Candeo

What Candeo does

Candeo is an Iowa-based not-for-profit organization founded in 1992 (originally as Creative Community Options, rebranded to Candeo in 2008) that delivers community-based disability services to adults across the state. Its core offering spans six programs: Employment Services (individual supported employment, job coaching, and follow-along), Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), Home-Based Habilitation, Host Homes, an Intensive Residential Service Home (IRSH) in Urbandale serving up to four adults with severe and persistent mental health conditions, and Ticket to Work & Social Security Disability Benefits delivered statewide through the Hawkeye Employment Network. The underlying service model is a person-centered, individualized support planning approach — the Discovery Process — that tailors support intensity (from 10 hours/month to 24-hour care) to each client's needs in their home, workplace, and community.

Funding flows through Iowa Medicaid waivers (ID, BI, Hab), Iowa Managed Care Organizations, Polk County, and the Social Security Administration's Ticket to Work program, supplemented by private pay and donations processed via PayPal. The go-to-market is community-led and referral-driven: clients arrive through Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services, the Hawkeye Employment Network, and word-of-mouth in the Iowa disability community, while employer relationships (e.g., Fitness World, Animal Rescue League of Iowa, East Village Spa, Heartland Animal Hospital, Southeast Polk School District, Get Air Trampoline Park) are cultivated to create employment opportunities. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors (Tom Rupprecht as Board Chair since 2016) and operates from its headquarters at 9550 White Oak Lane, Suite 200, Johnston, Iowa, with no parent company, no venture capital ownership, and no disclosed AI or proprietary technology platform.

Name

Candeo

Legal name

Candeo

Website

https://candeoiowa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Candeo is an Iowa not-for-profit that delivers community-based, person-centered services for adults with disabilities, including supported employment, HCBS, Home-Based Habilitation, Host Homes, an Intensive Residential Service Home, and Ticket to Work services statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Support Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (623210), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities (6232)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG), Specialized Assisted Living for Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities (Adult) (HLADABAJ), Housing Transition & Supported Living Navigation (EDAKANAK)

Keywords

• Disability support services
• Community living services
• Supported employment
• Residential habilitation
• Benefits advisement

Headquarters

HQ city

Johnston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts: Candeo receives funding through Medicaid waiver programs (ID, BI, and Hab waivers), fee-for-service arrangements, and Iowa Managed Care Organizations (MCOs). Services are funded by Polk County for eligible individuals.
2. Donations and Philanthropy: Not-for-profit organization accepts donations through PayPal and has donor ambassadors who assist with fundraising efforts. Donations help expand capacity to serve more clients beyond what Medicaid contracts allow.
3. Ticket to Work Program: Social Security Administration's Ticket to Work program provides no-cost services to SSDI/SSI beneficiaries aged 18-64, funded through the Hawkeye Employment Network.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Candeo delivers person-centered community-based disability services to adults with developmental disabilities, brain injuries, chronic mental illness, and intellectual disabilities throughout Iowa. Its core offering encompasses supported employment, in-home habilitation, residential services (Host Homes and Intensive Residential Service Home), and Ticket to Work benefits advisement, with support intensity ranging from 10 hours per month to 24-hour supervision funded through Medicaid waivers, Iowa MCOs, Polk County, and private pay.

