A debilitating skiing accident left BackVert’s David Calvert with chronic back pain, but it also prompted him to found his own startup to help solve the problem.

Now, three years after the ski accident, his company is gearing up for a Kickstarter campaign. His goal is to raise $10,000 to $15,000 in donations in mid-May, just before his 30^th birthday.

In a time when most entrepreneurs his age are coding the latest app, Calvert created a tangible back support device that he says promotes better posture and is adjustable to fit people of all heights.

He developed it after being frustrated with what’s currently on the market.

“There’s a lot of science behind the design. It’s different than anything else out there on the market,” Calvert said. “We’re at the point where it’s good enough to go to market but no product is perfect so I’m sure there will be improvements down the road.”

“There’s a lot of science behind the design. It’s different than anything else out there on the market,” David Calvert said.

Calvert lives in Dallas and commutes to downtown Fort Worth daily for his day job as a senior associate with Crestline Investors. That hourlong commute “exasperated existing chronic lower back issues.”

To help market the product, Calvert recruited Kevin Joseph, a longtime friend he met while studying at Southern Methodist University. Joseph, who works at the Frito-Lay’s corporate office in Plano, demonstrated how the BackVert works.

The BackVert has one main foam pad and two smaller adjustable pads inside a black cover. To adjust the upper and lower supports, just unzip it. The BackVert attaches to desk chairs, seats in your vehicle or other chairs.

For many, the steady back support can mean the difference between being able to pick up your children or play pick-up basketball again.

“I’ve never seen anything directly impact someone’s lives the way this does,” Joseph said. “This has enabled them to fulfill all these moments that they couldn’t do before.”

After the kick start, Calvert aims to sell the BackVert to Uber drivers, pregnant mothers and Fortune 500 companies.

“I’ve never seen anything directly impact someone’s lives the way this does,” Kevin Joseph said.

Uber drivers spend long hours sitting in their vehicle and are prone to back pain. The maternity market is wide open because the baby bump puts stress on the back, Calvert said. And Fortune 500 companies are heavily invested in their employees well-being and long-term healthcare.

“You can snap it on your chair, adjust it to your own dimensions and preferences,” Calvert said. “Every day you can use it without thinking about it and it promotes proper posture.”

If the Kickstarter campaign is successful, Calvert said he hopes to move to the production phase. For more information on the campaign, sign up for email alerts here.

“We’re swinging for the fences with the Kickstarter campaign and want to get it in front of as many people as possible,” Calvert said.

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