Appana

What Appana does

Appana Território de Aprendizagem is a Brazilian learning and consulting firm that delivers ESG strategy and sustainability reporting services, executive education, organizational development, and ontological coaching to enterprise clients, industry associations, and individual professionals. Founded in 2009 by Káritas Ribas and Paulo Corniani, the company operates from a 12.5-hectare preserved Atlantic Forest campus (Appana Terra) on the border of São Lourenço da Serra and Juquitiba in São Paulo state, roughly 52 km from the capital. Its current offer spans ESG consulting (materiality mapping, sustainability reporting aligned with IFRS S1/S2, transition planning), individual transformative programs such as Programa Appana and Formação Executiva ESG, customized organizational development trails, structured mentorship programs deployed with industry associations, and rentals of the in-house Sala Humberto Maturana facility.

The company's underlying methodology is proprietary ontological coaching grounded in the biology of language and cognition as articulated by Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela (autopoiesis), with elements drawn from Martin Heidegger's ontology. Service delivery combines consulting, executive education, mentorship, and vivencial (experiential) practices, with the 368 sqm Sala Humberto Maturana functioning as a multi-use venue for workshops, retreats, and corporate events. The firm holds a stack of certifications and memberships that is unusual for its category: B Corp (Sistema B), GRI Certified Training Provider, ICF program accreditation, UN Global Compact membership, and Conscious Capitalism affiliate status, and it has held the triple-A Humanizadas "most humanized company in Brazil" rating for three consecutive years (2021-2023).

Commercially, Appana runs a sales-led B2B/B2C hybrid model with revenue generated primarily through professional services engagements - ESG consulting, custom organizational development programs, executive education tuition, and mentorship design and facilitation - plus a venue rental stream (Sala Humberto Maturana) and a small freemium content stream (e-books, Teodolito newsletter, case studies, Appana Revista). Direct enterprise engagement covers large clients across energy, oil & gas, manufacturing, utilities, retail, and food & beverage; individual enrollment flows primarily through the website; sector-association partnerships (IBP, FIESC, UnIBP) provide distribution into industry cohorts. The firm reserves 10-15% of program seats for social scholarships covering 50-100% of fees, and pricing is not publicly disclosed - inquiries are routed via WhatsApp, email, and a contact form.

Name

Appana

Legal name

Appana Território de Aprendizagem

Website

https://appana.com.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Appana is a Brazilian ESG consulting and executive education firm that delivers ontological coaching, organizational development, and sustainability advisory services from a 12.5-hectare Atlantic Forest learning campus to enterprise clients, industry associations, and individual professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Education and ESG Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Talent Management & Leadership Advisory (Succession, Performance, Culture) (BPACAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Project, Program & Product Management (EDAGANAE), Leadership & People Skills (Influence, Managing Up, Supervisory Readiness) (EDAAAKAI), Leadership, Management & Teamwork for Business (EDAMAHAI)

Keywords

• Executive education programs
• ESG consulting services
• Organizational development
• Leadership development coaching
• Corporate sustainability training

Headquarters

HQ city

São Paulo

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin 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. ESG Consulting Services: Strategy ESG consulting engagements for organizations seeking to implement, improve, or report on environmental, social, and governance practices. Includes materiality mapping, sustainability reporting, and transition planning for IFRS S1/S2 compliance.
2. Executive Education Programs: Fee-based educational programs including Programa Appana (transformative development journey), Formação Executiva ESG (executive ESG training), organizational development trails, and mentorship programs. Programs target both individuals and corporate clients.
3. Organizational Development & Mentorship: Customized organizational development programs, mentorship programs, and leadership strengthening initiatives delivered to corporate clients and industry associations. Revenue generated through program design, facilitation, and ongoing mentorship services.
4. E-books and Content Downloads: Free and premium digital content including e-books (e.g., 'A arte de fazer boas perguntas', 'Coaching é outra coisa', '5 ingredientes para coordenar grupos eficazes'), case studies, and the Teodolito curated newsletter. Some content requires registration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Appana Território de Aprendizagem delivers professional development services through ESG strategy consulting, executive education programs, organizational development trails, and structured mentorship initiatives. The company applies a proprietary ontological coaching methodology grounded in the biology of language and cognition, complemented by experiential learning at its 12.5-hectare Appana Terra campus in São Paulo state. Services target enterprise organizations, industry associations, and individual professionals seeking conscious leadership, sustainability strategy, and humanized culture transformation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Appana Terra: A 12.5-hectare environmental preservation learning space located between São Lourenço da Serra and Juquitiba municipalities, featuring the Sala Humberto Maturana for workshops and training.
• Appana Flow
• Banco de Coachees

Products and services

• Consultoria ESG (ESG Strategy Consulting)

