Most tech founders talk about what their products can do. Chris Kaspar on the other hand, is focussed on what the effects are on the people who use it. As founder and CEO of Techless, Kaspar is leading a quiet but determined revolution, within the attention economy that underpins much of modern technology. His flagship product, Wisephone, the social-media-free smartphone built around safety, simplicity and self-control, has sold out multiple times and it’s struck a chord with users across generations, who are feeling overwhelmed by digital noise and distraction.
A founder shaped by legacy and lived experience
Kaspar’s interest in technology was never about features or performance. From the outset, he was drawn to the deeper questions of attention, wellbeing and human impact, a perspective that was shaped long before Techless existed.
Two main experiences defined him as a founder. The first was growing up inside a fifth-generation family business, where decisions were measured in decades. “Stewardship wasn’t a buzzword,” he explains. “You thought about whether something would still be a blessing in 20 years. That question still guides everything we do at Techless.”
The second influence was much more personal. As a foster parent, Kaspar saw first-hand the damage unfiltered technology could do to children. “I watched kids wrestle with screen addiction and exposure to things no child should ever see,” he says. “That’s when tech ethics stopped being abstract for me. It became personal.”
It was the collision of those two worlds; commerce and compassion, which shaped his philosophy. “I’m not a founder because I wanted a startup,” he says. “I’m a founder because the world didn’t yet have the product I needed my kids to grow up with.”
Why Wisephone exists
Wisephone was born from a growing disconnect Kaspar observed between what smartphones promised and what they delivered. Despite claims of empowerment and connection, many devices were designed at all costs, to capture ‘attention.’
Kaspar believed there was an unmet middle ground: a phone that offered modern functionality without the addictive design patterns. “Parents want safer tech for their kids, and adults want their focus and peace back,” he says. “When you hear the same problem echoed across generations and cultures, you know that a solution is needed.”
Built on Techless’s proprietary WiseOS, Wisephone removes algorithmic feeds and manipulative interfaces while still supporting daily life, through nearly 2,000 verified tools and Apps available. Its success validated the thesis quickly, as devices sold out repeatedly, and customers began sharing stories of real and meaningful change.
“When users tell you it gave them their mind back,” Kaspar says, “you know you’re building something that matters.”
Swimming against the tide
Building a hardware company designed to counter the attention economy is not for the faint-hearted. Kaspar describes it as “slow, complexed and unforgiving.”
One of the most testing moments came when a major platform provider blocked a critical parental safety feature without any explanation. Overnight, a core promise of the product became impossible to deliver within the existing ecosystem. This meant that Techless faced a choice, to either compromise the mission, or rebuild the product.
“We chose the rebuild,” says Kaspar. The decision meant creating their own App distribution platform that was a costly, time-consuming effort that demanded extraordinary engineering resilience. “We would rather innovate around a gatekeeper, than comply with a system that prioritises ‘privacy’ over child protection.”
Other challenges were humanitarian. Letting go of team members who believed passionately in the mission but couldn’t execute at the required level, forced Kaspar into taking on multiple roles at once. “Resilience isn’t just endurance,” he reflects. “It’s protecting the mission when everything around it gets shaky.”
Customers ahead of the industry
While the tech industry has often met Techless with scepticism, consumers have been far more receptive. “We’re challenging the foundational business model of Big Tech,” Kaspar says. “Most devices are built to take people’s attention. We’re building technology that gives it back to them.”
Customer feedback has been profoundly motivating, with users reporting renewed focus, improved relationships, and freedom from harmful online habits. One customer told Techless that switching to Wisephone helped them overcome a long-standing addiction. Others speak simply of more clarity, calm, and control in their lives.
“It’s because of these stories we are building healthy tech,” says Kaspar.
A different model of growth
The Techless business model reflects such values, as to this tech innovator, success is measured in the time that’s given back to the customer, rather than in engagement or screentime. The company offers transparent, monthly plans with no long-term contracts designed to build trust over everything.
When it comes to investment, Kaspar is unapologetically selective. Techless has turned down millions in misaligned capital before and would do so again if the opportunity came up. As Chris says: “Capital must serve the mission, not define it. Ethical design is far from being a constraint. It’s a competitive advantage.”
Building a healthier tech future
Looking ahead, Kaspar’s ambition is bold. To build the world’s first healthy technology company at scale, where safety, simplicity and self-control are the industry standards.
Internally, that ethos shapes Techless’s culture. “If we’re building intentional tech for the world, we have to live those values ourselves,” he says. Trust, clarity and purpose guide decisions and Kaspar applies the same discipline to his own digital habits.
His advice to other founders is grounded and hard-earned. “Clarity of mission matters more than anything else,” he says. “Build something you deeply believe in. Hold your values tightly – because they will be tested.”
In an industry driven by extraction and speed, Chris Kaspar is proving that another path is truly possible. Where technology, rather than taking our precious time from us, it’s giving so much more back…
About Chris Kaspar
As the founder of Techless, Chris Kaspar’s day-to-day involvement is with product development and branding and vision for the company. He has a bachelor’s in marketing from Texas A&M and a Master’s in Studio Art from Drury University.
While at college, Chris founded Texas A&M’s ARTISTS, a thriving student organization that continues to glorify God through deep community and the creative arts. He was one of five students to be awarded the Buck Weirus Spirit Award for his contributions to the A&M University.
Techless is Chris’s third startup, who in 2008, founded Dancing Fox Films production company. Its work has been filmed and screened worldwide, including a long-form piece for Chick-Fil-A that aired on ESPN Superbowl Gameday. Chris was also the co-founder and President of Espresso, a design agency specializing in brand strategy and development, receiving multiple national Addy Awards for print, film and social campaigns.
Through Espresso, he led the ground-up design and development of multiple products and brands. Serving as the chairman of the Don G. Kaspar Foundation, Chris is co-founder of a small group of home churches, called The Gathering. He is married to Ciera, who works at home raising their three daughters, Eliana, Vivian and Piper. Chris and Ciera have been foster parents for several children and live for a life of deeper purpose.
