What Cohado does

Cohado is a privately held, founder-led company building a cooperative tabletop game system and a parallel virtual multiplayer platform, both grounded in the Zulu philosophy of Ubuntu and the proprietary Cohado Emergent Development System — an 8-level iterative framework (Zero: Emerge through Seven: Re-Emerge) for guiding individual, team, and community development. The company's flagship physical product is the Opus 1 Edition, featuring polished bronze metal pieces in hand-laminated packaging, scheduled for Kickstarter launch on May 1, 2026; a complementary Cohado Virtual digital platform is in pre-release development with 3D game pieces, dynamic interfaces, and integrated video/audio for remote team collaboration. Cohado also sells accessories and apparel (the Dojo To Go canvas bag, the Cohado Community Bench, Global Swarming Tees) through its own cohado.store e-commerce storefront.

The company serves four primary segments: educational institutions (primary, secondary, and higher education seeking to replace competitive learning environments), organizations and teams (businesses, nonprofits, and government teams pursuing collaborative transformation), community builders and changemakers (ecosystem organizers and social innovators), and individuals seeking personal or professional change. Beyond physical and digital products, Cohado generates revenue from professional services including CoLeadership training, Jumpstart event facilitation, 8-session Cohado Guidance octaves, keynote speaking engagements, and licensing of its toolkit packages and the Cohado Guidance Certification Program for external practitioners.

The business is bootstrapped and founder-owned, with Paulo Gregory — who has stewarded the methodology for over two decades — serving as the primary inventor and public-facing figure. Go-to-market is hybrid: event-driven (Kickstarter, Cohado Live 25 tour, Jumpstart retreats, virtual preview sessions), community-led (partner network of Black Butterfly, SCN, Lead Local, Right to Start, Dream Lab, SPCC, Spirit Pine Sanctuary), and product-led (the upcoming Cohado Virtual platform). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the Opus 1 Edition uses Kickstarter early-backer tiers, while professional services and toolkit packages are quote-based. Cohado has no disclosed institutional funding, no disclosed headcount, no patents or trademarks on record, and no disclosed revenue figures.

Name

Cohado

Legal name

Cohado

Website

https://cohado.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cohado is a privately held, founder-led company that builds a cooperative tabletop game system (Opus 1 Edition) and a virtual multiplayer platform, both based on the Ubuntu philosophy and the proprietary 8-level Cohado Emergent Development System. It serves educational institutions, organizations and teams, community builders, and individuals through physical products, digital experiences, professional services, and facilitator certification.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Physical Game Products: Cohado generates revenue through direct sales of physical game sets and accessories. The flagship Opus 1 Edition features bronze metal pieces in hand-laminated boxes. Additional physical products include Cohado Cards (The Way of the Bones), the Dojo To Go embroidered canvas bag, the Cohado Community Bench (The Bench That Gives), and branded apparel (Global Swarming Tees for men and women). Products are sold through cohado.store e-commerce storefront.
2. Kickstarter Crowdfunding: The Opus 1 Edition is being launched exclusively through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign beginning May 1, 2026. Early purchasers receive the physical set plus a full year subscription to Virtual Cohado. This acts as both a pre-order revenue mechanism and a community validation campaign.
3. Virtual Cohado Subscription: Cohado offers a virtual multiplayer experience with integrated video/audio collaboration features. The Opus 1 Edition includes a complimentary one-year virtual subscription. Future virtual access is offered as a subscription, positioning the digital platform as a recurring revenue stream.
4. Professional Services (Training, Facilitation, Consultation): Cohado provides fee-based professional services including CoLeadership training, strategic support/facilitation, Cohado Guidance certification, and Jumpstart event facilitation. These are offered as customized solutions for teams, organizations, and change initiatives, and as certification programs for HR and OD professionals.
5. Keynote and Speaking Engagements: Founder Paulo Gregory is available for paid keynote presentations and speaking engagements, offering interactive and artfully designed talks that embody the Cohado philosophy. Bookings are managed through Calendly.
6. Ecosystem Packages and Toolkit Licensing: Cohado offers toolkit packages and organizational change programs that license the Cohado Emergent Development System for use within enterprises, schools, and community initiatives. Packages include strategic support, team Jumpstart programs, and HR/OD integration services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cohado sells a physical cooperative tabletop game system (the Opus 1 Edition) with polished bronze metal pieces, packaged with a one-year subscription to the Cohado Virtual multiplayer digital platform. Layered around the game is a portfolio of physical accessories (the Cohado Cards / Way of the Bones, the Community Bench, branded apparel) and a set of professional services built on the Cohado Emergent Development System including Toolkit Packages for Teams, CoLeadership Training, Strategic Support, Jumpstart Events, Guidance Sessions, Education Programs, Keynotes, and Cohado Experiences.

