dshnyc.org

What dshnyc.org does

Drag Artists for Expression NYC (DAE NYC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in 2016 (operating as a not-for-profit since 2017) that produces storytelling and creative arts programs for children and teens, presented by local drag artists, across libraries, schools, museums, festivals, parks, and community spaces in all five boroughs of New York City and virtually. The portfolio includes signature 45-minute storytelling for ages 3-8, bilingual sessions in Spanish, Cantonese, and Mandarin, middle- and high-school "Reading with Royalty" programs, makeup demonstrations, Drag Lab persona-building workshops, kids' parties, and an adult After Dark tier. The organization rebranded from Drag Queen Story Hour NYC in February 2025 to broaden the scope beyond drag queens while the legal name remained Drag Queen Story Hour NYC Ltd.

DAE NYC is governed by a Steering Committee of staff, storytellers, and legal board members and is run by an entirely BIPOC LGBTQ+ staff under Executive Director Yun-Hee Proffit. It is an approved vendor with all three NYC public library systems (Brooklyn, NYPL, Queens) and the NYC Department of Education, and maintains storyteller-training partnerships with two of those library systems. Differentiated features include ASL interpretation via Inclusive Communication Services, sensory kits for neurodiverse learners, and a curriculum-committee-curated book list.

The business model blends earned revenue with public and philanthropic funding. Program fees follow a sliding scale across eight publicly disclosed tiers from free (public schools, city-funded libraries) up to $2,000 (corporate in-person). Tax-deductible donations flow through Givebutter and fundraising events, and merchandise (tote bags, stickers) contributes supplemental revenue. The organization is primarily funded through grants from the New York State Council on the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (with NYC City Council support), NYC Department of Transportation, and Heritage of Pride, plus individual council-member discretionary appropriations. In 2025, DAE NYC produced 165 programs serving over 5,000 youth, and has cumulatively delivered over 1,000 storytime workshops to more than 25,000 people since 2017.

Name

dshnyc.org

Legal name

Drag Queen Story Hour NYC Ltd

Website

https://dshnyc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Drag Artists for Expression NYC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces storytelling and creative arts programs for children and teens, delivered by drag artists at libraries, schools, and community spaces across all five NYC boroughs and virtually. It serves youth (ages 3-18), families, schools, and corporate clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education and Storytelling Services

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Creative Arts, Music & Movement Content (EDAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Kids & Family Learning Workshops (Family Crafts, Junior Maker Classes) (THAJAKAO), Beauty, Fashion & Personal Styling Classes (Makeup, Hairstyling, Fashion, Grooming) (THAJAKAJ)

Keywords

• Drag story hour
• Youth storytelling programs
• LGBTQ+ education workshops
• Creative arts for kids
• Bilingual storytime services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York City

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Sliding scale program fees for various categories including free programs for public schools, subsidized rates for community organizations, and standard/corporate rates for private schools and businesses
2. Donations: Tax-deductible donations through their website (Givebutter platform) and fundraising events
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including tote bags, stickers through their online store

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Drag Artists for Expression NYC produces storytelling and creative arts programs for children and teens, presented by local drag artists, in libraries, schools, and other community spaces across all five boroughs of New York City and virtually. Programs include signature storytime for ages 3-8, bilingual offerings in Spanish, Cantonese, and Mandarin, middle and high school reading programs, makeup tutorials, Drag Lab workshops, and adult After Dark programming. The organization also generates revenue through donations, public grants, and branded merchandise including tote bags, stickers, and Dragtivity activity books.

