture multidisciplinary arts festival (running since 1999, 27th edition in 2026), the Interdisciplinary Writers Lab (IWL) master-class program for BIPOC writers with annual cohorts of 15 students, the AVA Lab (Asian American Visual Artists Lab) six-month mentorship program launched in 2024, the bi-monthly KSW Presents reading series, and the We Won't Move podcast launched in 2021. Programs span visual arts, literary arts, performing arts, film, and music, with workshop tuition ranging from $150-$175 per multi-week course and many festival events offered free with RSVP or as ticketed showcases.
The organization's revenue model is multi-stream and donation-dependent. Individual contributions flow through PayPal Giving Fund, Give Butter peer-to-peer campaigns, mailed checks, and a tiered monthly giving program ($10-$100+) where each tier maps to a specific programmatic output (artist stipends, instructor fees, IWL tuition support, Arc Gallery lease). Institutional revenue comes from foundation grants (Zellerbach Family Foundation, San Francisco Arts Commission, Grants for the Arts, MOHCD), with smaller contributions from event ticket sales and merchandise (Liwanag anthology series, KSW Press publications). The organization operates with 1-10 employees led by Co-Executive Directors Jason Bayani and Mihee Kim, an 8-member Board of Directors, and a broad ecosystem of co-presenting venue partners across the Bay Area including Arc Gallery & Studios, SOMArts, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, SF Public Library, Roxie Theater, and DNA Lounge.
KSW distributes programming through partner-venue events across the Bay Area, online content (podcast, blog, newsletter), earned media coverage (SF Chronicle, KPIX, CGTN), and community-led outreach via Facebook, Instagram, and peer-to-peer fundraising. Geographic reach is restricted to the San Francisco Bay Area with no international footprint claimed. The organization holds no patents, has no subsidiaries, has made no acquisitions, and has received no disclosed funding rounds — consistent with its structure as an independent public charity rather than an investable enterprise.
Kearny Street Workshop firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kearny Street Workshop
- Legal name
- Kearny Street Workshop
- Website
- https://kearnystreet.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1972
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Kearny Street Workshop is a San Francisco-based nonprofit, founded in 1972, that operates multidisciplinary arts programs supporting emerging Asian American and Pacific Islander artists in the Bay Area through the annual APAture festival, writers and visual artists mentorship labs, reading series, and a podcast.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Kearny Street Workshop is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Kearny Street Workshop business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: KSW relies heavily on individual donations through PayPal Giving Fund, Give Butter campaigns, and mailed checks. Annual fundraising campaigns include 'Community is Everything' with $35,000 goals and 'Together We'll Make It' with $25,000 goals. Monthly donor program ('The Giving Circle') provides sustained support at various tiers.
- Event Revenue: Revenue generated from ticket sales for APAture festival showcases, with some events free with RSVP and others ticketed.
- Foundation Grants: Funding from institutional donors including San Francisco Arts Commission, Zellerbach Family Foundation, Grants for the Arts, and MOHCD.
- KSW Store: Sale of merchandise including Liwanag literary anthology series and other KSW publications.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | One-time | Poetry Basics Workshop - 4-week craft course |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Donor Tiers |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Kearny Street Workshop product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kearny Street Workshop (KSW) is a nonprofit multidisciplinary arts organization that produces and presents programming for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) artists and communities. Its core offerings include the annual APAture multidisciplinary arts festival, the Interdisciplinary Writers Lab (IWL), the AVA Lab mentorship program, KSW Presents reading and performance series, poetry workshops, the We Won't Move podcast, Asian American Virtual Histories, and the KSW Store merchandise line.
Product overview
Kearny Street Workshop is a multidisciplinary arts nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of programs centered on supporting Asian American and Pacific Islander artists. The core offerings include the annual APAture Festival (multidisciplinary arts festival), Interdisciplinary Writers Lab (IWL) master class for BIPOC writers, AVA Lab mentorship program for visual artists, KSW Presents reading series, and the We Won't Move podcast. These programs are rooted in organizing principles of Solidarity, Renewal, Futurity, and Autonomy, and include educational workshops, mentorship opportunities, exhibitions, and publications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- APAture Festival Annual multidisciplinary arts festival showcasing emerging AAPI artists across visual, performing, literary, and media arts, designed for Bay Area AAPI artists and community audiences.
- Interdisciplinary Writers Lab (IWL) Tuition-based writing program offering workshops, mentorship, and cohort-based development for BIPOC writers.
- AVA Lab Mentorship and artist-development lab providing cohort-based support, master classes, and resources for AAPI artists.
- KSW Presents Reading, performance, and public presentation series featuring AAPI writers, performers, and artists, with a commitment to paying artists.
- We Won't Move Podcast Podcast produced by KSW covering AAPI arts, culture, and community topics for broad public audiences.
- Poetry Workshops Workshop-based poetry instruction program offered to writers and community members.
- Asian American Virtual Histories Community-driven program focused on documenting and sharing Asian American history and storytelling through virtual and public formats.