Product overview

Cohado® is a cooperative tabletop game system and comprehensive suite of collaborative tools designed around the Zulu philosophy of Ubuntu. The core offering consists of the Opus 1 Edition physical game with bronze metal pieces and hand-laminated packaging, complemented by the Cohado® Virtual digital multiplayer platform. The portfolio extends through The Way of the Bones card system, Dojo To Go carrying bags, and Cohado® apparel. Services include the Cohado® Emergent Development System (a seven-level framework for team and community transformation), Toolkit Packages for Teams, CoLeadership Training, Strategic Support, Jumpstart Events, individual Guidance Sessions, Education Programs, Keynote Presentations, and Cohado® Experiences (retreat-based team building). The company also offers physical products including the Community Bench furniture. All offerings share the unifying principle of maximizing assets while minimizing waste through collaborative, regenerative approaches.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cohado Opus 1 Edition: The premium version of the Cohado game featuring polished bronze metal pieces, hand-laminated packaging, and a year subscription to Virtual Cohado.
• Cohado Virtual
• Cohado Emergent Development System
• Cohado Guidance

Products and services

• Cohado Opus 1 Edition Game Set The flagship physical tabletop game with polished bronze metal pieces in hand-laminated packaging; based on Ubuntu philosophy and designed to enable groups to engage in collaborative problem-solving within a gamified context.
• Cohado Cards (The Way of the Bones) Card-based interpretation tool where each symbol represents both a numeric value and a principle of sustainability; includes a founder-authored manual for interpreting the symbols, usable independently of the Opus 1 game.
• Cohado Community Bench (The Bench That Gives) Hand-bent rolled steel bench designed by founder Paulo Gregory and fabricated by Gutierrez Studios; provides comfort while minimizing material waste through a unique flex design.
• Cohado Global Swarming Tees (Men's and Women's apparel) Branded sustainable t-shirts made from a blend of organic cotton, natural rayon, and recycled polyester (RPET); sold as part of the Cohado store assortment.
• Cohado Virtual Digital multiplayer version of the Cohado tabletop game with 3D pieces, dynamic interface, and integrated video/audio enabling global teams to connect, collaborate on challenges, and achieve scores together.
• Toolkit Packages for Teams Flexible, adaptable tools that license the Cohado Emergent Development System inside organizations to support change within discrete teams, projects, or broader organizational transformation efforts.
• CoLeadership Training Training program for stewarding teams, designed to strengthen collaboration ability and integrate diverse perspectives for enhanced innovation.
• Strategic Support Customized facilitation, consultation, and training solutions that map strategic initiatives and navigate long-term change efforts for organizations and initiatives.
• Cohado Jumpstart Events Quick yet deep dive into early initiative development or significant pivoting needs, focused on movement through foundation stages of the Emergent Development model for teams and coalitions.
• Cohado Guidance Sessions Individual guidance process following the 8 levels of the Emergent Development cycle, supporting significant life or direction changes through organic conversation-centered sessions; delivered virtually.
• Cohado Education Programs Education-focused service bundle that includes Cohado Play for Collaboration, Curriculum Design Tools, Workshops, Retreats, and Keynote Addresses tailored for primary, secondary, and higher education institutions.
• Keynote Presentations Paid speaking engagements by Paulo Gregory featuring insightful, thought-evoking, playful, and artfully interactive presentations for conferences and events.
• Cohado Experiences (Retreats) Immersive retreat-based team-building experiences that bring individuals and groups together through connection and bridging across differences, hosted at partner venues such as Spirit Mountain/Spirit Pine Sanctuary.
• Cohado Guidance Certification Program Certification program that trains practitioners to facilitate the 8-level Emergent Development cycle with individuals and teams, enabling external facilitators to deliver Cohado Guidance cycles and Jumpstart events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Teams using Cohado report feeling 'empowered and united,' with previously struggling programs being 'transformed' and pushed forward through the planning work.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Black Butterfly (BlkBtrFly)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlack Butterfly is listed as a key associate and collaborator within the Cohado ecosystem. Black Butterfly operates as a network focused on social innovation and ecosystem building, and is a co-applicant and co-host of Cohado experiences and programs. The partnership is rooted in shared values of community empowerment and regenerative systems.
