COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC.
Collaboraction is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces social-change theater, a paid youth arts program, a weekly podcast, IDEA workshops, and venue programming from its House of Belonging at Kimball Arts Center in Humboldt Park.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. does
Collaboraction is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1996 that uses theater, video, and community collaboration to drive social change. Its core products include mainstage theatrical productions (most prominently Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till, a two-time Emmy Award-winning adaptation of the 1955 trial transcript), the annual Peacebook festival of short works on peace, the Encounter diversity/equity/inclusion series, the paid youth ensemble program The Light (ages 14–18, $16/hour, ~$1,500 per summer participant), the weekly Collaboraction Radio podcast on WCPT 820, IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility) workshops for corporate and institutional clients, and the Crucial Connections and Becoming virtual programs.
The organization operates a 4,000-square-foot House of Belonging at Kimball Arts Center in Humboldt Park, featuring a 99-seat flexible studio theater and a 50-seat cabaret with café/bar, supported by a capital campaign and a network of municipal, foundation, and family-foundation partners. Production technology centers on devised theater and docudrama techniques with 4K filming capabilities and standard broadcast/podcast distribution; AI/ML plays no role in the product.
Revenue is generated through a diversified mix of donated income (institutional grants from NEA, Chicago Community Trust, Arts Work Fund, Illinois Humanities, and family foundations, plus individual giving and corporate sponsorships), earned income (ticket sales at $30–$55 for mainstage and $20–$250 for fundraising events, tiered CollaborActivist memberships from $1–$100/month, IDEA workshop fees, space rental on a 70/30 box office split, and a branded merchandise swag shop), and in-kind community partnerships. Customers span Chicago general theater audiences, BIPOC youth artists, Latinx and LGBTQ+ community members, corporate/institutional IDEA training clients, and hyper-local independent artists using the venue.
COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC.
- Legal name
- Collaboraction
- Website
- https://collaboraction.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Collaboraction is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces social-change theater, a paid youth arts program, a weekly podcast, IDEA workshops, and venue programming from its House of Belonging at Kimball Arts Center in Humboldt Park.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performing Arts
- NAICS
- Professional Organizations (81392), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Sound Recording Studios (51224)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Media Partnerships & Content Co-productions (NGO/Cultural) (MPABADAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Conference Centers & Dedicated Meeting Venues (THAHAAAB), Video Conferencing & Meetings (HDAIAHAI)
Keywords
Where COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Subscriptions: Monthly membership program (CollaborActivist) ranging from $1 to $100/month providing newsletter access, event invitations, merchandise discounts, free tickets, and exclusive content.
- Ticket Sales: Revenue from mainstage productions including Trial in the Delta ($30-$55 tickets) and other theatrical performances. Group discounts available.
- Merchandise Sales: Swag shop selling branded merchandise including t-shirts ($17-$21), mugs ($12.50-$13), tote bags ($22.50-$27.50), mouse pads ($18.50), hats ($18), and crop tops.
- Donations and Grants: 501(c)(3) nonprofit receiving donations through capital campaigns, individual giving, institutional grants from foundations (Arts Work Fund, NEA, Chicago Community Trust), and corporate sponsorships.
- Workshop Fees: IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility) workshops for youth and adults, both virtual and in-person, with custom programs designed for specific client needs.
- Space Rental: House of Belonging venue (4,000 sq ft with 99-seat theater and 50-seat cabaret) available for rent-free programming for artists, with 70%/30% box office split.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Supporter tier at $1/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Creator tier at $10/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Change Maker tier at $25/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Change Agent tier at $50/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Collaboractivist tier at $100/month |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Trial in the Delta tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Belonging Bash event tickets |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | The Light youth program |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Collaboraction is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces original theatrical works, podcasts, youth arts programs, and inclusion/diversity workshops centered on social change. It operates the House of Belonging venue at Kimball Arts Center in Humboldt Park, presents mainstage productions such as Trial in the Delta, runs the paid youth ensemble The Light, hosts the annual Peacebook festival, broadcasts Collaboraction Radio on WCPT 820, and offers IDEA workshops and venue rental programs for independent artists.
