How Dog Tag Inc Built a 5‑Month Fellowship Program for 16 Vets

Maureen runs a program that sounds like something out of a movie.

A bakery in Washington, D.C., where veterans, military spouses, and caregivers bake, learn entrepreneurship, earn a certificate in business from Georgetown University, and build a whole new life after serving their country.

That’s Dog Tag Inc. for you, and it’s been running for 12 years

Fellows show up Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., for five months.

They learn supply chain management from the bakery team, take leadership classes from retired generals, and even go for walk-and-talk sessions with their dogs every Wednesday morning.

But until recently, all of this amazing work was organized inside Google Classroom. 

Then the organization switched to Microsoft, and Google Classroom went away.

Maureen had to find a new home for everything, fast.

She needed a learning management system that could handle assignments, surveys, slide decks, and a whole lot of community building.

She found GroupApp and, in a few weeks, had 16 fellows, 13 instructors, and 4 classrooms up and running.

This is the story of how Dog Tag turned a potential disaster into an inspiring learning community that veterans absolutely love.

The Problem: Losing Google Classroom Felt Like Burnt Bread

Dog Tag had built their entire fellowship inside Google Classroom.

It worked fine, but then the organization moved to Microsoft, and there was no direct replacement. 

Maureen had to find a third-party solution, and she didn’t have months to shop around.

“We didn’t have a ton of time,” she says. “We needed something user-friendly and easy to get going.”

She looked at several platforms. Most of them lacked a basic feature she needed: the ability to create assignments and let people submit them.

Surprisingly, many community management tools don’t offer that. They’re great for discussions but terrible for homework.

GroupApp had assignments built right in, and that was a huge win.

Another problem was pricing.

Many platforms charge extra for branding and more users. 

GroupApp, on the other hand, gave her one price, one solution, and she could put Dog Tag’s name all over it without paying more.

“I was glad to find it,” she says.

The Solution: A Learning Management System That Feels Like Home

Maureen set up four classrooms inside GroupApp.

One homeroom for onboarding documents, surveys, and general announcements.

Three other classrooms for the different components of the fellowship: entrepreneurship class, bakery rotations, and learning labs with external partners.

She has 16 fellows in the current cohort, which runs from January to May, and another one starts in July. 

She also has about 13 instructors using the platform, posting slide decks, assignments, and feedback.

The fellows use GroupApp every day.

• After a live class, whether in person or virtual, Maureen uploads the handout. 
• After a learning lab, she posts a survey. 
• When an assignment is due, it shows up in the corresponding classroom.

“It allowed us to mimic a lot of the functionality we were trying to keep from Google Classroom,” she says. 

And when something didn’t work exactly right, she reached out to the GroupApp team, who helped her figure it out.

The Unexpected Lesson: Rethinking How to Organize a Course

Maureen realized that the way she had used Google Classroom might not be the best approach for GroupApp.

In Google Classroom, she had separate classrooms for each subject, so fellows had to bounce between four different spaces to track what was due.

But GroupApp works better when you organize by weeks rather than by subject. 

So for an 18-week program, week one content lives in one place, week two in another, and so on.

Maureen is planning to redesign everything before the next cohort starts in July, and she’s 100% certain that the platform can handle it.

“I’m confident that based on how we’ve been using it so far, we will be able to do those redesigns if we want to,” she says. “The platform will support it.”

That’s the beauty of a flexible tool. You can start messy and get organized later. Your fellows won’t even notice the chaos behind the scenes.

The Alumni Network

Dog Tag doesn’t abandon its graduates. After the five-month program, fellows become part of an alumni network that offers:

• Monthly check-in calls where anyone can dial in and just talk about where they are in life
• Learning labs that are more advanced, like 201 level instead of 101
• A mastermind group that runs twice a year for accountability and goal setting
• Advisorship, where alumni get paired with experts on specific topics
• Mentorship, networking nights, and social activities

“We try and vary it so that the fellowship is just the first five months of a lifelong relationship if you want it,” Maureen says.

Some alumni just want the social connection, while others want continuing education or access to cool opportunities.

Dog Tag gives them all a way to stay involved.

The Playbook: How to Build a Fellowship or Cohort-Based Program on GroupApp

If you run a training program, a fellowship, or any cohort-based course, here’s what you can steal from Maureen and Dog Tag.

• Step 1: Start fast, don’t overthink it. Maureen needed a solution quickly, and GroupApp let her set up four classrooms in a matter of weeks. You can always reorganize later.
• Step 2: Use the assignment feature. Not every community platform has it. GroupApp does. Use it to collect homework, surveys, and reflections from your students.
• Step 3: Create a homeroom. One central space for onboarding documents, announcements, and links to everything else. Your students will thank you.
• Step 4: Organize by weeks, not by subject. After testing both ways, Maureen realized that week by week works better for fellows. They only need to know what is due this week, not what is due in four different classrooms.
• Step 5: Keep alumni engaged. Dog Tag’s alumni network is massive. Use GroupApp’s library, events, and discussion channels to offer continuing education, social events, and mastermind groups.
• Step 6: Listen to your users. Maureen gave feedback to the GroupApp team, and they actually listened. Pick a platform that treats you like a partner, not a ticket number.
• Step 7: Don’t be afraid to redesign. Your first setup will not be perfect. That is fine. The best programs evolve as you learn what your students actually need.

The Part That Inspired Me the Most

When Maureen talked about the Wednesday morning walk and talk.

Every Wednesday, the fellows power down their screens, dial in with just their voices, and go for a walk together.

Some bring their dogs, and they just talk about whatever is going on in their lives.

Now that’s a community, and it’s what Dog Tag does best.

They use GroupApp to handle the assignments and the slide decks, but the real magic happens when veterans, spouses, and caregivers realize they’re not alone.

Maureen has seen fellows leave the program with a business idea, a Georgetown certificate, and a whole new sense of purpose.

And they stay connected for years because the alumni network keeps showing up.

That’s the kind of program you build when you stop worrying about the software and start worrying about the people.

Your Turn to Build a Fellowship That Changes Lives

Maureen started with a problem: Google Classroom was gone, and Microsoft had no replacement.

She found GroupApp, stood up a program in weeks, and now has 16 fellows learning entrepreneurship while also walking their dogs and sharing their struggles.

If you run a training program, a bootcamp, or any cohort-based course, take a page from Dog Tag’s book.

Pick a platform that handles assignments, supports your alumni, and lets you reorganize when you learn something new.

When you’re ready to stop wrestling with software and start focusing on your students, see what GroupApp can do for you.