gener8tor, a nationally ranked venture capital firm and accelerator, in partnership with the North Dakota Growth Fund and 50 South Capital, has been working in our state to assist startups in our area and attract more businesses to North Dakota.
Their gBETA program runs multiple times every year in cities across the United States. Up to five companies from a range of verticals are selected from a competitive applicant pool to participate in the free seven-week program.
Let’s meet the five from the most recent cohort.
Q&A
Vaughn Deinhart, CEO, Prontochore
Q : What is your company’s elevator pitch?
A: Local businesses are a staple of American communities, but finding consistent labor for their weekly tasks can be a nightmare. That’s where ProntoChore comes in. We’re a platform that connects businesses and communities with pre-vetted, local independent contractors for one-time jobs—all while providing built-in protections to ensure safe, seamless transactions. Whether it’s last-minute staffing, property maintenance, or basic labor, ProntoChore makes getting help fast, flexible, and risk-free. We handle the logistics, so you can focus on what matters most—running your business.
Q : How did you get the idea to start your company?
A: In 2021, I was in Eden Prairie, MN, driving for Instacart to make money during the summer. At the time, the COVID-19 pandemic was at its height, so in-person jobs were more difficult to find. It wasn’t a great fit for me because I’m not a good shopper. I would grow impatient going down countless aisles. However, in the past, I had mowed lawns and shoveled driveways for money. The problem was I was only doing that for one or two neighbors. I needed more of these jobs to make the amount of money I was looking to earn. I knew these types of tasks were common for both businesses and homeowners so I began formulating the first ideas for ProntoChore.
Q : What does it mean to be a part of gener8tor’s cohort?
A: ProntoChore has been incredibly fortunate and lucky to have received a lot of support. Being selected as one of five companies to be part of gener8tor’s cohort is something we’re extremely grateful for and proud of. There are so many great innovative companies in North Dakota so being a company selected was more validation that ProntoChore’s mission speaks to the communities we’re working with, and the challenges we’re solving are worthwhile.
Then, after actually experiencing the cohort, the impact was obvious. I could write an essay about all the ways gener8tor helped accelerate ProntoChore but I think the results speak for themselves:
- Based on the expertise of their team and the data we gathered, we pivoted our model in just the first few weeks.
- We met and pitched to over 20 investors.
- We developed the connections, strategies, and pitch decks needed to launch successfully.
Q: If your product/service were already being used by everyone globally, what impact would that have?
A: If ProntoChore were fully embraced worldwide, it could spark an economic and social revolution, transforming the way communities function, businesses grow, and young people thrive. Imagine a world where local businesses never struggle to find quality labor and where young people everywhere have the power to earn, learn, and build their futures on their own terms. Communities would be stronger, more connected, and more resilient—neighbors helping neighbors, small businesses thriving with seamless support, and local economies flourishing as every job, chore, and opportunity fuels a cycle of productivity and empowerment.
For young people, ProntoChore could be the ultimate launchpad—turning idle time into income, financial uncertainty into independence, and small one-time jobs into stepping stones for bigger ambitions. Millions of students, aspiring entrepreneurs, and hard-working individuals would gain access to flexible, meaningful work, breaking the cycle of youth unemployment and giving them real-world experience that opens doors to greater opportunities. This isn’t just an app; it’s a movement—reshaping how work is found, how communities support one another, and how the next generation rises, one person, business, and task at a time.
Q : Where do you see your company in 10 years?
A: In 10 years, ProntoChore could be a global force in the gig and staffing economy, seamlessly connecting millions of people across cities, suburbs, and rural areas with a new approach to helping local businesses and communities find consistent, quality labor and provide new work opportunities for young people. It would evolve into a household name, embedded in everyday life like Uber or DoorDash, but for consistent, small tasks local businesses and communities need help with—powering local economies, reducing youth unemployment, and enabling businesses to scale effortlessly. AI-driven matching, trust-based networks, and localized job marketplaces would make it the go-to platform for anyone looking to earn, hire, or contribute to their community. With expansion into international markets, strategic partnerships with governments and businesses, and potential integration with smart home and city infrastructure, ProntoChore wouldn’t just be an app—it would be a pillar of economic opportunity, reshaping how work is distributed and valued worldwide.
