Odyssey Works
Odyssey Works is a 6-person, founder-led experience design practice founded in 2001 that trains creative professionals and consults for organizations through a year-long certificate program, an annual Master Class in Greece, and bespoke Experiential Audit and Extraordinary Path engagements.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Odyssey Works does
Odyssey Works is a privately-held, founder-led practice founded in 2001 that designs and teaches transformative experience design. Operating with a core team of six, the firm offers three primary revenue streams: a 10-month, low-residency Experience Design Certificate Program priced at $11,900 with cohorts of 10–15 students; a weeklong Master Class held in Greece with all-in tuition of approximately $4,725; and bespoke organizational consultancy services including Experiential Audits and the Extraordinary Path. Secondary revenue comes from publications (books via Yale University Press and Princeton Architectural Press) and a Library of Experiences lifetime membership at $115. Customer segments split between individual creative practitioners (artists, designers, theater makers) and enterprise clients across technology (Google, Apple, Meta), financial services (Wells Fargo), design (IDEO, Yabu Pushelberg), nonprofits (WWF, MILA), museums, and universities (Stanford D-School, MICA). The underlying asset is two and a half decades of codified methodology — the Ten Principles of Experience Design, Phase Zero, and the Experiential Audit framework — that functions as both curriculum and consulting IP. Distribution is largely direct-to-consumer through owprograms.com for enrollment and a dedicated employer-sponsorship pathway for organizational buyers, supplemented by Eventbrite info sessions, a Yale-published textbook, and earned media in outlets such as the New York Times, Fast Company, and NPR. Geographic reach spans 10+ countries with operational hubs in New York, London, and a recurring Greek retreat location.
Odyssey Works firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Odyssey Works
- Legal name
- Odyssey Works
- Website
- https://odysseyworks.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Odyssey Works is a 6-person, founder-led experience design practice founded in 2001 that trains creative professionals and consults for organizations through a year-long certificate program, an annual Master Class in Greece, and bespoke Experiential Audit and Extraordinary Path engagements.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Odyssey Works industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Experience Design Education and Consulting
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Adult Skill-Building Expeditions & Courses (Leadership, Survival, Navigation) (THAAAOAC), Trip Planning & Itinerary Design (HSACAKAA)
Keywords
Where Odyssey Works is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Odyssey Works business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Experience Design Certificate Program: A 10-month, low-residency certificate program priced at $11,900 total tuition. Includes weekly online classes, mentorship, books, materials, and two in-person retreats. Payment plans available including installment ($3,350 per installment) and monthly ($1,015/month) options. Scholarships available for BIPOC applicants and need-based candidates.
- Master Class: Week-long intensive immersive program held in Greece. Tuition is $3,800 plus $925 for room and board (all rooms shared). Need-based partial scholarships available; approximately 50% of fellows receive financial support. Two work-study positions available at reduced rates.
- Organizational Consultancy Services: Customized experience design and consulting services for organizations. Offerings include Experiential Audits (top-to-bottom analysis) and the Extraordinary Path (long-term vision planning). Clients include religious organizations, tech companies, academic institutions, and immersive theater productions.
- Publications and Products: Sale of books and educational materials including Experience Design: A Participatory Manifesto ($35), Lifetime Membership to Library of Experiences ($115), and The Experience Bundle (combining multiple resources starting from $150). Isolation and Amazement book also available through Amazon.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Full Tuition - $11,900 Total |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Installment Plan - $3,350 Per Installment |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Payment Plan - $1,015/Month |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Master Class Tuition - $3,800 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Experience Design Book - $35 |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Library of Experiences Membership - $115 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Experience Bundle - from $150 |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels10 records
Odyssey Works product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Odyssey Works is a practice-based experience design organization that creates transformative, personalized experiences (called "Odysseys") for audiences of one and teaches experience design methodology through professional education programs. The company operates a 10-month Experience Design Certificate Program, an intensive weeklong Master Class in Greece, organizational consultancy services (Experiential Audits and the Extraordinary Path), shorter workshops, and publishes books including Experience Design: A Participatory Manifesto (Yale University Press). Founded in 2001, the company pioneered the field before the term "experience design" was popularized.
