Empowerment Through Entertainment

Kollaboration was founded in 2000 by stand-up comedian Paul “PK” Kim as a talent show for aspiring Korean American artists to share their talents with the public. Looking around, PK had noticed that while there were countless cultural shows being produced that showcased Asian heritage culture, there were fewer opportunities for his peers to show of their own contemporary artistic pursuits, such as music, hip hop, and dancing. He decided to gather friends and supporters to produce a talent competition of his own that would showcase Korean American artists called Kollaboration. The success of that first show led to a second, and a third, and Kollaboration eventually expanded to other American cities and grew into a nationwide Pan-Asian movement, officially incorporating as a 501c3 non-profit organization in 2006.

Kollaboration today is a community organization dedicated to supporting Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi Americans (APIDA) who aspire to pursue a career in the arts. We believe that artistry is one of the most effective and inspiring forms of activism, capable of changing hearts and minds to perceive the world as a more inclusive and harmonious place. We promote the creation of new narratives by discovering, elevating, showcasing, and connecting the creative talents of the APIDA community to empowering aspiring artists to DREAM BIG and pursue creative careers. In addition to our own programs, Kollaboration has also been a producing partner promoting APIDA representation in major industry events such as the Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, Tribeca Film Festival, and more.

Kollaboration is a 501(c)3 organization based in Los Angeles. Active Kollaboration teams can also be found supporting local APIDA communities in San Francisco and Atlanta.

 Our Mission

Kollaboration’s mission is to discover, elevate, showcase, and connect the artistic and creative energies of our communities.

Discover

There’s hidden talent everywhere within our communities. Kollaboration actively uncovers the creative talents within the API community and shines a light on those pursuing their creative crafts.

Elevate

Kollaboration nurtures and supports the creative talents of the API community. Providing guidance and mentorship to young talent and opportunities for experienced artists to improve the collective quality of creative output.

Showcase

Kollaboration provides opportunities to bring exceptional API talent to a larger audience and in turn inspiring the Asian American and mainstream communities to demand and expect better representation in mainstream media.

Connect

Kollaboration brings the creative energies of the API community together to create opportunities for collaboration and new projects.

Kollaboration Staff & Leadership