Q : Is there anything else you’d like to say to our readers?
ProntoChore is launching on the app store this spring! Our email is info@ prontochore.com and you can follow our socials at @prontochore. We’re proud to be a North Dakota startup and are excited to begin working with our communities! Let’s do this!
prontochore.com
Facebook /prontochore
Instagram | @prontochore
Clever Mukori, Founder & CEO, Learn Or Teach
Q : What Is your company’s elevator pitch?
A: We are a one-stop corporate training shop, offering a learning management system (LMS) that has a 1,000 course library, course authoring tools, and AI assistants for learners and LMS administrators.
Q : How did you get the idea to start your company?
A: From my college dorm at Concordia College, I realized that training services were fragmented, which made it a challenge to start or maintain a training program. We became the single throat to choke so to speak, or in friendlier terms, the one-stop shop. We create courses from scratch or any existing material, provide pre-made courses if needed, and an LMS platform to deliver the material and track user engagement.
Q : What does it mean to be a part of gener8tor’s cohort?
A: It’s been a privilege to get such personalized support and feedback; it has expanded our horizons and network far beyond what we imagined. We also gained more clarity on what our focus should be. This is hands down the best startup mentorship program there is!
Q : If your product/service were already being used by everyone globally, what impact would that have?
A: First, it would amplify employee productivity through training. Next, it would simplify compliance and reduce liabilities introduced by inadequate or ineffective training. More importantly, HR and compliance teams would sleep soundly at night!
Q : Where do you see your company in 10 years?
A: Providing a wide array of training services across several industries, such as manufacturing, information technology, retail, food and beverage, to name a few.
Q : Is there anything else you’d like to say to our readers?
A: We are proud to be a Fargo-based training company, dedicated to serving the needs of our local community first. The night won’t get too dark, the rain won’t fall too hard, for us to be right there when you need us.
learnorteach.com
Facebook | /learnorteach
Instagram | @learn_or_teach
Linkedin | /company/learnorteach
Twitter | /company/learnor
Adam Zach, CEO/Founder, Zegacy
Q : What is your company’s elevator pitch?
A: Zegacy is a marketplace that connects renters and investors to simplify rent-to-own home transactions. Through a tech-driven underwriting and matchmaking system, we eliminate the inefficiencies and risks that have long made rent-to-own fragmented and unreliable. In just the past 90 days, we’ve onboarded 60 renters and 20 investors, resulting in 3 successful matches and a $12,000 contract.
Q : How did you get the idea to start your company?
A: It always seemed weird to me that when you go on Zillow, you can either click “for rent” or “for sale”, there is no middle ground. Black and white. As a former engineer, I ended up meeting people who couldn’t quite get a bank loan but didn’t want to rent, so I essentially co-signed for them on the bank loan. Then noticed there are millions of Americans who want homeownership but for one reason or another can’t quite get or afford it. That is when I started my first company called Home Equity Partner, which we operate to this day as a very relational 20-30 transactions per year. I then participated in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 small businesses program for the state of North Dakota and came up with the idea of not helping 20 to 30 people per year, but how could we help 20,000 to 30,000 per year. To do that Zegacy was born which enables technology and matchmaking to connect tenants with retail investors and fill the “gap” between renting and owning.
Q : What does it mean to be a part of gener8tor’s cohort?
A: It has been a blessing. The tools. The people. The resources. The connections. They have been absolutely wonderful in challenging our mindset, giving us every opportunity to succeed, and cheering us on.