Product overview
Odyssey Works offers a portfolio of interconnected educational and professional services centered on transformative experience design. The core offerings include the year-long Experience Design Certificate Program (a low-residency professional certification) and the Master Class (an intensive weeklong residential program in Greece). These are supported by consulting services for organizations, free resources including guides and workshops, and publications including two authored books on experience design methodology. The company also maintains a Library of Experiences subscription service. Together, these offerings position Odyssey Works as a comprehensive resource for learning, practicing, and applying experience design principles across disciplines.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Experience Design Certificate Program A 10-month, low-residency professional certificate program ($11,900 tuition) that trains artists, educators, and innovators in experience design methodology through weekly online classes, two weekend intensives, one-on-one mentorship, and two portfolio projects. Cohort size is limited to 10-15 students for personalized education.
- Master Class A weeklong intensive residential program held in Zakynthos, Greece (June 6-14, 2026) for cross-disciplinary artists, designers, performers, and researchers. Tuition is $3,800 plus $925 for room and board. Fellows collaborate to create a once-in-a-lifetime Odyssey for one chosen individual, learning diagramming, world-building, and empathetic research techniques.
- Experience Design Consultancy Services Professional consulting services offering holistic experiential analyses, long-term experiential planning, and ground-up ideation and design for organizations. Services include The Experiential Audit (top-to-bottom analysis of designed elements) and The Extraordinary Path (long-term vision planning for experience creation). Clients include religious organizations, tech companies, academic institutions, museums, and immersive theater productions.
- Experience Design: A Participatory Manifesto Book by Abraham Burickson published by Yale University Press, providing an engaging introduction to the discipline of experience design for students and practitioners in creative fields including architecture, product design, gaming, exhibition design, and performance. Priced at $35.
- Odyssey Works: Transformative Experiences for an Audience of One Book co-authored by Abraham Burickson and Ayden LeRoux, published by Princeton Architectural Press in 2016, documenting the first fifteen years of the organization's work in creating personalized transformative experiences.
- Library of Experiences A curated online catalog with sets of instructions for creating experiences of wonder and beauty, regularly updated with new experiences. Available as a lifetime membership at $115, including an eBook of Isolation and Amazement and a physical copy of Odyssey Works: Transformative Experiences for an Audience of One.
- Workshops Shorter workshops covering topics including designing with diagrams, designing for consent, and introductory experience design. Also includes customized talks and workshops specific to organizational needs.
Quantifiable outcome
- Graduates have secured multiple grants and funding, earned promotions at companies like Meow Wolf, and helped agencies double their growth.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Odyssey Works
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Odyssey Works technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Odyssey Works partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered notable and minor.
- MILA (Quebec AI Institute)notableOdyssey Works collaborated with Yoshua Bengio and the MILA team to transform Bengio's TED 2025 talk on AI risks into an immersive experience. This was the first step in an 'Extraordinary Path' toward changing how the industry approaches ethical AI development. The talk received 400,000+ views in its first two weeks and served as material for challenges to Sam Altman and others in the AI industry.
- AnyOneThingnotableLondon-based immersive theater and software development company with whom Odyssey Works collaborated to build The Book of Separation in 2020. The experience combined robocalls, texting, walking videos, and individualized experiences for pairs of separated friends on a bespoke interactive platform.
- Sage and JesterminorOdyssey Works conducted an Experiential Audit for Sage and Jester's immersive theater experience Storehouse, built on the banks of the Thames in London. The audit provided top-to-bottom analysis of world-building, narrative, aesthetic, and event-ness aspects with recommendations for alignment with their experiential vision.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights10 records
Odyssey Works competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Moment Factory: Moment Factory is a Montreal-based multimedia entertainment studio specializing in immersive environments, projection mapping, and experience design. It is directly comparable as a creator of designed experiences for public audiences and a partner-level reference point for Odyssey Works' large-scale experiential work.
- IDEO U: IDEO U is the online learning arm of IDEO, offering design thinking courses for professionals and organizations. It is directly comparable as a premium-priced educational product teaching a design methodology to mid-career professionals and corporate teams — a structural analog to Odyssey Works' Certificate Program.
