esconi

Name

esconi

Legal name

Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois

Website

https://esconi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Earth Science Education Club

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAIAIAG

Field Schools & Experiential Academic Programs (Archaeology, Ecology, etc.)

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/International Summer/Winter Schools & Short-Term Academic Programs

SECONDARYTHAKAGAJ

Alumni, Reunion & Affinity Group Educational Travel

Travel & Hospitality/Travel Agencies, Tour Operators & OTAs/Group Travel & Educational Travel Operators

Keywords

• Earth science education
• Fossil collecting club
• Paleontology publications
• Geology field trips
• Mineralogy membership

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Family membership runs from January through December, applies to immediate family in the same household, and includes an emailed digital Newsletter.
2. Book and Merchandise Sales: ESCONI sells books on Mazon Creek fossils written by Jack Wittry (honorary club member), as well as ESCONI-branded items including T-shirts, hats, mugs, ornaments, and memory sticks. Books are sold at club functions, on eBay, and on Amazon.
3. Event Fees: Vendor fees for the annual Rock, Mineral, and Fossil Swap and Sale event ($20 per 9x18 foot space). The club also holds an annual Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ESCONI is a non-profit membership club that promotes interest in earth sciences including geology, paleontology, mineralogy, and archaeology. It sells family memberships granting access to field trips, study groups, and an emailed digital newsletter, and publishes authoritative reference books on Mazon Creek fossils authored by honorary member Jack Wittry. The organization also hosts an annual Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Show, a Rock, Mineral, and Fossil Swap and Sale, and operates the Mazon Monday educational content series.

Product overview

ESCONI (Earth Science Club of Northern Illinois) is a non-profit membership organization founded in 1949 that promotes interest in earth sciences including geology, paleontology, mineralogy, and archaeology. Rather than a unified software product, ESCONI operates as a club with multiple offerings: membership services providing access to field trips and study groups; publications including authoritative Mazon Creek fossil books authored by Jack Wittry; an annual Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show; the Mazon Monday educational content series; and branded merchandise. The organization is built around a WordPress website and uses PayPal for membership payments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Club Membership Family membership available for $20.00 per year or $50.00 for three years, covering all members in a household. Includes an emailed digital newsletter, access to field trips, study groups, and club events. Membership runs from January through December, and new memberships paid on or after September 1st include September through December plus the following calendar year.
• Mazon Creek Fossil Books Authoritative reference books on Mazon Creek fossils authored by honorary club member Jack Wittry. Titles include 'The Mazon Creek Fossil Flora' (2006), 'The Mazon Creek Fossil Fauna' (2012), and 'A Comprehensive Guide to the Fossil Flora of Mazon Creek' (2020). These serve as definitive taxonomic guides for collectors and are sold at club functions, on eBay, and on Amazon.
• ESCONI Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show Annual gem, mineral, and fossil show held at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL. Features vendors, displays, demonstrations, and auction items. The show charges vendor fees of $20 per 9x18 foot space.
• Field Trips Organized field trips to fossil sites including Braceville for Mazon Creek fossils (attendance limited to 60 people per day), Danville Shale Pile, Mount Orab for Ordovician Trilobites, and Bellevue MI quarry. Field trips require membership but visitors are welcome at meetings.
• ESCONI Merchandise ESCONI-branded items including T-shirts, hats, mugs, ornaments, memory sticks, and other merchandise sold at club events, on the website, and on eBay with a 'Benefits charity' designation.
• Mazon Monday Series Weekly educational blog posts documenting Mazon Creek fossils and earth science topics. Running since March 2020 with over 335 posts as of August 2026. Posts are also auto-shared to the ESCONI X/Twitter account.
• Study Groups Club-run study groups including Paleontology (chaired by John Catalani), Mineralogy (chaired by Dave Carlson), Junior Study Group (chaired by Scott Galloway), and Archaeology (when chair available), providing education and collaboration opportunities for members.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Paleontological SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2021ESCONI funds Student Research Grants administered by the Paleontological Society, covering one grant per year for 2022-2024. Priority given to projects involving Paleozoic research. Undergraduate and graduate students conducting paleontology research can apply.
• Field Museum (Chicago)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESCONI has a long-standing relationship with the Field Museum in Chicago. Field Museum paleontologists present at ESCONI meetings, collaborate on Mazon Creek research, and ESCONI members participate in Field Museum-organized events. Paul Mayer (Fossil Invertebrate Collection Manager) and Dr. Arjan Mann (Assistant Curator of Early Tetrapods) are mentioned as active collaborators.
• College of DuPagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESCONI holds its general meetings, study group meetings, and events at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, IL. The college provides facilities for the club's activities including the annual show.
• Chicago Geological Museum Association (CGMA)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCGMA is a regional geological organization. ESCONI has delegates to CGMA and participates in joint events including the annual CGMA show. ESCONI members participate in CGMA events and the club has representation at their shows.
• Kalamazoo Geological and Mineral Society (KGMS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint field trip partnership for Bellevue, MI quarry visits. KGMS leads the trip with space provided for ESCONI members (limited to 15).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kalamazoo Geological and Mineral Society (KGMS): Michigan-based regional gem, mineral, and fossil society that partners with ESCONI on joint field trips (e.g., Bellevue quarry). Same hobbyist club model: membership dues, study groups, field trips, and annual shows.
• Chicago Geological Museum Association (CGMA): Regional Chicago-area geological organization referenced as a formal ESCONI partner, sharing delegates and co-hosting annual shows. Closest geographic peer operating the same membership/field-trip/event format.
• Dry Dredgers: Cincinnati-area paleontology-focused hobbyist club running field trips, study groups, and meetings around fossil collecting. Direct functional peer to ESCONI in format, even though it specializes in Ordovician rather than Mazon Creek fossils.

Regional players

• Midwest Federation of Mineralogical & Geological Societies: Federation that ESCONI holds a liaison representative seat with; umbrella for regional clubs across the Midwest. Comparable as a membership organization serving amateur earth scientists, but at a federative rather than single-club level.
• Badger Lapidary & Mineralogical Society: Wisconsin-based regional rock, mineral, and fossil society operating the same hobbyist club model — membership, meetings, field trips, annual show — but in a neighboring state rather than Illinois.

Broad incumbents

• American Federation of Mineralogical Societies (AFMS): National umbrella federation for regional gem/mineral/fossil clubs in the U.S. Comparable audience (amateur earth scientists) and similar member-services model, but at national scale rather than a single local chapter.
• Paleontological Society: Professional scientific society that administers the student research grants ESCONI funds. Not a hobbyist peer, but the closest scientific body in the same earth-science/paleontology community that ESCONI participates in.

Emerging players

• Aurora Fossil Museum Foundation: North Carolina-based fossil museum and foundation that combines a physical museum, education programs, and community field trip offerings. Comparable in combining fossil education with community events, though structured as a museum rather than a club.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ESCONI
• Facebookfacebook.com/ESCONI.fb
• Instagraminstagram.com/esconi_club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 esconi