A: If Zegacy’s rent-to-own platform were adopted worldwide, we’d see a massive increase in stable homeownership, especially for people who traditionally fall through the cracks of conventional financing. Owning a home often leads to stronger family wealth, tighter-knit communities, and more civic engagement. It also improves neighborhoods by encouraging long-term investment in property maintenance and local infrastructure. Ultimately, empowering more households to become homeowners would create more resilient communities and healthier local economies on a global scale.
Q : Where do you see your company in 10 years?
A: In ten years, we see Zegacy as the global standard for bridging the gap between renting and owning—essentially giving people a ‘third option’ that’s safe, reliable, and trusted. It won’t feel like a fringe product or complicated deal anymore. Instead, it’ll be a mainstream solution empowering millions of families to build wealth and security through rent-to-own without the usual risks or scams.
We’ll have partnered with a wide range of investors, from small mom-and-pop landlords to institutional funds, facilitating billions in transactions annually. Whether we achieve that by going public, merging with a larger real estate platform, or continuing to scale independently, our goal is to transform rent-to-own from an overlooked concept into a go-to path for homeownership, benefiting both communities and the global housing market.
Q : Is there anything else you’d like to say to our readers?
A: We’d love to hear from anyone curious about our mission—whether you’re a renter ready to become an owner, an investor seeking stable returns, or simply someone who believes homeownership can change lives. Zegacy is still at the beginning of this journey, and we value every bit of support, insight, and feedback. Together, we can reshape what it means to ‘rent-to-own’ and create more stable, thriving communities.
zegacy.com
Facebook | search “Zegacy”
Dan Newman, CEO Sharp Biomedical
Q : What is your company’s elevator pitch?
A: Many surgeries today require large incisions and bone dissection, which often lead to extended hospital stays and lengthy recovery periods. However, a growing trend in healthcare is the shift toward minimally invasive procedures. These surgeries are performed through small incisions, guided by advanced imaging technologies like X-rays. This approach significantly reduces hospital stays, complications, and recovery times. It also enables more surgeries to be performed in outpatient settings, allowing patients to go home the same day. At Sharp Biomedical, we are pioneering the development of small, innovative medical devices specifically designed to support minimally invasive surgeries.
Q : How did you get the idea to start your company?
A: The industry is trending towards less invasive, outpatient surgeries for obvious reasons. Within interventional pain, there still is a gap between the demand from patients/ physicians wanting more options and device companies focused specifically on the interventional pain physician’s skillset.
Q : What does it mean to be a part of gener8tor’s cohort?
A: It expedited the development of the company for three main reasons: guidance, connections, and practice. These three things were intense every week and were exactly what I needed at my stage. I left the program unrecognizable (in a good way) from how I entered.
Q : If your product/service were already being used by everyone globally, what impact would that have?
A: Recovery times and complication rates of the surgeries we are targeting would be a fraction of what they are today. This would allow patients to get back to normal lives faster.
Q : Where do you see your company in 10 years?
A: Multiple product lines (devices) that help patients and surgery centers internationally.
Q : Is there anything else you’d like to say to our readers?
A: If anything I said sounds interesting or you know someone who wants to know more, feel free to reach out directly to me: [email protected]
Jawad Ali Khan, CEO Petrond Energy Solutions
Q : What is your company’s elevator pitch?
A: PetroND Energy Solutions is developing customized chemical solutions and a data-driven digital screening system to optimize oil and gas production while minimizing corrosion, delivering significant value for operators, specifically during extreme winter conditions.
Q : How did you get the idea to start your company?
A: I have 10 years of experience in the oil and gas industry and gBETA and my partners helped me.
Q : What does it mean to be a part of gener8tor’s cohort?
A: To understand the business feasibility, connect with valuable resources and move forward to achieve specific and timely goals.
Q : Where do you see your company in 10 years?
A: Providing cost-effective solutions to maintain oil production in winter, adding significant value for operators while becoming ma ore than $ billion company.
Q : Is there anything else you’d like to say to our readers?
A: We are actively looking for funding to start our project. We have lab, experts, and samples ready.
