erasing the distance

Name

erasing the distance

Legal name

Erasing the Distance

Website

https://erasingthedistance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Education and Applied Theater

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Musical Groups and Artists (71113)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAGAOAC

Hybrid Conferences & Conventions (In-Person + Streamed)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Virtual & Hybrid Events

SECONDARYTHACAFAM

Hybrid/Virtual Meetings Production & AV Services

Travel & Hospitality/Business Travel & Corporate Travel Management/Meetings & Group Travel Management (Corporate)

Keywords

• Mental health education
• Applied theater programs
• Stigma reduction workshops
• Narrative performance arts
• Community storytelling programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The organization accepts donations through its website to support operations and mission. No specific donation tiers or amounts are publicly disclosed.
2. Custom Program Fees: Schools, corporations, conferences, and faith communities book custom programs featuring 1-3 stories from the ETD library followed by facilitated conversation. These are fee-based engagements.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partners sponsor events and programs, providing financial support in exchange for brand visibility at performances and on marketing materials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Erasing the Distance is a nonprofit arts organization that collects true first-person stories about mental health experiences through one-on-one interviews, then shapes those interviews into theatrical monologues performed by professional actors. The organization delivers free public productions, fee-based custom programs for schools, corporations, and faith communities, workshops that teach its story-collecting methodology, monthly story events, and the "One Story At A Time" podcast, with each engagement concluding in a facilitated post-performance conversation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• One Story At A Time: A podcast that invites listeners into the interview portion of the story collection process, sharing unfiltered stories about mental health experiences.
• Room for Light

Products and services

• Public Productions Free theatrical performances open to the general public that explore mental health topics, designed to reduce barriers to access and spark open conversation.
• Custom Programs Tailored performances designed for specific clients including schools, corporations, conferences, and faith communities, featuring 1–3 stories from the ETD library followed by a facilitated audience conversation.
• Workshops and Training Educational programs teaching the ETD methodology of collecting, shaping, and presenting stories to artists, community members, and aspiring mental health professionals.
• One Story At A Time (Podcast) Interview-based podcast inviting listeners into the first part of the story collection process, sharing unfiltered mental health experiences in guests' own words.
• Room for Light Immersive event experience where stories are brought to light through headphone listening stations and illuminated storytelling installations at Studio 205 in Chicago.
• Story Events Monthly storytelling events featuring a performance from the ETD library followed by group discussion about personal experiences, available in person and virtually, free and open to the public.
• High School Programs Educational programming for high school students including multi-day residencies, performances for freshmen classes, and workshops focused on the ETD methodology and creating theatre for social change.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ stories collected since 2005
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DCASE (Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerChicago's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events supports the organization's programming through sponsorship. DCASE promotes cultural events and arts organizations across Chicago.
• Red HatminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRed Hat appears as a sponsor on ETD materials, supporting the organization's mission to disarm mental health stigma through theatrical performances.
• PepsiCominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPepsiCo is listed as a sponsor supporting Erasing the Distance's programs and events.
• T-MobileminorGTM or Marketing PartnerT-Mobile appears as a sponsor supporting ETD's mental health programming and events.
• TakedaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTakeda Pharmaceuticals is listed as a sponsor supporting Erasing the Distance's mental health awareness programs.
• YLF (Young Leaders Forum)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerYoung Leaders Forum appears as a sponsor on ETD materials.
• iaoshminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIAOSH (International Academy of Safety and Health) is listed as a sponsor supporting ETD.
• IACAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIACA (International Association of Corporate Administrators or similar) appears as a sponsor on ETD materials.
• IICFminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIICF (Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation or similar) appears as a sponsor on ETD materials.
• NorthShoreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNorthShore University HealthSystem is a sponsor for the Room For Light event and programs.
• HMCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHMC (healthcare or community organization) is listed as a sponsor for Room For Light immersive event.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Theater of Witness: Documentary theater methodology that performs true stories of trauma and resilience for healing and social change — directly comparable to ETD's performance-based mental-health storytelling approach.
• The Moth: Storytelling organization producing live true-story events and a podcast; closely comparable format to ETD's public productions and One Story At A Time podcast, though broader in theme.
• Bring Change to Mind: Mental-health storytelling nonprofit co-founded by Glenn Close that uses personal narrative to reduce stigma; shares ETD's mental-health storytelling mission and education-targeted distribution.
• Active Minds: National mental health awareness nonprofit focused on young adult audiences, with student-led programming in high schools and colleges — directly overlapping ETD's education vertical and custom program offerings.
• Tectonic Theater Project: Documentary theater company best known for The Laramie Project; uses real personal stories shaped into performance for social change, the same core methodology ETD employs for mental health storytelling.
• The Story Collider: Nonprofit that produces true, personal stories about science and mental health through live shows and a podcast; nearly identical delivery model to ETD with thematic overlap on mental health narratives.

Broad incumbents

• Mental Health America: Established national mental-health nonprofit with nationwide affiliate network and educational programming; overlaps ETD's mission but operates at far greater scale across broader service lines.
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): Largest U.S. grassroots mental-health advocacy organization with nationwide programming; broader portfolio than ETD but operates in the same mental-health education and stigma-reduction space.

Regional players

• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Chicago-based nonprofit theater company with strong education and community engagement programming; comparable regional footprint, mission-driven nonprofit structure, and corporate sponsorship model, though broader in artistic scope than ETD.

Others

• Washington Performing Arts: Performing arts nonprofit producing live performance and education programming; comparable operational model (live productions, education residencies, donations/sponsorships) though not mental-health focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EraseDistance
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ErasingTheDistance
• Facebookfacebook.com/erasingthedistance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/erasing-the-distance
• Instagraminstagram.com/erasingthedistance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 erasing the distance