For Nate Royal, the spark to launch an edtech company came from a familiar place: the late-night scramble to finish assignments, the cycle of procrastination, and the pressure of looming deadlines. As a college student himself, he realized he wasn’t alone. His friends were facing the same struggles. With a background in computer science and hands-on experience building AI platforms, Royal saw a chance to turn a shared frustration into a powerful solution.
That solution became Due Gooder, a startup he co-founded with a team of equally driven students who all understood the problem firsthand. Together, they are building technology designed to help students stay accountable, manage time, and ultimately perform at their best.
We spoke with Co-Founder and CEO Nate Royal to discuss how his journey into edtech and AI began, what inspired him to leap into entrepreneurship, and how Due Gooder is reimagining productivity for students today and professionals tomorrow.
How did you become interested in edtech and AI?
NR: As a current college student, I’ve lived through the constant cycle of procrastination, rushing assignments, and missing deadlines. I quickly realized that I wasn’t alone; most of my friends were experiencing the same struggles. With a background in computer science and prior experience building AI-driven platforms, I saw an opportunity to create a solution that directly addresses these issues. My passion for edtech comes from living the problem myself and wanting to design technology that truly supports students like me.
What inspired you to co-found a company?
NR: Entrepreneurship has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember; I was introduced to the startup ecosystem at the age of seven by my mom. I’ve always had a drive to create and sell, so entrepreneurship felt like a natural fit. When I encountered a real problem worth solving, I found myself fully committed to developing the solution. That passion and persistence are what pushed me to co-found Due Gooder.
Tell us about your team: Who’s on it, and how did you meet?
NR: We’re a driven team of college students who all share the same challenge and the same passion for solving it. The first addition to the Due Gooder team was Ethan Havertape, a junior at the University of Louisville, whom I connected with at a UofL hackathon. We worked seamlessly together and decided to join forces. From there, we added Finn McCormack, a business-minded sophomore at the University of Kentucky, whom I met through faculty connections. We then expanded with a group of talented, tech-savvy developers: Ron Kommoji, a computer science student at Georgia Tech; Anh Hoang, a machine learning specialist at the University of Kansas; and Rishi Reshwant Borra, a high school prodigy with internship experience at MIT and Carnegie Mellon. Beyond the core dev team, we’ve brought on content creators to scale our social media presence and campus ambassadors to spread the word. What ties us together is a shared hunger and relentless drive. We’re all students living this problem and working every day to build something meaningful.
My passion for edtech comes from living the problem myself and wanting to design technology that truly supports students like me.
Where do you see edtech and AI headed in the future?
NR: Edtech and AI are converging to create tools that don’t just provide access to information but actively improve how students learn and succeed. AI will become a personal companion in education, helping students stay accountable, offering tailored learning resources, and identifying gaps before they become roadblocks. I believe the next wave of edtech won’t just be about digitizing classrooms, it will be about personalizing education so that every student can maximize their potential.
What does success look like to Due Gooder in the short term and long term?
NR: For us, success means creating real outcomes for students. In the short term, that’s about tackling procrastination, boosting grades, and helping students feel more in control of their academic lives. We’re currently focused on campus outreach, getting Due Gooder into as many
hands as possible, and building a strong community of students who believe in our mission. In the long term, our vision is to make Due Gooder a standard tool not just for college students, but also for high schoolers and professionals. We want to increase graduation rates, improve academic performance, and ultimately set people up for greater success in life. Beyond academics, we see potential in evolving into a professional productivity tool, bridging the gap between education and the workplace. For us, true success is knowing that Due Gooder helped someone achieve their goals, whether that’s graduating on time, getting into grad school, or excelling in their career.
Find out more about Due Gooder at duegooder.com. Are you a startup based in or looking to relocate to Kentucky? Keyhorse’s current quarterly investment cycle is open! Apply now.
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