about us

Our people

Our team is made up of people from business, technology, and education. We’re bringing all these disciplines together and removing hurdles that stand between young people and their potential.

Youth advisors

  • Dedrick Miller

    Youth Advisor

  • Dwayne Morgan

    Youth Advisor

  • Zytiera Richardson

    Youth Advisor

  • Umeria Taylor

    Youth Advisor

  • Erika Wallace

    Youth Advisor

 

Our Team

  • Shelene Baiyee

    Community Manager

  • Andy Bobowski

    Co-founder, Chief Backr - Students

  • Zach Gousseau

    Engineering

  • Dustin Herboldshimer

    Contributor - Engineering

  • Brittany Hyman

    Contributor - Community Team

  • Brandon Keefer

    Engineering

  • Courtney Kelly

    Marketing Lead

  • Tom Latkovic

    Co-founder, Chief Backr

  • Steve Latkovic

    Co-founder, Chief Backr - Finance

  • Demarcus Lester

    Engineering

  • Benjamin Maldonado

    Operations Leader

  • Storm O'Bryant

    Engineering

  • Aron Racho

    Contributor - Engineering

  • Andrew Richards

    Engineering Leader

  • Gabriella Stroplos

    Community Manager

  • Molly Wallace

    Design Leader

We built Backrs for the Dustins of the world. “Dustin” is an example of one of our co-founders’ amazing former students. Dustin comes from a supportive home and does well in school. He has big dreams and aspirations but isn’t quite sure what paths to take to get there. As the first in his family to pursue a post-secondary education, he isn’t sure how to navigate his options and balance all the things on his plate - school, course selection, a job, making friends, and getting involved on campus. His parents haven’t navigated this path themselves and they don’t know much about his careers of interest.

Our story

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The research is clear on the obstacles that stand in Dustin’s way. Between the rising costs of college, wage gaps for first-gen college students, and limited access to professional networks, students like Dustin far too often are not able to secure a college-degree and launch a career in their field of interest.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

So we created Backrs. Backrs is that bridge to connect the Dustins of the world to a broader, more diverse network of adults that want to pay it forward. A platform that unites the potential of young people with the experience of caring adults. A community that uplifts and empowers.

Join our community and be a part of defining a new way to give back and have someone’s back.

Our company

Mission

At Backrs, we have a dual mission:

To empower young people by providing a technology platform to build and engage with a personalized team of backrs who support their journeys and aspirations by sharing money, relationships, and experience, through affirmation and network expansion.

To create a more effective and rewarding way for individuals to use their talents, time, and money to engage with and support individual young people.