Quantifiable outcome

• Triple AAA Humanizadas rating (highest level) - most humanized company in Brazil for 3 consecutive years (2021-2023)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FIESC - Federação das Indústrias do Estado de Santa CatarinacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with FIESC for the formation of mentors within the FIESC Membership Program. Appana conducted a dynamic and participatory in-person workshop for mentor training, including practical activities, group discussions, case studies, and reflections on the mentor's role in the organizational context. The program was designed to establish clear strategic objectives for mentorship, develop essential skills (active listening, assertive communication, systemic thinking), and present methodology and practical instruments for structured mentorship.
• IBP - Instituto Brasileiro de Petróleo e GáscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Ongoing strategic partnership with IBP for the delivery of the Women's Leadership Mentorship Program in the Oil & Gas Industry. The program, conducted through UnIBP (Universidade do Setor de Petróleo e Gás), has been delivered across multiple editions (3rd through 9th), developing women leaders in O&G. The 9th edition gathered 36 professionals from 13 companies including Petrobras, Karoon, Aker, Chevron, and BW Energy. The program was a finalist for the WPC Excellence Awards.
• HumanizadascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Appana participates in the Humanizadas Melhores Empresas para o Brasil research program. Humanizadas conducted independent assessment of Appana's stakeholders (110 surveyed), evaluating the company across dimensions of Reputação da Marca, Princípios de Gestão, and Cultura Organizacional, as well as principles of Propósito, Estratégia de valor compartilhado, Cultura consciente, Capacidade de aprendizado e mudança, and Liderança consciente. Appana received triple AAA rating for 3 consecutive years.
• HSM ManagementminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023HSM Management featured Appana's recognition as the most humanized company in Brazil in their publication. Appana's founder Káritas Ribas participated in the awards ceremony panel on 'Lideranças – O papel das organizações para o futuro do país' alongside other leaders.
• AlelominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Káritas Ribas participated in a conversation on the Alelo blog about sustainability culture and greenwashing, discussing how companies can build consistent, ethical, and lasting paths in corporate sustainability.
• ICF Brasil - International Coaching FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Appana participates in ICF Brasil events including International Coaching Week (ICW). Káritas Ribas presented webinars 'Liderança ESG' at ICW 2021 and 'Construindo o Futuro' at ICW 2022. ICF provides the platform while Appana contributes thought leadership on ESG and coaching. Appana holds ICF accreditation for its coaching programs.
• COEXIST PodcastminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Káritas Ribas appeared as a guest on the COEXIST podcast (Episode #4) for a conversation about ESG, sustainability, and organizational culture topics.
• ECHOS Design SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Káritas Ribas, Appana's founder, serves as a professor in ECHOS Design School's Specialisation in Facilitation Design course, teaching complexity and facilitation design. Interview conducted with ECHOS about complexity theory and its application in organizational contexts.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fundação Dom Cabral: Brazilian business school delivering executive education, ESG and leadership programs to enterprise clients. The most direct Brazilian peer to Appana in terms of geography, audience and program types, though at significantly larger scale.
• Insper: Brazilian institution combining teaching, research and executive education with significant programs in leadership, governance and sustainability. Comparable to Appana in audience (corporates and professionals in Brazil) and in the executive education/ESG intersection.
• Center for Creative Leadership: Research-driven executive education and leadership development provider serving individual leaders and enterprise clients. Highly comparable in audience and intent, with a stronger research and IP engine behind its programs.
• FIA (Fundação Instituto de Administração): Brazilian institution delivering executive education and applied business research to corporate clients. Comparable in geography and audience, with overlapping themes in sustainability and management development.
• DDI (Development Dimensions International): Specialist in leadership development programs, assessment and selection for global enterprises. Direct peer for Appana's behavioral-based leadership and development pipeline work, with a more codified and global product suite.
• WayCarbon: Brazilian sustainability and climate strategy consultancy offering carbon management, ESG strategy and reporting services. Directly comparable to Appana's ESG consulting stream, including materiality and IFRS-aligned reporting, but specialized in climate rather than broader organizational development.
• FranklinCovey: Global leadership development and training firm selling enterprise programs in culture, leadership and execution. Closely comparable to Appana's leadership development, executive education and organizational development offerings, but at much greater scale and with broader geographic reach.
• BTS Group: Provider of executive education, business simulations and leadership development for enterprise clients. Directly comparable to Appana in audience (mid-to-senior leaders), methodology (experiential learning) and B2B sales-led GTM.

Broad incumbents

• Heidrick & Struggles: Global leadership advisory firm focused on executive search and leadership consulting. Touches Appana's leadership and organizational development space but operates as a much broader, multi-line professional services incumbent.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm spanning executive search, leadership development and talent advisory. Overlaps with Appana's leadership advisory and organizational development offerings but at far greater scale and as part of a much broader portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/TerritorioAppana
• Facebookfacebook.com/territorioappana
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/territorioappana
• Instagraminstagram.com/territorioappana
• Xx.com/appanabr

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 Appana