After years of traveling with a cumbersome array of luggage and backpacks that didn’t fully address his needs, David Ngene, Jr. saw an opportunity for innovation: a modular backpack system that adapts to the daily requirements of people on the go. After years of iterative design and testing, Ngene, Jr.’s company Pacmodo is set to launch in April of 2025. With an eye toward sustainability and a uniquely versatile design, Pacmodo is positioned to make a splash with travelers and adventurers alike.
We caught up Ngene, Jr. at the company’s studio.
Tell us how you first got the idea for Pacmodo.
Ngene: I spent over a decade at Nike, traveling the world, fully immersing myself in new places. Walking the streets abroad, meeting people, experiencing cultures through food and conversation. I love the simplicity of one-bag travel: hands free, adaptable, and efficient. But I kept running into the same problem. I needed a smaller bag for my day-to-day exploration after arrival, yet no backpack truly fit the way I moved. I’d bring a small backpack inside a bigger one, but the small backpack’s weight distribution never felt right, and the discomfort would set in quickly.
After years of trial and error, buying and testing several different backpacks, I realized I wasn’t alone in this frustration. Most backpacks often get us 70% of the way there, but never quite fully deliver. The result? We accumulate bags, each solving a different problem but none solving for the entire journey. That was the aha moment. What if your backpack met you where you are in your journey, instead of the other way around?
What started as a personal design challenge—building a system that worked better for me—quickly became something much bigger. I discovered that solving for myself in this case meant solving for everyone else, too.
What was the design and testing process like?
Ngene: I went deep into research, talking to people about their backpack habits, the first being my co-founder Sebastian Tesche. I asked them about what worked well, and more importantly, what didn’t. Most backpacks are single-focus solutions, designed for specific activities but not for the full spectrum of movement modern travelers need. I wanted something that could take me from A to B, but also B to C to Z and back again. A system that evolved with you.
The first prototypes were scrappy. Mostly cobbled bits of old backpacks and cardboard that were cut up, taped and sewn together, and tested in real world scenarios. We sent early versions out with friends on Airbnb trips, urban commutes, even a two-week safari in Africa. Their feedback was instrumental in helping Sebastian and I refine the balance between versatility, comfort, and ease of use.
The result? A modular backpack ecosystem where you can mix and match storage sizes depending on your needs. You start your journey fully packed, but once you reach your destination, you can detach a larger PAC and attach a smaller one that perfectly nests inside to explore freely without the bulk.
Did your background in design help you during the process?
Ngene: Absolutely. I’m an industrial designer by trade, but my foundation is in mechanical engineering and art, the perfect intersection of function and form. At Nike, I worked in product innovation and footwear design, where rapid prototyping and problem solving were second nature.
Sewing shoes might seem unrelated to backpacks, but the same principles apply. Understanding ergonomics, optimizing material performance, and crafting something people actually love to use. Those skills gave me the ability to iterate quickly and translate a rough idea into something tangible.
How did all of these ideas coalesce into a business?
Ngene: I initially ran the idea by a colleague of mine (Sebastian Tesche), who ended up co-founding the company with me, and his immediate reaction was, “this is something special.” That moment set things in motion. By December 2023, I made the leap. I left Nike to bring Pacmodo to life.
We launched a Kickstarter campaign purely to test the market, and the response validated everything we believed. People are ready for real innovation in the backpack space. They want a smarter way to travel. Now, we’re gearing up for our launch in May 2025, ready to make one-bag travel the new standard.
What is it about Portland that drew you here and made you want to start your business here?
Ngene: I came here for Nike, but I stayed because Portland is a hub for world-class product design and innovation. This city is where the best minds in footwear, apparel, accessories, and consumer goods converge. You have designers, engineers, material experts, manufacturing pros, and brilliant strategists all in one place.
Honestly, I don’t think we could have built Pacmodo anywhere else. Portland has a deep-rooted culture of questioning norms, pushing boundaries, designing with purpose, and just being plain old weird! That energy is what keeps me here.
“The Portland community has the talent and the ecosystem to support bold new ideas. Pacmodo is proof of that.”
—David Ngene Jr., Co-founder, Pacmodo
You mentioned that sustainability played an important role in informing your design.
Ngene: Most households have at least five backpacks sitting in closets, collecting dust. This stems from our constant search for the perfect backpack/lifestyle fit. When people finally decide to purge, what do they do? They donate them. But the truth is, most donation centers don’t resell or give away the backpacks. They shred them and send them to the landfill. And what’s wild? Many of these bags are brand new, with tags still on. That’s a broken system.
At Pacmodo, we’re taking a different approach. Every PAC is digitally enabled, allowing us to follow its complete lifecycle. If you decide to trade in your PAC, we’ll take it back, refurbish it, and reintroduce it through our secondhand marketplace at a reduced price, while also celebrating its journey online.
We’re pioneering the world’s first Softwear company, blending softgoods with technology to create a smarter, more sustainable future. Our built-in digital platform will help us refine how we extend product life, minimize overproduction, and evolve with the needs of our community. This means less waste, a longer lifespan for every product, and a more intentional approach to consumption.
What’s your ultimate vision for how you want people to use these bags?
Ngene: Pacmodo isn’t built for the top of Mount Everest. That’s not who we are. Our focus is on the in-between moments, the journey itself. Whether it’s a weekend getaway, a work trip that blends into play, or a long-haul adventure, we want to make the journey feel effortless.
Let other brands chase the summit. We’re here for the urban discovery seekers, the inspired nomads, the culture seekers, the people who believe the journey is just as important as the destination.
At the end of the day, it’s not about the backpack. It’s about what you get to experience because of it. The backpack is the gateway. We’re here to help you get there, bolder, smarter, and fully present for the moments that truly matter.
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