Necessity is the mother of invention, and for Bellevue native Jack Perkins and Eric Anwar—friends who met at the University of Southern California—the necessity was power (of the electrical variety). One too many times, they reached for their cell phones to call someone and their devices were dead. So Perkins, who works for Bellevue’s Northstar Sourcing Group, and Anwar, a Los Angeles marketing guru, created a backpack ($129.99 at currentbagco.com) that holds a lightweight rechargeable power pack that will charge a phone eight or nine times and laptop once or twice. “The bag is weather resistant, tailored for an active lifestyle and fits your charger needs on the go,” says Perkins, “perfect for students and young professionals.”

Now that they’re plugged in as entrepreneurs, Perkins and Anwar recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for a new line of back-to-school gear with two new charger bags, one for $119.99 and one for $79.99. Other Current Bag products, including messenger bags and phone cases, are in the works now that they have the power.