Product overview

Drag Artists for Expression NYC is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of educational programming centered on drag storytelling and creative arts. The core offerings include signature storytelling programs for ages 3-8, bilingual programs in Spanish/English and Cantonese/Mandarin, middle and high school reading programs, makeup tutorials, and Drag Lab workshops. The organization also provides adult programming (After Dark) and children's party entertainment. Supplementary offerings include virtual Online Storytimes on YouTube, downloadable Coloring Pages, Dragtivity Books, and branded merchandise (tote bags and stickers). Programs serve libraries, schools, museums, festivals, parks, and community spaces across all five NYC boroughs, with most programs offered free to public schools and libraries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Signature Program - Drag Artists for Expression NYC 45-minute storytelling program for children ages 3-8 in which a local drag artist reads picture books, sings songs, leads movement, and offers an age-appropriate introduction to drag as dress-up and play. Delivered in-person at venues or virtually.
• Bilingual Drag Artists for Expression NYC Storytelling program for children ages 3+ delivered in Spanish and English, Cantonese and English, or Mandarin and English. Drag performers read picture books in both languages, sing songs, and lead movement activities.
• Reading with Royalty: Middle School 45-minute program for ages 10-14 where a drag artist reads an excerpt from a queer middle grade book and leads a discussion. Must be booked one month in advance.
• Reading with Royalty: High School 45-minute program for ages 14-18 where a drag artist reads an excerpt from a queer YA book and leads a discussion. Must be booked one month in advance.
• The Art of Drag: Makeup Demo & Conversation 60-minute live makeup tutorial and demonstration for ages 8-18. Participants learn makeup tips and tricks from a drag artist, with an option to follow along and ask questions.
• Kids' Parties 45-minute birthday party programs for kids of all ages (max 20 kids), available virtually or in-person at publicly accessible spaces.
• DAE NYC After Dark: For Adults 45-minute adult program for office holiday parties, baby showers, bachelorette parties, or birthday parties. Features picture book readings, lip sync performances, movement activities, and interactive games.
• Drag Lab 60-75 minute program in which two storytellers assist participants in finding their own drag personas through discussions, interactive exercises, and costuming. All materials provided.
• Mary Beth Dromm Fund Free storytelling service for community members who lack access to DAE NYC programs or do not have the means to bring programming to their district. Annual grant awarded on July 1st.
• DAE NYC Merchandise - Tote Bags and Stickers Branded merchandise including canvas colored tote bags ($35 each) and vinyl waterproof glitter stickers ($5 each or 3 for $10), sold through the online store.

Quantifiable outcome

• 165 programs serving over 5,000 youth in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Brooklyn Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStoryteller training partnership; one of the first libraries to welcome DAE as an ongoing program; approved vendor relationship
• New York Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStoryteller training partnership; approved vendor relationship with NYPL system
• Queens Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved vendor relationship with Queens Public Library system
• NYC Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved vendor with NYC DOE for school programming; supports GSA Summit and other educational initiatives
• Inclusive Communication ServicessupportingTechnology or IntegrationProvides free ASL interpretation for DAE programs
• Meatpacking Business Improvement DistrictsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted weekly DQSH livestream during COVID-19 pandemic; supports digital programming

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Atlantic Theater Company: NYC Off-Broadway nonprofit that operates Atlantic for Kids, a programming arm delivering live theater and storytelling to young NYC audiences. Comparable as a NYC performing-arts nonprofit with dedicated children's programming.
• New Victory Theater: NYC's nonprofit performing arts venue dedicated to presenting work for kids and families. Comparable as a NYC-based arts organization delivering live performance programming to youth audiences with similar institutional partnership patterns.
• Trusty Sidekick Theater Company: NYC-based nonprofit creating original theater for young audiences (ages 2-11) with a focus on inclusive, identity-affirming storytelling. Overlaps directly with DAE NYC's inclusive-arts-for-kids mission and NYC institutional delivery model.
• TADA! Youth Theater: NYC nonprofit producing original musical theater for and with young people, with in-school residencies and mainstage programming. Comparable as a NYC youth-arts-education nonprofit with school-partnership delivery model.
• New York City Children's Theater: NYC nonprofit producing original theater and arts programming for young audiences and families across the five boroughs. Comparable target market (NYC youth/families), live arts delivery model, and institutional school/community partnerships.
• Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana: NYC nonprofit offering flamenco dance and arts education programs for schools and communities citywide. Comparable as a NYC arts-education nonprofit delivering live cultural-arts programming to public schools and communities.

Others

• Family Equality: National LGBTQ+ family-advocacy nonprofit serving LGBTQ+ families and children. Comparable mission around supporting LGBTQ+ youth and family visibility, though operates nationally and focuses on advocacy/policy rather than direct arts programming.
• The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center: NYC's LGBTQ+ community center providing youth, family, and arts/cultural programming. Comparable target population (LGBTQ+ youth and families in NYC) and overlapping public-funding and donor ecosystem.
• PFLAG NYC: NYC chapter of the national LGBTQ+ family-support organization, offering programming and resources for LGBTQ+ youth, parents, and families. Comparable mission and family/youth audience, though delivery is support/community-oriented rather than arts programming.

Direct peers

• Drag Queen Story Hour: Original San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) founded in 2015 that pioneered the drag story hour format inspiring DAE NYC. Operates the same model of drag artists delivering storytime programming to children and families.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@DragExpressionNYC
• Facebookfacebook.com/DragExpressionNYC
• Instagraminstagram.com/dragexpressionnyc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/drag-queen-story-hour-nyc-ltd

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 dshnyc.org