Community At Work
Community At Work is a San Francisco-based consulting firm, think tank, and training provider founded in 1987, specializing in participatory decision-making, group facilitation, and multi-stakeholder collaboration for governments, nonprofits, and corporations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Community At Work does
Community At Work is a privately held San Francisco-based consulting firm, think tank, and training provider founded in 1987 by Sam Kaner. The firm specializes in participatory approaches to organizational change, group facilitation, and multi-stakeholder collaboration, serving governments, nonprofits/NGOs, foundations, universities, and corporate clients. Its practice is built around a proprietary methodology for participatory decision-making, including documented frameworks such as the Divergent–Groan Zone–Convergent Zone model, visual modeling of interpersonal processes, and a 23-page Facilitative Listening Skills technique, all of which are codified in the firm's flagship publication, 'Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making' (first edition 1996, third edition 2014, 150,000+ copies sold, 10+ language translations).
The company's revenue is generated through three professional-services streams: (1) direct consulting, facilitation, and coaching engagements for organizations such as Google, eBay, Genentech, Kaiser Permanente, the United Nations, and the California Supreme Court; (2) public and sponsored Group Facilitation Skills workshops delivered in-person in San Francisco, Rome, Melbourne, and Canberra and online via Zoom, priced at $1,695-$1,995 per participant (or €2,200 internationally) with nonprofit/self-employed discounts; and (3) book and publication sales. The firm operates with 11-50 employees and a small senior team, supplemented by a network of affiliated regional consultants who deliver workshops in the US, Europe (Process Change), and Asia Pacific (PB Leadership & Coaching).
Go-to-market is enterprise field sales combined with event-driven public programs: client acquisition is driven primarily by word-of-mouth, the firm's published book, founder-led conference speaking (40+ engagements), and a monthly Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration Forum. The company maintains a limited digital footprint (website plus a single Facebook page, no paid advertising or active social selling). Community At Work is a founder-owned, capital-light professional services firm with no outside institutional investment, no acquisitions, and no disclosed funding rounds; its competitive position rests on content IP, senior practitioner reputation, and a niche specialization in facilitation methodology rather than on technology platforms or scale advantages.
Community At Work firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Community At Work
- Legal name
- Community At Work
- Website
- https://communityatwork.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Community At Work is a San Francisco-based consulting firm, think tank, and training provider founded in 1987, specializing in participatory decision-making, group facilitation, and multi-stakeholder collaboration for governments, nonprofits, and corporations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Community At Work industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Management Consulting / Organizational Development Services
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Workplace & Collaboration Consulting (BPAHAEAH)
Keywords
Where Community At Work is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Community At Work business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Consulting Services: Direct consulting, facilitation, and coaching engagements with organizations seeking support for team development, organizational change, and multi-stakeholder collaboration
- Training Workshops: Public workshops and sponsored training programs teaching group facilitation skills, priced at $1,695-$1,995 USD or €2,200 for international sessions, with discounts for nonprofits
- Publications: Sale of books including 'Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making' and contributions to edited volumes on group facilitation
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Online Workshop - Group Facilitation Skills |
| Other | Multi-year contract | In-Person Workshop - San Francisco |
| Other | Multi-year contract | In-Person Workshop - Rome, Italy |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Nonprofit/ Self-Employed Discount |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Community At Work product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Community At Work is a San Francisco-based consulting firm founded in 1987 that delivers facilitation skills workshops, organizational development consulting, and multi-stakeholder collaboration services grounded in founder Sam Kaner's participatory decision-making methodology. The firm sells training programs (e.g., the Group Facilitation Skills workshop), tailored consulting engagements, and authored publications including the book Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making.
Product overview
Community At Work is a consulting firm, think tank, and provider of world-class training specializing in participatory approaches to system change. The company offers a portfolio of products and services centered around group facilitation and collaborative decision-making methodologies. Core offerings include the internationally bestselling 'Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making' book, the 'Group Facilitation Skills: Putting Participatory Values into Practice' three-day workshop (available in-person in San Francisco, online via Zoom, and internationally), and various publications including 'Creating a Culture of Collaboration,' the 'IAF Handbook of Group Facilitation,' 'Virtuous Meetings,' and 'Discover Your Inner Strength.' The company also provides consulting services for team development, organizational transformation, and cross-sector collaboration, plus hosts a monthly Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration Forum. This is a service-based organization rather than a software platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Group Facilitation Skills Workshop Multi-day in-person and online workshop that teaches managers, team leaders, and consultants Sam Kaner's participatory decision-making model and core facilitation competencies. Delivered as open-enrollment public sessions and as customized in-house engagements.
- Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making (book) A published book that codifies the firm's facilitation methodology, sold to practitioners, managers, and consultants who want a structured reference for running participatory meetings and decision-making processes.
- Creating a Culture of Collaboration (book)
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 150,000 copies of the Facilitator's Guide sold internationally
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Community At Work
Customer profileNamed customers23 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Community At Work technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Community At Work partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Liberation By Design, LLCminorDiamond Lee founded Liberation By Design, LLC and became formally affiliated with Community at Work to teach Group Facilitation Skills workshops. This is an affiliation rather than a formal partnership.
- PB Leadership & CoachingminorPaul Barrie founded PB Leadership & Coaching and became formally affiliated with Community at Work in 2019 to teach Group Facilitation Skills workshops in Australia and Asia Pacific.
- Process ChangeminorEwen Le Borgne founded Process Change and became fully affiliated with Community at Work in 2015 to teach Group Facilitation Skills workshops, particularly in Europe.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Community At Work competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- McKinsey & Company:
- International Association of Facilitators (IAF): Global professional association for facilitators that publishes the IAF Handbook (in which Sam Kaner is a chapter author) and runs the Certified Professional Facilitator credential. Not a competitor; relevant as the industry's standards body whose members and events shape the addressable market.
Broad incumbents
- Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with deep leadership, talent, and organizational effectiveness practices. Comparable on enterprise organization development and team effectiveness engagements, though with a much broader portfolio and larger delivery footprint.
- Deloitte (Consulting): Big Four professional services firm with a large Human Capital practice delivering change management, organization transformation, and learning services. Competes for large enterprise multi-stakeholder collaboration mandates.
- FranklinCovey: Large, publicly-traded provider of leadership, productivity, and execution training with global workshop delivery and enterprise contracts. Overlaps in the leadership and collaboration training market but at materially greater scale and broader scope.
Emerging players
- Center for Creative Leadership: Nonprofit research and education institution specializing in leadership development and assessment, with programs and custom offerings for organizations. Comparable on leadership and team development training but more research/institutionally oriented.
Direct peers
- Crucial Learning: Training company formed from the merger of VitalSmarts and Crucial Conversations, offering skill-based workshops on communication, change, and influence. Comparable as a methodology-driven training business selling both public workshops and in-house programs to enterprises.
- The Arbinger Institute: Training and consulting firm focused on collaboration, mindset change, and organizational culture. Comparable in its methodology-led training products and books targeting improved group and interpersonal effectiveness.
- Interaction Associates: Boston- and San Francisco-based consulting and training firm specializing in collaborative leadership, facilitation, and organization development. Closest direct peer to Community At Work given overlapping methodology, training catalogue, and consulting practice focused on participatory decision-making.
- Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA): Global nonprofit that developed the Technology of Participation (ToP) facilitation methodology and offers ToP training courses and consulting. Highly comparable as a facilitation training provider with both an open public workshop model and an international delivery network.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Community At Work social profiles
Digital presenceCommunity At Work financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Community At Work leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Community At Work funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Community At Work M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Community At Work
What does Community At Work do?
Community At Work is a San Francisco-based consulting firm founded in 1987 that delivers facilitation skills workshops, organizational development consulting, and multi-stakeholder collaboration services grounded in founder Sam Kaner's participatory decision-making methodology. The firm sells training programs (e.g., the Group Facilitation Skills workshop), tailored consulting engagements, and authored publications including the book Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making.
Is Community At Work a public or private company?
Community At Work is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Community At Work founded?
Community At Work was founded in 1987. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Community At Work based?
Community At Work is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Community At Work make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are training Workshops and publications.
Who are Community At Work's main competitors?
Others on record are McKinsey & Company and International Association of Facilitators (IAF). Broad incumbents are Korn Ferry, Deloitte (Consulting) and FranklinCovey. Center for Creative Leadership is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Crucial Learning, The Arbinger Institute, Interaction Associates and Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA).
Does Community At Work have an API?
No public API is recorded for Community At Work.
What industry is Community At Work in?
Community At Work's product category is Management Consulting / Organizational Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAEAH, Digital Workplace & Collaboration Consulting. Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.