CENTER FOR HMONG ARTS & TALENT

What CENTER FOR HMONG ARTS & TALENT does

Center for Hmong Arts and Talent (CHAT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization headquartered at 1236 Magnolia Ave E. in St. Paul, Minnesota, operating with 1-10 staff. Founded in 1998 as an expansion of Pom Siab Hmoob Theatre (PSHT, the first Hmong theatre company in the world, founded 1990), CHAT describes itself as the first and only multidisciplinary Hmong arts organization in the United States, with a mission to nurture, explore, and illuminate the Hmong American experience through artistic expression.

CHAT's core programs include Fresh Traditions, an annual fashion show currently in its 19th season showcasing Hmong designers; Art Saves Us (ASU), a youth development program providing free art classes and transportation to Hmong youth ages 8-19; and a broader portfolio encompassing music and dance lessons, fashion design mentorship, theatrical plays, the CHATFest arts festival, the CHAT Short Film Fest, the Hmong Singer Workshop, and arts fairs. Distribution is event-driven, with venues such as Rosedale Center, Saint Paul RiverCenter, and Myth Live, supplemented by ticketing via Zeffy and free in-person youth programming.

The organization's revenue model is donations- and grants-based, not commercial. Funding is concentrated among five core institutional grantmakers: the Minnesota State Arts Board (via legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund), Arts Midwest, the McKnight Foundation, the Minnesota Humanities Center, and the Metro Regional Arts Council, supplemented by individual tax-deductible contributions and ticket sales. Leadership comprises Executive Director Steve Thao, Director of Events Vanh Thao, and board members Maikang Lee and Tou Lee. The organization has no parent company, subsidiaries, or known M&A activity, and operates within a single regional market.

Name

CENTER FOR HMONG ARTS & TALENT

Legal name

Center for Hmong Arts and Talent

Website

https://aboutchat.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Center for Hmong Arts and Talent (CHAT) is a St. Paul, Minnesota-based nonprofit arts organization, founded in 1998, that delivers multidisciplinary programming including the Fresh Traditions fashion show, Art Saves Us youth classes, and community arts festivals for the Hmong American community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: CHAT generates revenue through tax-deductible financial contributions from donors. The organization describes itself as a non-profit seeking support to fund Hmong art programs, artist support, and safe creative spaces for Hmong youth.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CHAT is a multidisciplinary nonprofit arts organization that provides arts education, youth development programs, fashion shows, cultural festivals, music and dance lessons, and theatrical productions for the Hmong American community. Operating from St. Paul, Minnesota, the organization transitioned from Pom Siab Hmoob Theatre in 1998 and delivers both recurring programming and special events free or at low cost to community participants.

Product overview

CHAT (Center for Hmong Arts and Talent) is a social justice arts organization offering multidisciplinary arts programming for the Hmong American community in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The organization operates as a single unified nonprofit entity with multiple interconnected programs: Fresh Traditions (an annual Hmong fashion show now in its 19th season), Art Saves Us (free youth art classes for ages 8-19), and broader CHAT Programs encompassing music/dance lessons, fashion mentorship, theatrical productions, festivals, and video/design services. CHAT serves as a platform for Hmong artists and youth to express their creative talents and cultural identity through contemporary arts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fresh Traditions: A culturally inspired fashion event that exhibits the creativity, originality and quality of work by Hmong fashion designers. Currently in its 19th season.
• Art Saves Us (ASU)

Products and services

• Fresh Traditions Signature fashion show program featuring Hmong American designers, models, and garment design, providing a public runway platform for emerging and established designers from the community.
• Art Saves Us Youth-focused arts education program offering creative classes and workshops for Hmong American young people, combining arts instruction with cultural identity and community engagement.
• Hmong Singer Workshop
• CHATFest Annual multidisciplinary arts festival organized by CHAT, showcasing music, dance, fashion, film, and visual arts created by Hmong American artists and community members.
• CHAT Short Film Fest Short film festival programming that screens and celebrates Hmong American filmmaking, providing an exhibition venue for emerging and established Hmong film artists.
• CHAT Programs General ongoing arts programming slate that includes dance classes, music instruction, and other cultural arts offerings delivered by CHAT to the community throughout the year.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free art classes and transportation provided to Hmong youth ages 8-19 through Art Saves Us program

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Coalition of Asian American Leaders: Minnesota-based Asian American leadership and community-building nonprofit. Comparable as a same-geography, same-community (Asian American) nonprofit that shares a funder ecosystem and audience base, though its focus is leadership rather than the arts specifically.

Direct peers

• National Asian American Theatre Company (NAATCO): New York–based nonprofit producing theatrical work featuring Asian American performers. Comparable as an Asian American theatrical nonprofit focused on platforming artists and stories, with a similar earned/program revenue mix from productions and donations.
• Mu Performing Arts: St. Paul–based Asian American performing arts nonprofit producing theater, music, and cultural programming. Directly comparable as a Twin Cities Asian American arts organization with overlapping programming (theater, cultural festivals, youth engagement) and similar nonprofit, grant-funded model.
• Asian American Arts Centre: New York–based Asian American arts nonprofit supporting visual and performing artists. Similar nonprofit structure focused on platforming Asian American artists and preserving cultural expression, with a comparable community-engaged programming approach.
• Pangea World Theater: Minneapolis-based Asian American theater company with a social justice lens and community programming. Comparable to CHAT in mission (Asian American storytelling, social justice orientation), Twin Cities geography, and reliance on institutional grants and community engagement.
• Hmong Cultural Center: St. Paul–based nonprofit serving the Hmong American community through cultural education, language, and arts programs. Comparable as a same-community, same-geography nonprofit operating arts and cultural programming for Hmong audiences, with overlap in youth and community programming.

Regional players

• Penumbra Center for Racial Healing: St. Paul–based racial justice arts and education nonprofit. Comparable as a same-geography nonprofit applying an arts/social justice lens to community programming, with overlapping funder base (Minnesota foundations and arts boards) and audience.
• Mixed Blood Theatre: Minneapolis-based community theater producing socially engaged theatrical programming. Comparable as a Twin Cities arts nonprofit with a social-justice programming mandate and a similar mix of ticketed productions, donor support, and institutional grants.

Broad incumbents

• Asian Cultural Council: International arts and culture nonprofit providing grants and fellowships to support cultural exchange across Asia and the U.S. Comparable in mission (Asian cultural expression) and grant-funded nonprofit model, though operating at a much larger scale and broader geographic remit.
• Asian American Arts Alliance: New York–based service and advocacy organization supporting a broad portfolio of Asian American arts groups. Comparable as a larger umbrella in the same Asian American arts ecosystem with overlapping funder relationships and capacity-building programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/HmongCHAT
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/FreshTraditions
• Facebookfacebook.com/CenterforHmongArtsandTalent
• Instagraminstagram.com/freshtraditionsfashion

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CENTER FOR HMONG ARTS & TALENT