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The 28 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students in Dr. Zachary Schaefer’s fall 2017 organizational communication course can now add entrepreneur to their resume.

The class broke into two teams at the start of the fall semester for an assignment in crowdfunding. Each team was tasked with implementing a business plan, and each has completed the semester having achieved their fundraising goals.

The teams created KOTERIE, a mobile application for college students, and 26, a team-based card game. KOTERIE was funded by 54 backers on Indiegogo to achieve its goal of $1,655. The game 26 gained the support of 38 backers to reach its goal of $2,220 on Kickstarter.

“Experiential learning opportunities give students the opportunity to hone cognitive, behavioral and emotional skills simultaneously,” said Schaefer, an associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Applied Communications. “In addition to reading and writing about how something should occur in an organizational setting, this course enabled the students to make decisions regarding the formation and organization of an actual company.”

“This experience has helped me familiarize myself with organizational structure, manage various personalities, establish and uphold deadlines, and create an inspiring and fun workplace culture,” said KOTERIE team leader Stacy McEldowney, a senior majoring in corporate and organizational communication, who originally proposed the business idea. “I want KOTERIE to become a legitimate business and take this venture as far as it can possibly go.”

McEldowney and a few interested teammates are now working to form an LLC, and perfecting the app by assembling a team of programmers and designers. In time, they plan to put KOTERIE on the app market.

“I would like to own and operate several businesses, and I believe KOTERIE is a great start to making these dreams come true,” she said.

“Working on 26 is a feather in my cap,” said 26 team leader James Moss, a senior double major in mass communications and applied communication studies. “It’s one more experience and accomplishment that will help me stand out from the competition when I apply for jobs, as I can confidently say I’ve led a project that was funded on Kickstarter.”

Though the Belleville native describes creating 26 as an “arduous process,” consumers may soon spot the game on a commercial shelf, as Moss and six other team members plan to advance their product.

“One of the biggest takeaways has been how difficult it can be to get people to back up their supportive words with dollars,” Moss explained. “We’re now working to fulfill the rewards promised to our backers. We’re also exploring ways to make 26 into something bigger.”

The students’ commitment to their businesses and development as leaders has been a rewarding experience for Schaefer, who doesn’t shy from presenting students with challenging learning opportunities.

“It is a privilege to witness the students’ reactions when they realize that in today’s world, there are platforms, systems and resources available to help bring their ideas to life,” Schaefer said. “I believe that a combination of passion, strategy and execution leads to memorable lessons, powerful results and positive impact.”

Schaefer now plans to mentor the interested students as they transition from “a group of University students” to business people.

To learn more about KOTERIE and 26, visit their Facebook pages.

Photo: KOTERIE team members included (Back row, L-R) James Hippchen, Maria Miller, Hannah Ceurvorst, Braden Rolsing, Yohan De Picker, Kait Brady, Stacy McEldowney, and (Front row, L-R) Ryan Losee, Deion Craig, Brooke Little, Casie Colletti, Ashlyn Walter, Kasie Hilt and Alexis Tonnies.

Members of team 26 included (Back row, L-R) Will Smith, Austin Glendinning, Joseph Miles, James Moss, Samuel Butler, (Middle row, L-R) Mariah Vollmer, Carissa Gates, Danielle Lee, Symone Hill, Allison Buck, and (front row, L-R) Maui Evans, Juleah Markham, Bri Leifker and Ben Zuccarelli.