What IA Collaborative does

IA Collaborative is a Chicago-based global design and innovation consultancy founded in 2000 by Dan Kraemer and Kathleen Brandenburg. The firm serves enterprise clients across healthcare, financial services, technology, consumer goods, and transportation — with a named roster that includes Google, Apple, Airbnb, United Airlines, Goldman Sachs, Eli Lilly, AbbVie, Johnson & Johnson, Nike, FedEx, Adobe, Carrier, MD Anderson, Dexcom, P&G, Samsung, Microsoft, Amazon, Audi, Allstate, Charles Schwab, Discover, Medtronic, and Steelcase. Operations span North America (USA, Canada), Europe (UK, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland), and Asia (India), though the company maintains a single headquarters at 218 S. Wabash Avenue, Chicago.

The firm's technology and methodology stack centers on three proprietary frameworks: the Seven Elements of Innovation (Offerings, Experiences, Brands, Channels, Partners, Operations, Profit Models), the IDEALS Framework (Intelligence, Data, Experience, Autonomy, Learning, Security) for custom AI implementation, and the Collaborative Intelligence Stack — a five-layer architecture comprising Intelligence Interface, Continuous Evaluation Framework, Domain Ontology, Multimodal Ingestion System, and Computational Graph Engine. Productized offerings include Collaborative Intelligence Software, Agentic Web Experiences (branded AI assistants, agentic digital products, multi-agent marketplaces, autonomous commerce), and AI Transformation Consulting. Service delivery is organized into four pillars: Behavioral Insight & Intent Intelligence, Enterprise Data & AI Strategy, Experience and Product, and Operating Model Transformation.

The business operates as a professional services consultancy on a private, project-based engagement model with no public pricing disclosure. Revenue derives from consulting fees, with new movements toward ongoing AI servicing for regulated industries. Customer acquisition is consultative and enterprise-led, supported by thought leadership, Fast Company and IDSA IDEA awards, and a referral network across the Fortune 500 client base. IA Collaborative is organized as IA Collaborative Holdings, LLC., an Illinois-domiciled LLC, and remains founder-led without recorded external investment.

Name

IA Collaborative

Legal name

IA Collaborative Holdings, LLC.

Website

https://iacollaborative.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

IA Collaborative is a Chicago-headquartered global design and innovation consultancy founded in 2000, serving Fortune 500 enterprises across healthcare, financial services, technology, and consumer goods with human-centered design, AI transformation, and proprietary frameworks including the Collaborative Intelligence Stack and IDEALS model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Design and Innovation Consulting

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Workplace & Collaboration Consulting (BPAHAEAH)

Keywords

• Design innovation consulting
• Enterprise AI strategy
• Human-centered design
• Collaborative intelligence software
• Operating model transformation

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. Professional Services Engagements: IA Collaborative generates revenue through client engagements including design consulting projects, strategy workshops, research initiatives, and implementation partnerships. Revenue is earned through project-based professional service engagements rather than recurring subscriptions or product licensing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IA Collaborative is a design and innovation consultancy that sells AI-powered solutions and strategic consulting services to enterprise clients. Core offerings include Collaborative Intelligence Software (custom AI builds), Agentic Web Experiences (branded AI assistants and autonomous digital products), AI Transformation Consulting, and four service pillars: Behavioral Insight & Intent Intelligence, Enterprise Data & AI Strategy, Experience and Product, and Operating Model Transformation.

Product overview

IA Collaborative offers a portfolio of AI-powered solutions and strategic consulting services. The core offerings include Collaborative Intelligence Software (configurable or custom AI solutions powered by the proprietary Collaborative Intelligence Stack), Agentic Web Experiences (branded AI assistants and autonomous digital products), and AI Transformation Consulting (enterprise strategy and change management). The Collaborative Intelligence Stack is a five-layer architecture comprising Intelligence Interface, Continuous Evaluation Framework, Domain Ontology, Multimodal Ingestion System, and Computational Graph Engine. Supporting these products is the IDEALS Framework methodology for custom AI implementation and the Seven Elements of Innovation model for business strategy. The company also provides four integrated service pillars: Behavioral Insight & Intent Intelligence, Enterprise Data & AI Strategy, Experience and Product design, and Operating Model Transformation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Design for Women: A roundtable series and connector network addressing topics acutely experienced by women but under-addressed by design.
• Seven Elements of Innovation
• IDEALS Framework
• Collaborative Intelligence Stack

