tropicalfete

What tropicalfete does

Tropicalfete, Inc. is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and educating Caribbean cultural arts for diaspora communities in New York. The organization operates from a 13,000 sq. ft. ground-level cultural hub at 850 New York Avenue, Brooklyn, where it delivers programming spanning steel pan, stilt walking, limbo, masquerade, dance, music therapy, and STEM-integrated cultural education. It serves K-12 schools, senior centers, healthcare/medical institutions, community health programs, corporate clients, and individual consumers through on-site classes, off-site performances, and large public events including the annual Caribbean Pop-Up Carnival in Times Square and the Brooklyn Carnival Festival.

The organization's product surface includes cultural arts classes and workshops, professional entertainment services (steel pan, stilt walkers, limbo dance, DJ), music and art therapy, a scholarship program awarding up to three students annually, and the Lyrical Wall installation featuring lyrics and quotes from over 100 Caribbean artists with QR-enabled virtual access. Its technology footprint centers on the Tropicalfete Limbo Game mobile application (launched June 2023 on Google Play and Apple App Stores) and STEM-and-culture educational tools that teach students coding, graphic design, and app development in service of cultural preservation. Merchandise including 500-piece jigsaw puzzles and apparel is sold through Amazon and an own storefront.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across six streams: quote-based space rental of the Brooklyn venue; per-hour/per-performer private entertainment bookings; customizable corporate entertainment packages; hardware/merchandise sales; a freemium mobile game with optional in-app donations channeled to scholarships; and tax-deductible donations plus government/grantor funding. Pricing is largely quote-based and varies by event requirements. The organization is led by President and Founder Alton Aimable, with Keith Marcelle serving as a Board Member. Notable partnerships include Chase Bank (Mas at Chase financial empowerment series, Aug 2025), Brooklyn Public Library (recurring Carnival Festival co-presenter), the Brooklyn Nets (Barclays Center recognition, Feb 2024), and a $125,000 capital grant from Assemblymember Brian Cunningham (Oct 2024) for facility and technology upgrades.

Name

tropicalfete

Legal name

Tropicalfete, Inc.

Website

https://tropicalfete.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Tropicalfete, Inc. is a Brooklyn-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers Caribbean cultural arts education, professional entertainment, music therapy, and community programming through a 13,000 sq. ft. venue, serving schools, senior centers, healthcare institutions, corporate clients, and diaspora communities in New York.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Arts Education and Community Entertainment

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education & Community Programs (Junior Ranger, Citizen Science, School Programs) (THAAAGAK)

Keywords

• Caribbean cultural education
• Community arts programs
• Cultural entertainment services
• Caribbean heritage preservation
• Nonprofit cultural arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Cultural Space Rental: Rental of 13,000 sq. ft. community space at 850 New York Avenue, Brooklyn for private celebrations, corporate events, performances, and educational programs. Pricing is quote-based.
2. Private Entertainment Services: Provides entertainment for weddings, corporate events, birthdays, fundraisers with performers including stilt walkers, steel pan, limbo dance, LIVE DJ, and dance services. Charges per hour per performer.
3. Corporate Entertainment: Entertainment solutions for corporate galas, product launches, team building retreats, award ceremonies, and conferences. Customizable entertainment packages.
4. Merchandise Sales: Sale of merchandise including puzzles, music releases, and branded items through Amazon and own storefront.
5. Mobile Gaming: Limbo game app available on mobile platforms. Playing the game is free; optional donations support scholarship program.
6. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations, instrument donations, and government/grantor funding for nonprofit operations and scholarship programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tropicalfete is a Brooklyn-based nonprofit that delivers Caribbean cultural arts education through in-school and after-school classes, senior center programming, mobile gaming, and live entertainment services. It also operates a 13,000 sq. ft. community cultural hub used for classes, performances, and venue rentals, and runs ancillary offerings such as a mobile limbo game, branded merchandise, puzzles, and a scholarship program for students.