Product overview

Candeo is a not-for-profit organization offering a coordinated portfolio of community-based services for adults with disabilities. The service offering consists of six core programs: Employment Services (individual supported employment and job coaching), Home and Community Based Services (HCBS), Home-Based Habilitation, Host Homes, Intensive Residential Service Home (IRSH), and Ticket to Work & Social Security Disability Benefits. Services are person-centered, tailored to individual needs, and funded through Medicaid waivers, Iowa Managed Care Organizations, Polk County, and private pay. The organization began in 1992 as Creative Community Options and rebranded to Candeo in 2008.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Employment Services Individual supported employment and job development services helping clients obtain competitive and customized employment, including job coaching and follow-along support for job stabilization and career advancement.
• Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Community-based living supports provided in people's homes, ranging from hourly services to 24-hour daily support with roommates for adults with developmental disabilities, brain injuries, chronic mental illness, or intellectual disabilities.
• Home-Based Habilitation Person-centered support services based in the home for adults with chronic mental illness, ranging from 10 hours per month to 24-hour support, assisting with daily living skills including cooking, cleaning, budgeting, medication management, and social activities.
• Host Homes Community living arrangements where adults with disabilities live in the private home of an approved independent contractor who provides all needed supports, offering fully-inclusive family-style living for individuals with developmental disabilities, brain injuries, chronic mental illness, or intellectual disabilities.
• Intensive Residential Service Home (IRSH) Intensive 24-hour supervision and behavioral health services in a community-based residential setting for up to four adults with the most severe and persistent mental health conditions and functional impairments.
• Ticket to Work & Social Security Disability Benefits Social Security-approved employment program providing benefit advisement, job search support, resume writing, interview preparation, and employment retention services for SSDI/SSI recipients ages 18-64 through the Hawkeye Employment Network.

Quantifiable outcome

• Clients achieving greater independence, including some transitioning from 24-hour supports to intermittent supports
• +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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hawkeye Employment NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCandeo operates as a Social Security approved Employment Provider through Hawkeye College's Hawkeye Employment Network. This partnership enables Candeo to offer Ticket to Work services to SSDI/SSI beneficiaries statewide in Iowa. The relationship provides access to Social Security Administration's voluntary employment program at no cost to participants.
• Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation ServicescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services refers clients to Candeo for employment services. The partnership supports individuals with disabilities in finding competitive employment through coordinated referral and service delivery.
• Southeast Polk School DistrictminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchool district employer partner providing employment opportunities for Candeo clients like Micah, who joined the building maintenance team at his childhood elementary school.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mosaic: Mosaic is a large national nonprofit providing supported employment, HCBS, residential, and behavioral health services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, comparable in mission, funding model, and service mix to Candeo.
• Exceptional Persons, Inc. (EPI): EPI is an Iowa-based nonprofit providing community living, employment, and day services for individuals with disabilities in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo region, directly comparable to Candeo's Iowa-focused disability services portfolio.
• Sunrise Community: Sunrise Community provides residential, vocational, and community support services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, operating a comparable HCBS-plus-employment service model to Candeo.
• Community Options, Inc. Community Options is a national nonprofit operating residential, employment, and community-based supports for individuals with disabilities, comparable in person-centered model and service breadth to Candeo.
• Marc First: Marc First is an Iowa-based nonprofit offering residential, employment, and in-home services for people with disabilities, operating in a comparable Iowa market with overlapping HCBS and supported employment programs.
• UCP of the Heartland (UCPH): UCP of the Heartland serves individuals with cerebral palsy and other disabilities across Iowa through residential, in-home, and employment supports, directly competing with Candeo for Medicaid waiver and MCO contracts in the same geography.
• Sevita (REM Iowa): Sevita (formerly The MENTOR Network) operates REM Iowa, one of the largest providers of community-based disability services in Iowa, offering supported employment, HCBS, and residential services — directly overlapping Candeo's core service portfolio and Iowa geographic focus.

Regional players

• Hope Services: Hope Services is a California-based nonprofit providing employment, residential, and community supports for people with developmental disabilities, comparable in mission and service mix to Candeo but operating exclusively on the West Coast.

Broad incumbents

• BrightSpring Health Services: BrightSpring is a large, publicly traded diversified provider of home and community health services including behavioral health, home health, and I/DD services across many states — a broad incumbent competing for Iowa Medicaid and MCO contracts.

Others

• Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS): IVRS is the state agency that funds and refers vocational rehabilitation cases in Iowa; it is not a competitor per se but is the primary referral channel for Candeo's employment services and shapes the Iowa supported-employment market dynamics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=xyi2ZZC9RCU&feature=youtu.be
• Xx.com/candeoiowa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/candeo-iowa

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 Candeo