We DVRGE
DVRGE doesn’t have a board. We don’t have investors to answer to. We don’t have a committee that approves our decisions.
We have customers who trust us with their gear. Athletes who carry our bags across time zones, finish lines, and everything in between. People who chose us not because an algorithm pushed us at them, but because what we’re building actually resonates.
That’s who we answer to.
Building something real is a lonely road. Everyone has an opinion. The people who have actually built something usually don't. They know what it costs. They know that every business is its own equation and that advice handed out freely is worth exactly that. The loudest voices in the room are almost never the ones who have skin in the game.
We made a choice early: we take our cues from people who have actually been where we are going.
So we keep our heads down and build what others won't. Most brands engineer to a price point. We engineer to a standard. Fabrics, hardware, construction — every decision starts with the athlete, not the spreadsheet. No exceptions.
DVRGE is built by those who show up. Scrappy, committed, and united by one philosophy: take risks, lead with passion, and believe in the journey.
The Story Behind DVRGE
The DVRGE name is inspired by the famous poem, The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost.
In the summer of 2024, after another training session, Andy was packing up his gear when it hit him. After over 20 years in the corporate world and emerging from a world-transforming pandemic, a new chapter was unfolding.
For almost two decades, Andy traveled to compete in marathons, triathlons, and endurance events across the country. Every trip meant the same frustration of digging through a generic gym bag or backpack and searching for race nutrition while his wet swim gear soaked everything else. He was constantly separating clean clothes from sweaty gear and finding his running watch buried at the bottom. He knew that active travelers deserved a simple, better solution designed to create crisp separation and reduce the noise of disorganization and extra packing accessories.
The vision was clear: create a backpack purpose-built for active travelers and multi-sport athletes who refuse to compromise. Whether you're an everyday commuter who hits the gym at lunch, a marathon runner traveling to races, a triathlete hopping between the pool, bike, and track, you need gear that works as hard as you do.
Bootstrapped and with a “kickstart” vision, Andy decided to exit stage left from corporate life at the beginning of 2025 and focus on building a new brand, in a new category of travel gear. Whether its to the gym, that out-of-town marathon, triathlon, jiu jitsu class, or a week long vacation, be part of the journey as we dvrge.
Read more from Andy on Medium. The extended origin story, "The Only Line I Toe Is the Start Line."
Andy Lai, Founder
After 20+ years in the corporate jungle, from the Big 4 to Big Tech, none were big enough for my heart and soul. From my early consulting days to the last nine years at Microsoft, I built global programs from scratch and solved complex, mission critical problems. I discovered that living in the digital corporate world was not for me and what excites me is developing physical products that people can actually use on a regular basis along their journey in life. Building a business from scratch is what I've always wanted to do. I enjoy the challenge and connection I receive from building the business, the brand, and the product.
When I'm not chasing the fountain of youth through sweat and movement, I love all things design - small-space architecture, off-grid log cabin builds, and, of course, backpacks and soft-goods gear.
I have a super soft spot for Bernese Mountain dogs, but nothing melts my heart more than my amazing daughter.
