KoreanAmericanStory.org

What KoreanAmericanStory.org does

KoreanAmericanStory.org is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2010 that captures, shares, and archives the personal stories of Korean Americans through documentary video, podcasts, live events, and a formal academic archive partnership. Its core offerings center on the Legacy Project (documenting first-generation Korean American immigration stories from the 1970s and 1980s), the annual ROAR Story Slam live storytelling competition, and the Annual Gala honoring community trailblazers; supporting programs include the Through the Fog adoption-focused video series, NAYA mini-documentaries, K-Pod and Korean Radio Broadcasting podcasts, the feature film Happy Cleaners, the Letters to My Hometown cross-border family reunification initiative, and the Queer Joy Series. The organization distributes content globally free of charge via its website and YouTube channel, and preserves materials through a partnership with the University of Southern California (USC Archive).

The underlying technology is a Squarespace-hosted content platform with embedded video and an archival layer routed through USC, which is functional rather than proprietary. Revenue is generated entirely through donations, corporate and foundation sponsorships (notably the YS Kim Foundation, Thomas and Wonsook Foundation, Korean American Community Foundation, and The Council of Korean Americans), and event ticket sales from the Annual Gala and ROAR Story Slam. The organization is co-founded and led by HJ Lee (Executive Director) and Theresa Choh-Lee, with a team of 1-10 employees, and is recognized with a 2025 New York State Assembly Proclamation for its 15 years of community impact.

The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: programming is built around authentic personal storytelling that resonates with the Korean American community, distributed organically through video and amplified by sold-out live events in New York City. Customer segments are personas (the Korean American community broadly, with specific focuses on first-generation immigrants, Korean adoptees, and increasingly queer Korean Americans) rather than paying enterprise accounts, and pricing is non-transactional—content is freely accessible, with revenue entirely dependent on philanthropic support.

Name

KoreanAmericanStory.org

Legal name

Korean American Story

Website

https://koreanamericanstory.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KoreanAmericanStory.org is a New York-based nonprofit founded in 2010 that documents and archives Korean American personal stories through documentary video, podcasts, live storytelling events, and an academic archive partnership with USC. It serves the Korean American community, including first-generation immigrants, adoptees, and queer Korean Americans, funded via donations, foundation sponsorships, and event tickets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Heritage Media

NAICS

Museums (712110), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Media Archives, Libraries & Content Preservation (MPABADAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Pride & Identity Events (Pride, Cultural Identity Days) (MPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Documentary storytelling
• Cultural heritage preservation
• Nonprofit media production
• Community storytelling events
• Video documentary series

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization relies on donations from individuals and foundations to sustain its mission of capturing, sharing, and archiving Korean American stories. A donate page is available on the website.
2. Sponsorships: Corporate and foundation sponsors support specific programs and events, including the Annual Gala and ROAR Story Slam. Sponsors include YS Kim Foundation (Executive Producer), Korean American Community Foundation, The Council of Korean Americans, and individual donors.
3. Event Revenue: Annual Gala and ROAR Story Slam events generate revenue through ticket sales and sponsorships, while celebrating and honoring trailblazers in the Korean American community.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Korean American Story is a nonprofit media organization that captures, produces, and archives Korean American stories through documentary videos, podcasts, live storytelling competitions, and an annual gala. Its core offerings include the Legacy Project (documentary series on first-generation Korean immigrants from the 1970s and 1980s), Through the Fog (Korean adoptee stories), the ROAR Story Slam (annual live storytelling competition), the Annual Gala, and supplementary programs such as NAYA mini-documentaries and the K-Pod podcast.

