The Op, also known as USAopoly has a familiar face back at the helm, recharged and ready to expand the business.
Founder Dane Chapin has returned to the lead The Op as CEO after pursuing other ventures for a number of years. As part of his return, Chapin plans to drive The Op to become “a broader family entertainment company” by expanding beyond board games and puzzles.
“In my time away from The Op, I had the chance to think about the brand in a new light and began to see the opportunity for a more diversified portfolio beyond the company’s core offerings,” Chapin, says. “While we continue to secure on-trend licenses and provide games for fans of all ages, there are still several categories and mediums that we haven’t fully tapped into that can take our signature games — especially Telestrations and Blank Slate, to the next level.”
The Op was founded as USAopoly in 1994 with a two-year licensing deal with Hasbro to create city-specific editions of Monopoly. As the story goes, Chapin and his team sold copies of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics edition of Monopoly from a car, boosting sales and leading to licensing extensions for pop culture and sports editions of Monopoly, Clue, and more. Now, the company offers signature games, licensed games, and a host of other products and accessories.
Additionally, Jodi Wasserman has joined The Op as vice president of marketing. She previously spent the last 16 years at Upper Deck. Wasserman and Chapin are currently developing digital and TV versions of Telestrations.