- KSW Store Online merchandise storefront selling KSW-branded apparel and goods to support the organization.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 50 artists showcased annually through APAture festival
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Kearny Street Workshop
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Kearny Street Workshop technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Kearny Street Workshop partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Arc Gallery & StudioscoreKSW's primary venue partner hosting most events and exhibitions at 1246 Folsom Street location. KSW supports the gallery's lease as part of its $100+/month donor tier.
- SOMArtscoreCo-presenter and venue for APAture festival events, providing exhibition space for emerging AAPI artists.
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA)majorCo-presenter for film showcases and recognized KSW as YBCA 100 honoree in 2023.
- San Francisco Public LibrarymajorCo-presenter for Dreaming People's History exhibition and Asian American Virtual Histories program.
- Roxie TheatercoreVenue partner for APAture Film Showcase, hosting screenings at 3117 16th St location.
- Chinese Culture Center of San FranciscomajorCo-presenter for Asian American Literary Festival SF Bay Area Book Fair and solidarity programming.
- DNA LoungeminorVenue partner for APAture Music Showcase events.
- Joe Goode AnnexminorVenue partner for APAture Performing Arts Showcase.
- Oakland Asian Cultural CenterminorPartner organization supporting AAPI arts programming in the East Bay.
- Diasporic Vietnamese Artists NetworkminorCo-presenter for Truong Tran's '100 Nights of Pandemic/100 Days of Yearning' exhibition.
- Art 25: Art in the Twenty-fifth CenturyminorArtist collective co-founded by KSW Programs & Community Manager Lehua Taitano, collaborating on Future Ancestors exhibition.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kearny Street Workshop competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- National Asian American Theatre Company: A New York–based AAPI theater company producing works and supporting AAPI theater artists. Mission peer to KSW's performing arts programming within the broader AAPI arts development ecosystem.
- Bindlestiff Studio: A San Francisco Filipino American performing arts venue and presenter supporting emerging AAPI performing artists. Direct peer sharing KSW's Bay Area geography, AAPI artist focus, and multidisciplinary programming model.
- Asian American Writers' Workshop: A New York–based nonprofit supporting Asian American writers through workshops, readings, and publications. Directly comparable to KSW in mission, target community (AAPI literary and arts communities), and program mix (workshops, reading series, fellowships).
- Ma-Yi Theater Company: A New York–based AAPI theater company developing and producing new works by Asian American playwrights. Direct peer in AAPI artist development and new work commissioning, comparable to KSW's literary and performing arts programs.
- Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center: A San Francisco nonprofit producing multidisciplinary AAPI arts programming and the annual United States of Asian America Festival. Direct geographic and programmatic peer to KSW, serving the same Bay Area AAPI artist community.
- East West Players: The nation's largest Asian American performing arts organization, based in Los Angeles, producing theater and developmental programs for AAPI artists. Direct mission peer to KSW in AAPI arts development, though operating at significantly larger scale.
- Asian American Arts Centre: A New York–based AAPI visual and performing arts organization supporting emerging artists through exhibitions and programs. Comparable to KSW in AAPI visual arts development and archival mission.
Broad incumbents
- Yerba Buena Center for the Arts: A major San Francisco contemporary arts institution presenting multidisciplinary programming across visual, performing, and literary arts. KSW is both a programmatic partner with and a niche peer to YBCA; YBCA operates at broader scale as an established cultural anchor.
Regional players
- Oakland Asian Cultural Center: An Oakland-based AAPI arts and cultural center offering classes, exhibitions, and community programs. Regional peer sharing KSW's AAPI focus and Bay Area geography, with overlapping but East Bay–centered programming.
Others
- Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists: A national network of AAPI theater organizations and artists. Ecosystem peer where KSW is both connected to and overlapping with through national AAPI arts convenings; not a direct service competitor but a coordinating body.
Market position
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Kearny Street Workshop social profiles
Digital presenceKearny Street Workshop financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kearny Street Workshop leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Kearny Street Workshop funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kearny Street Workshop M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Kearny Street Workshop
What does Kearny Street Workshop do?
Kearny Street Workshop (KSW) is a nonprofit multidisciplinary arts organization that produces and presents programming for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) artists and communities. Its core offerings include the annual APAture multidisciplinary arts festival, the Interdisciplinary Writers Lab (IWL), the AVA Lab mentorship program, KSW Presents reading and performance series, poetry workshops, the We Won't Move podcast, Asian American Virtual Histories, and the KSW Store merchandise line.
Is Kearny Street Workshop a public or private company?
Kearny Street Workshop is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Kearny Street Workshop founded?
Kearny Street Workshop was founded in 1972. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Kearny Street Workshop based?
Kearny Street Workshop is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kearny Street Workshop make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are event Revenue, foundation Grants and KSW Store.
Who are Kearny Street Workshop's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are National Asian American Theatre Company, Bindlestiff Studio, Asian American Writers' Workshop, Ma-Yi Theater Company, Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center, East West Players and Asian American Arts Centre. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts is listed as a broad incumbent. Oakland Asian Cultural Center is listed as a regional player. Consortium of Asian American Theaters and Artists is listed as an others.
Does Kearny Street Workshop have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kearny Street Workshop.