Product overview

Korean American Story is a media and archival organization operating as a platform of documentary video content, live storytelling events, and podcast series. The core offerings include the Legacy Project (documenting first-generation Korean American immigration stories), Through the Fog (adoption-focused documentary series), ROAR Story Slam (annual live storytelling competition), and the Annual Gala (community celebration event). Supporting products include NAYA (mini-documentaries), K-Pod (arts and culture podcast), Happy Cleaners (feature-length film), and the USC Archive partnership. The organization also runs Letters to My Hometown (cross-border family reunification initiative) and the Queer Joy Series. Together, these offerings capture, share, and archive Korean American stories through authentic personal storytelling to foster dialogue, build community, and preserve history.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Legacy Project: Documenting the stories from first-generation Korean Americans who immigrated during the 1970s and 1980s, capturing personal histories and experiences.
• ROAR Story Slam
• Letters to My Hometown
• Through the Fog
• NAYA (나야)
• K-Pod
• Happy Cleaners
• Korean Radio Broadcasting (KRB Podcast)

Products and services

• Legacy Project Flagship video documentary series documenting stories from first-generation Korean Americans who immigrated during the 1970s and 1980s, preserving personal narratives for future generations. Aimed at the Korean American community and broader public interested in cultural history.
• Through the Fog Documentary video series exploring identity, belonging, and the journeys that shape connection to Korean culture, featuring Korean American adoptees and immigrants in conversation. Produced with support from the Thomas and Wonsook Foundation.
• ROAR Story Slam

Quantifiable outcome

• 15 years of continuous operation documenting Korean American stories
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Korean American Community FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a Storytellers sponsor for ROAR Story Slam 2026, supporting the organization's mission to amplify Korean American voices through live storytelling events.
• The Council of Korean AmericanscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a Storytellers sponsor for ROAR Story Slam 2026, providing support for the annual storytelling competition that celebrates Korean American narratives.
• Korean American Community FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupported ROAR Story Slam All Stars 2025 as a storyteller sponsor for the 15th anniversary championship edition of the storytelling competition.
• TBD Gimbap by Chef Jihan LeeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided catering sponsorship for ROAR Story Slam 2026, supporting the event through in-kind contributions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Asia Society: Major nonprofit organization promoting understanding of Asia and Asian Americans through cultural programming, exhibitions, and content. Comparable in Asian American cultural mission but with a broader Pan-Asian geographic scope and significantly larger scale.
• Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center: Smithsonian Institution initiative dedicated to Asian Pacific American history, culture, and art. Comparable in preserving Asian American stories and heritage, though operating as a much larger institution within a broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• The HistoryMakers: National nonprofit oral history archive dedicated to preserving the stories of African Americans. Comparable in archival mission, video interview format, and nonprofit storytelling structure, though serving a different ethnic community.
• Museum of Chinese in America: New York-based cultural institution preserving and presenting the history and stories of Chinese Americans. Comparable in being a New York-based ethnic-specific storytelling and cultural preservation organization, though operating as a museum rather than a media nonprofit.
• Center for Asian American Media: Nonprofit organization supporting Asian American media content across film, television, and digital platforms. Comparable in mission to amplify Asian American narratives and storytelling through media production.
• StoryCorps: National nonprofit oral history project that records, preserves, and shares personal stories from Americans across backgrounds. Most directly comparable to Korean American Story in mission (storytelling archive), distribution model (free public access), and nonprofit structure.
• Korean American Coalition: National civic organization serving the Korean American community through advocacy and community programming. Comparable in serving the Korean American diaspora, though focused on advocacy rather than storytelling.
• Visual Communications: Asian American media arts nonprofit producing films, videos, and photo archives documenting Asian American and Pacific Islander experiences. Comparable in producing Asian American documentary content and operating as a nonprofit media organization.
• Densho: The Japanese American Legacy Project, which documents and preserves stories of Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during WWII. Closely mirrors Korean American Story's Legacy Project model: ethnic-specific oral history archive with video storytelling and educational mission.

Regional players

• Korean Cultural Center New York: New York-based cultural center presenting Korean and Korean American arts, culture, and programming. Comparable in operating Korean-focused cultural programming in the same New York City geography, serving overlapping audiences.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@koreanamericanstory

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 KoreanAmericanStory.org