Product overview
Collaboraction is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization that uses theatre, video, and community collaboration to incite social change. The organization operates a multi-faceted portfolio of programs including Collaboraction Radio (a weekly podcast/broadcast on WCPT 820 and streaming platforms), The Light (a paid youth program for ages 14-18), the annual Peacebook festival, Trial in the Delta theatrical productions, and virtual programming including Becoming and Crucial Connections. The organization also operates the House of Belonging venue at Kimball Arts Center in Humboldt Park, offers IDEA diversity workshops, runs a merchandise Swag Shop, and maintains a Collaboractivist membership program. The overall ecosystem is designed to engage community members across all ages and backgrounds in social justice through artistic expression.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Trial in the Delta: The Murder of Emmett Till Immersive theatrical production adapted from the 1955 trial transcript of the State of Mississippi vs. Milam and Bryant, with optional jury seating for the audience. Won 2022 and 2023 Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards and 2023 ABA Silver Gavel Award Finalist.
- The Light Paid 8-week summer intensive for ages 14-18 that combines live performance training with social activism, paying participants approximately $16/hour (~$1,500 total) for original solo and ensemble work.
- Peacebook Annual performance festival featuring short works (7 minutes or less) about peace and peacemaking in Chicago, curated through open and invited submissions across theatre, dance, and spoken word.
- Collaboraction Radio Weekly podcast/broadcast show featuring dialogue around arts, activism, and social change, hosted by Anthony Moseley. Broadcast live on WCPT 820 AM Saturdays at 4pm CST, and distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
- House of Belonging 4,000-square-foot venue at Kimball Arts Center featuring a 99-seat flexible studio theater and a 50-seat cabaret with cafe/bar, serving as Collaboraction's new permanent home for productions and community programming.
- IDEA Workshops Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility workshops and classes for youth and adults, offered virtually and in-person, including Communicating Across Differences and Family Tree Stories Workshop with custom programs designed for client needs.
- Becoming Virtual monthly program providing space for participants to unpack bias and White privilege, unlearn inherent White Supremacy, and engage in dialogue around systems of oppression.
- Crucial Connections Highly interactive monthly online show reflecting on life in a post-Coronavirus world, hyper-local thinking global, radically inclusive and provocative.
- Moonset Sunrise Spiritual journey of healing, music, and connection featuring Pilar Audian, Sandra Delgado, and Willie 'Prince Roc' Round with The Wild Onion band.
- Collaboractivist Membership Program Monthly membership program with tiers from $1 to $100/month (Supporter, Creator, Change Maker, Change Agent, Collaboractivist), offering newsletter access, event invitations, merchandise discounts, free tickets, and exclusive content.
- YOU BELONG HERE Performing Arts Series Curated performing arts series at the House of Belonging supporting local independent artists and groups with rent-free space, state-of-the-art production equipment, and 70%/30% box office splits.
- Swag Shop Online merchandise store selling branded items including t-shirts, mugs, tote bags, mouse pads, hats, and crop tops featuring Collaboraction's social justice messaging.
- La Havana Madrid Theatrical production co-produced with Teatro Vista exploring 1960s Latinx immigrant nightclub culture in Chicago.
Quantifiable outcome
- Trial in the Delta won National Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary and two Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC.
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- NBC 5 ChicagocoreCommissioned Collaboraction to adapt the hidden Emmett Till trial transcript. NBC 5 Chicago produced a documentary 'The Lost Story of Emmett Till: Trial In The Delta' in partnership, which won Regional Emmy Awards. The collaboration has expanded into multiple productions including the theatrical adaptation.
- Kimball Arts CentercoreHome to Collaboraction's House of Belonging venue (4,000 sq ft with 99-seat theater and 50-seat cabaret). Located at 1757 N Kimball Ave in Humboldt Park. Collaboraction is a founding resident tenant.
- DuSable Black History Museum and Education CentercoreCo-presented Trial in the Delta productions. Filmed the stage production at the museum. Hosts related screenings and educational programming about Emmett Till and civil rights history.
- Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley InstitutecorePartnership announced for Trial in the Delta extension presented 'as part of the Till Life Matters Initiative.' The Institute supports the production's educational mission around civil rights history.