Products and services

• Collaborative Intelligence Software Configurable or fully custom AI builds powered by the proprietary Collaborative Intelligence Stack, with ongoing AI servicing for regulated industries. Designed for enterprises seeking custom AI implementations grounded in their proprietary data.
• Agentic Web Experiences Branded AI assistants, agentic digital products, multi-agent marketplaces, autonomous commerce capabilities, and branded context layers for AI-mediated digital experiences. Built for enterprises wanting to deploy autonomous AI agents in their customer-facing digital products.
• AI Transformation Consulting Enterprise AI strategy and roadmapping, workflow re-architecture across trust, UX, and intelligence dimensions, industry-specific AI playbooks, and change management for AI adoption. Designed for organizations embedding AI across operations and products.
• Behavioral Insight & Intent Intelligence Research-led service pillar including ethnographic and AI-mediated research, intent and journey modeling, generative search and AI visibility strategy, and experience validation and testing. Built for enterprises seeking actionable user insights to inform product and experience decisions.
• Enterprise Data & AI Strategy Strategic services including AI-native business strategy, enterprise AI roadmaps, data flywheels and model advantage, ecosystem and platform strategy, and investment and value modeling. Built for executives defining AI strategy and quantifying AI investment value.
• Experience and Product Design and engineering services including AI architecture and platform design, constitutional AI and behavioral guardrails, citation and truth architecture, generative experience design, security and compliance, and red teaming and adversarial testing. Designed for organizations building AI-enabled products and digital experiences.
• Operating Model Transformation Organizational transformation services including zero-based workflow redesign, the Work Chart Model, human-agent escalation design, governance and oversight structures, implementation sequencing and playbooks, and change leadership and executive enablement. Designed for enterprises restructuring operating models around AI and human-agent collaboration.

Quantifiable outcome

• $120 million revenue increase following digital platform redesign (United Airlines)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• IDEO: IDEO is the prototypical design and innovation consultancy serving Fortune 500 clients across strategy, product design, and digital transformation — a direct head-to-head competitor for the same human-centered design mandates IA Collaborative pursues.
• Pentagram: Pentagram is an independent design consultancy serving major brands across identity, product, and digital experience. Comparable boutique scale and enterprise client roster, though Pentagram is more brand/identity focused while IA Collaborative is broader on strategy.
• Fjord (Accenture): Fjord is Accenture Interactive's design and innovation arm, focusing on human-centered design, service design, and experience strategy for enterprise clients. Direct overlap with IA Collaborative's offering and customer profile.
• frog design: frog (now part of Capgemini Engineering) is a global design and innovation consultancy with deep enterprise relationships across consumer electronics, automotive, and healthcare — directly comparable in offering mix and client profile to IA Collaborative.
• Smart Design: Smart Design is a global design and innovation consultancy working with enterprise clients on product, brand, and digital experience strategy — comparable boutique scale and human-centered methodology to IA Collaborative.

Broad incumbents

• Accenture: Accenture is a global professional services leader with deep digital, design, and AI transformation capabilities (including Fjord). Its scale, geographic reach, and ability to bundle design into multi-million-dollar transformation deals make it a key competitor.
• McKinsey & Company: McKinsey is a global management consulting leader whose McKinsey Design practice competes for the same enterprise transformation mandates. Far larger scale, broader service portfolio, and deeper C-suite access make it the dominant incumbent in this space.
• Deloitte Digital: Deloitte Digital is the digital transformation arm of one of the Big Four, offering strategy, design, technology, and AI services to Fortune 500 enterprises — a broad incumbent that bundles design into larger transformation engagements.
• Boston Consulting Group (BCG): BCG is a top-tier management consulting firm with a strong digital design and innovation practice (BCG X, BCG Platinion). It competes for the same Fortune 500 transformation budgets that IA Collaborative targets.

Emerging players

• Ustwo: Ustwo is a global digital product studio working with enterprise clients on product design, software, and digital transformation. Comparable in approach to IA Collaborative but typically earlier-stage in client relationships and more product-engineering focused.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iacollaborative
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ia-collaborative
• Instagraminstagram.com/iacollaborative
• Facebookfacebook.com/IACollaborative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 IA Collaborative