Product overview

Tropicalfete offers a portfolio of cultural enrichment products and services centered on Caribbean arts, music, and heritage preservation. Core products include the Tropicalfete Limbo Game (a mobile app celebrating Caribbean dance traditions), puzzle products, and merchandise. The organization provides diverse service offerings including cultural programs for schools and senior centers, corporate and private entertainment services (steel pan performances, stilt walking, limbo dance, DJ services), music and art therapy programs, STEM and culture education, the Authors Connecting cultural reading program, a 13,000 sq ft community space for rental, and scholarship programs. The Lyrical Wall serves as a cultural installation and archive of Caribbean artistic expression.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cultural Arts Classes and Community Programs Caribbean cultural arts education classes and workshops covering steel pan, masquerade, stilt walking, limbo, costume design, and dance, delivered to schools, senior centers, and community participants.
• Private Entertainment Services Bookable Caribbean entertainment for private events featuring stilt walkers, steel pan, limbo dance, LIVE DJ, and dance performers, charged per hour per performer.
• Corporate Entertainment Solutions Curated Caribbean-themed entertainment packages for corporate events such as galas, product launches, conferences, and team building, providing cultural diversity and engagement.
• Cultural Space Rental Rental of the 13,000 sq. ft. Tropicalfete community cultural space with 14 ft ceilings for private celebrations, corporate events, performances, and educational programs, priced via quote.
• Tropicalfete Limbo Game A free Caribbean limbo dance mobile game on Google Play and Apple App Store where players lean under obstacles across multiple backgrounds, supporting the organization's scholarship program via optional donations.
• Tropicalfete Caribbean Puzzle A 500-piece jigsaw puzzle featuring Caribbean cultural imagery, sold via Amazon as a branded product supporting the nonprofit's mission.
• Tropicalfete Branded Merchandise Apparel and branded merchandise items featuring Tropicalfete branding and Caribbean cultural themes, sold through the organization's online storefront to support nonprofit operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 3 students annually receive college scholarships through scholarship program
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chase BankcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 August 2025Partnership for 'Mas at Chase' series of cultural and financial empowerment events at multiple Brooklyn Chase Bank locations. Events include live performances, refreshments, school bag giveaways, and financial workshops on budgeting, saving, and goal setting. Alton Aimable, President of Tropicalfete, quoted emphasizing building bridges between culture and financial literacy.
• Brooklyn Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 May 2025Collaboration for Carnival Festival in celebration of Caribbean American Heritage Month. Brooklyn Public Library and Tropicalfete co-present cultural programming for the community.
• Brooklyn NetsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 February 2024Tropicalfete was honored by the Brooklyn Nets during the West Indian Heritage and Culture Celebration at Barclays Center during a game against the Atlanta Hawks. Recognition for outstanding community service and commitment to fostering cultural awareness.
• Brooklyn Public Library (Adult Learning Literacy Zone)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 September 2021Partnership for Carnival Festival celebrating Caribbean culture, calypso, soca, steel pan, and masquerade at Brooklyn Public Library Plaza. The 2021 event commemorated the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and included community partners: Grow NYC, NYPD, NeON, NYC Office of the Mayor, NY State Council on the Arts, and NYC Cultural Affairs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI): NYC-based nonprofit dedicated to Caribbean and African diaspora cultural preservation, education, and community programming. Directly comparable as a Caribbean-heritage cultural nonprofit with similar educational and community programming mission.
• The Billie Holiday Theatre: Brooklyn-based performing arts nonprofit presenting African-American and Caribbean-diaspora programming. Comparable in mission and geography as a Brooklyn-rooted cultural arts institution serving the African and Caribbean diaspora.
• National Black Theatre: Harlem-based Black-led cultural arts nonprofit producing theater and community programs. Comparable as a community-rooted cultural arts nonprofit combining performance, education, and cultural preservation programming.
• Cool Culture: NYC nonprofit expanding cultural access for families and children through partnerships with cultural institutions. Comparable in cultural access mission and partnership-driven community programming model.
• Dance/NYC: NYC-based dance service and advocacy nonprofit supporting dance artists and communities. Comparable as a New York dance-culture-supporting nonprofit, particularly relevant to Tropicalfete's dance programming.
• The Laundromat Project: NYC nonprofit making art and cultural programming accessible in neighborhood settings. Comparable as a community-rooted cultural arts nonprofit focused on cultural equity and neighborhood-level programming.
• Harlem Stage: NYC performing arts nonprofit producing performing arts programming rooted in the African-diaspora experience. Comparable as a community-rooted performing arts nonprofit serving diaspora audiences.

Broad incumbents

• Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM): Major Brooklyn performing arts institution presenting diverse programming including Caribbean-diaspora work (DanceAfrica). Comparable as a Brooklyn venue operator and cultural programming anchor with much larger scale.
• City Parks Foundation: NYC nonprofit producing large-scale community cultural programming, festivals, and education in public spaces. Comparable as a community-events-driven cultural programming organization with education components.

Others

• ASALH (Association for the Study of African American Life and History): National organization promoting African American history and heritage through programs and partnerships. Comparable as an adjacent heritage-preservation nonprofit with education programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tropicalfete
• YouTubeyoutube.com/tropicalfete
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Tropicalfete/204580022899167
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tropicalfete-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/tropicalfete

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 tropicalfete