- Teatro VistacoreCo-produced La Havana Madrid with Collaboraction. Teatro Vista is a prominent Chicago theater focused on Latino/Latina voices, partnering on this production about Latinx immigrant experiences.
- Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)coreSupports productions including La Havana Madrid at Jay Pritzker Pavilion and Millennium Park programming. Provides grants through Neighborhood Access Program for events like Moonset Sunrise.
- Chicago Park DistrictcoreNight Out in the Parks partner presenting The Light Summer Parks Tour as part of cultural events series across neighborhood parks. Program supports Chicago-based artists and community partnerships.
- Sidetrack (Chicago LGBTQ Bar)minorHosted Outspoken LGBTQ Stories fundraising event for Chicago's Trans Community at Sidetrack venue.
- Theatre YminorCo-presented Moonset Sunrise event at Theatre Y venue with support from DCASE Neighborhood Access grant.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- About Face Theatre: Chicago-based nonprofit theater advancing LGBTQ+ stories and voices. Directly comparable as a Chicago identity-focused theater nonprofit with similar audience development and DEI programming.
- Lookingglass Theatre Company: Chicago-based nonprofit theater known for devised, ensemble-driven original work. Directly comparable as a Chicago mid-size nonprofit theater producing original devised productions targeting adult audiences.
- Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Chicago-based nonprofit theater producing socially engaged original and contemporary work. Directly comparable as a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) theater with national profile, commissioned new work, and emphasis on community engagement.
- Free Street Theatre: Chicago-based nonprofit theater producing work with and for underrepresented communities. Directly comparable as a Chicago social-justice-focused theater nonprofit engaging youth and underserved neighborhoods.
- Timeline Theatre Company: Chicago-based nonprofit theater producing work inspired by history. Comparable as a Chicago-based mid-size nonprofit theater producing original work that draws on historical/social themes.
- The House Theatre of Chicago: Chicago-based nonprofit theater producing original and devised theatrical work. Comparable as a mid-size Chicago nonprofit theater with a similar immersive/devised style and subscription-based audience model.
- Albany Park Theater Project: Chicago-based nonprofit theater producing documentary-style devised work with immigrant youth. Closely comparable as a Chicago theater using documentary theater and youth ensembles to tell immigrant community stories.
- Theatre Y: Chicago-based nonprofit theater producing experimental and socially engaged work. Comparable as a smaller Chicago nonprofit theater partner that has co-presented with Collaboraction on Moonset Sunrise.
- Teatro Vista: Chicago-based nonprofit theater producing work centering Latino/Latina voices. Directly comparable as a co-production partner on La Havana Madrid and a fellow Chicago identity-focused theater nonprofit.
Broad incumbents
- Goodman Theatre: Largest Chicago nonprofit theater with a broader repertory and significantly larger budgets. Comparable as a Chicago theater ecosystem peer competing for the same donor and corporate sponsor pool, though at much greater scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. social profiles
Digital presenceCOLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. 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 COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC.
What does COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. do?
Collaboraction is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces original theatrical works, podcasts, youth arts programs, and inclusion/diversity workshops centered on social change. It operates the House of Belonging venue at Kimball Arts Center in Humboldt Park, presents mainstage productions such as Trial in the Delta, runs the paid youth ensemble The Light, hosts the annual Peacebook festival, broadcasts Collaboraction Radio on WCPT 820, and offers IDEA workshops and venue rental programs for independent artists.
Is COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. a public or private company?
COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. founded?
COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. based?
COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Membership Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are ticket Sales, merchandise Sales, donations and Grants, workshop Fees and space Rental.
Who are COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are About Face Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre Company, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Free Street Theatre, Timeline Theatre Company, The House Theatre of Chicago, Albany Park Theater Project, Theatre Y and Teatro Vista. Goodman Theatre is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. have an API?
No public API is recorded for COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC..
What industry is COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC. in?
COLLABORAKTION W.O. INC.'s product category is Performing Arts. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABADAN, Public Media Partnerships & Content Co-productions (NGO/Cultural), with a secondary code of THAHAAAB, Conference Centers & Dedicated Meeting Venues. Its NAICS code is 81392 and its SIC code is 7812.