• Startup Champions Network (SCN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCN is listed as an associate organization and co-branded partner. SCN's Ecosystem Culture Challenge is co-branded with Cohado on the website. SCN serves as a platform for bringing Cohado to its network of startup champions and ecosystem builders. A participant at a Cohado retreat subsequently attended SCN in Oakland, demonstrating the partnership's organic networking value.
• Startup MDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStartup MD is listed as an associate and collaborator within the Cohado ecosystem, representing a connection in the health/medtech startup ecosystem.
• Dream Lab (The Black Butterfly Project)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDream Lab, affiliated with The Black Butterfly Project, is listed as a Cohado associate and collaborator. Dream Lab focuses on educational and community development initiatives.
• Right to StartminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRight to Start is listed as a Cohado associate and collaborator. Right to Start advocates for entrepreneurship and startup ecosystems, aligning with Cohado's community-building and changemaker focus.
• SPCC (Sustainable Practices Community Connection)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPCC is listed as a Cohado associate and collaborator, representing a network focused on sustainable community practices.
• Spirit Pine Sanctuary (Betty Seaman and Tautahcho Muhuawit)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpirit Pine Sanctuary, a sustainable village in the Los Padres National Forest owned by Betty Seaman and Chumash elder Tautahcho Muhuawit, served as the venue for a Cohado Jumpstart retreat. The retreat brought together ecosystem builders and changemakers who used the Cohado process to explore synergies and form 'The Well' — a mutual support collective. The partnership represents a unique co-creation of place and practice.
• Gutierrez StudiosminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerGutierrez Studios partnered with Cohado founder Paulo Gregory to fabricate the Cohado Community Bench (The Bench That Gives). The bench relies on unique bent steel fabrication designed by Gregory, produced by Gutierrez Studios — a manufacturing partnership for product development.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Go Game: The Go Game designs gamified team-building experiences for corporate clients using custom-built games, directly mirroring Cohado's model of bundling cooperative games with team development services. Both target organizations seeking structured collaborative experiences rather than entertainment-only gameplay.
• Leder Games: Leder Games publishes Root and Oath, asymmetric and strategic tabletop games with cooperative and competitive modes, making it a comparable independent tabletop publisher whose design-led titles overlap with Cohado's craft-focused Opus 1 Edition positioning.
• Stonemaier Games: Stonemaier Games is an independent tabletop publisher behind Wingspan, Scythe, and Tapestry, with a design-led, premium-component approach comparable to Cohado's bronze-piece Opus 1 Edition and broad audience reach across hobby and family game markets.
• Pandasaurus Games: Pandasaurus Games is an independent tabletop publisher with a portfolio of cooperative and strategic games, comparable to Cohado in operating model, scale, and category focus even though the specific titles do not overlap directly.
• Outback Team Building: Outback provides in-person team-building events and experiential programs for corporate and group customers, comparable to Cohado's Jumpstart events, retreat-based Experiences, and CoLeadership training offerings for organizations.
• CMON: CMON is a crowdfunded tabletop game publisher (Zombicide, Marvel United) that, like Cohado, relies heavily on Kickstarter for major product launches and uses premium miniature-style components to support premium pricing.
• Greater Than Games: Greater Than Games publishes Spirit Island, one of the most successful fully cooperative tabletop games, making it the closest direct peer in the cooperative tabletop game category that Cohado also occupies with Opus 1.

Emerging players

• Mursion: Mursion provides AI- and VR-enabled simulation training for soft skills and team collaboration, comparable to Cohado Virtual's positioning as a digital multiplayer platform for remote team collaboration and embodied learning experiences.

Broad incumbents

• Asmodee: Asmodee is the world's largest tabletop game publisher, distributing Pandemic and many other cooperative titles globally, making it the dominant incumbent against which any cooperative tabletop game like Cohado's Opus 1 must compete for shelf space and consumer mind share.
• BetterUp: BetterUp is a scaled coaching and professional development platform serving enterprise teams — comparable to Cohado's Cohado Guidance and CoLeadership offerings at vastly larger scale and with broader digital distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Cohado
• Instagraminstagram.com/cohado.one
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cohado

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Cohado