- Meow Wolf: Meow Wolf creates large-scale immersive art experiences and is both a past client (employees enrolled in Odyssey Works programs and earned promotions there) and a comparable creator of destination experiential environments. It operates in the same experiential/immersive design space, though at much larger physical-installation scale.
- Punchdrunk: Punchdrunk is the UK-based immersive theater company behind Sleep No More and The Burnt City. It is a direct peer in immersive, narrative-driven experience design for audiences, with comparable emphasis on world-building and transformative audience experiences. Odyssey Works has ongoing collaborative relationships with Battersea Arts Center, a UK immersive arts venue in this orbit.
Emerging players
- Battersea Arts Centre: Battersea Arts Centre is a London-based immersive arts venue with an ongoing collaborative relationship with Odyssey Works. While primarily a venue rather than a design firm, its pioneering work in audience-centered immersive programming makes it a partial peer in the immersive experience space.
- Future of Storytelling (FoST): Future of Storytelling is a community and summit organization exploring narrative and immersive storytelling. Odyssey Works has an ongoing industry connection with FoST; it operates in the adjacent creative/immersive storytelling space and serves a comparable audience of experience designers and creative professionals.
- Stanford d.school: Stanford's Hasso Plattner Institute of Design is an academic design education program whose employees and students have engaged with Odyssey Works. While not a commercial competitor, it occupies overlapping conceptual territory in design pedagogy and runs experience design-adjacent programming that could compete for the same audience.
Broad incumbents
- IDEO: IDEO is the pioneering design consultancy that popularized "design thinking." It is directly comparable as a design-led professional services firm that Odyssey Works explicitly references as an analog in its positioning ("they are to experience design what IDEO is to design thinking"). IDEO also runs educational programs (IDEO U) and serves many of the same enterprise clients.
Regional players
- RISD (Rhode Island School of Design): RISD is a leading design school whose pedagogy overlaps with Odyssey Works' experiential design approach. While a traditional academic institution rather than a consulting firm, it competes for the same pool of design-curious mid-career professionals and serves overlapping enterprise clients seeking design capability training.
Others
- World Experience Organization (WXO): The World Experience Organization is the industry body for experience designers that hosts the annual WXO Summit where Odyssey Works maintains presence. It functions as both an ecosystem enabler and an industry-shaping body, comparable to Odyssey Works' role in formalizing the discipline.
Market position
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Odyssey Works social profiles
Digital presenceOdyssey Works financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Odyssey Works leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Odyssey Works funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Odyssey Works 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 Odyssey Works
What does Odyssey Works do?
Odyssey Works is a practice-based experience design organization that creates transformative, personalized experiences (called "Odysseys") for audiences of one and teaches experience design methodology through professional education programs. The company operates a 10-month Experience Design Certificate Program, an intensive weeklong Master Class in Greece, organizational consultancy services (Experiential Audits and the Extraordinary Path), shorter workshops, and publishes books including Experience Design: A Participatory Manifesto (Yale University Press). Founded in 2001, the company pioneered the field before the term "experience design" was popularized.
Is Odyssey Works a public or private company?
Odyssey Works is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Odyssey Works founded?
Odyssey Works was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Odyssey Works based?
Odyssey Works is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Odyssey Works make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Experience Design Certificate Program is the primary driver. The others are master Class, organizational Consultancy Services and publications and Products.
Who are Odyssey Works's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Moment Factory, IDEO U, Meow Wolf and Punchdrunk. Emerging players are Battersea Arts Centre, Future of Storytelling (FoST) and Stanford d.school. IDEO is listed as a broad incumbent. RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) is listed as a regional player. World Experience Organization (WXO) is listed as an others.
Does Odyssey Works have an API?
No public API is recorded for Odyssey Works.
What industry is Odyssey Works in?
Odyssey Works's product category is Experience Design Education and Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services, with a secondary code of THAAAOAC, Adult Skill-Building Expeditions & Courses (Leadership, Survival, Navigation). Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.