Meet the Team: Daniel Velez

Welcome to Reggora’s Meet the Team series! Reggora is powered by a team of smart, hard working people dedicated to the mission of appraisal innovation, and we’ve all taken very different paths to get here. In this series, we’ll introduce you to different members of the Reggora family. This week features Daniel Velez, who joined Reggora in January of 2019 to develop Reggora's mobile applications for lenders and appraisers.  

Daniel Velez: Mobile Software Developer

Q: Tell us about yourself. Where did you grow up? Go to school? What do you enjoy doing?

A: I was born in Cali, Colombia and immigrated to the US when I was 11 years old. When I moved to the states my family and I had to adapt to living in a new country and learn a new language. I played many sports growing up, but was not particularly great at any of them. My love for computers started at the age of 13, when my mom got me a computer. I went to high school and community college in Lowell, MA before transferring to Umass to get my business degree. I learned to code in my late 20s and changed careers in 2016 to become a software engineer. I enjoy watching combat sports (boxing, MMA, Jiu Jitsu) and soccer. I used to practice Jiu Jitsu for a few years but it has been a while since I touched the mats!

Q: Where did you work before Reggora?

A: Prior to Reggora, I worked at a startup that was building what was essentially an Airbnb for weddings. My first software engineering job was at a web development agency in the Boston area. I spent about a year between these 2 companies building my technical skills, and spent a few years prior to that learning how to code. Making the transition from sales to software development was not easy, it took a few years, and the uncertainty of making it to the other side was challenging, but I am proud of my choice to make a change of careers.  

Q: Why did you join the Reggora team?

A: I came to Reggora in the very early days of the company. I was very excited to join the team because I would be in charge of building a project from the ground up - the Reggora mobile app. To me this was a very enticing proposition because mobile development is something I am very passionate about. I had already spent hundreds of hours working on mobile projects, so I felt confident I could do the job. It has been amazing seeing this company grow so fast.

Q: What do you do here at Reggora?

A: I am a mobile developer here at Reggora. Over the past 2.5 years, I have worked on the mobile applications for our lender and appraiser users - it helps them interact with our platform on the go. This last year, however, I have also spent a lot of time working on other technologies in our tech stack. This has allowed me to grow as a developer and spend time learning new technologies and becoming a more crucial contributor to the team. 

Q: How has the switch to remote work been for you?

A: I have really enjoyed the switch to remote work. It has allowed me to have more time with my family, move to a city with a warmer climate, and buy a home with a pool - a childhood dream. The day-to-day work tasks have gotten a lot smoother and I feel like I am more productive. To me this has been a massive win for the company and myself.

Q: What is the best part of being on the Reggora team?

A: The best part of working at Reggora has to be the people. The support I get from my team has allowed me to grow as a developer and tackle more complex problems everyday. Our engineering team works on pods and each pod has a goal and a business vertical to address. Reggora also puts effort into activities and fun events to unwind from the workload. 

Q: If you had a free ticket to visit any place in the world, where would you go and why?

A: I would love to go to Ko Phi Phi Le, Thailand and visit the famous Maya Bay. I would also like to spend some time in the bustling city of Bangkok, and who knows, maybe take a few Muay Thai lessons in a sweaty Thai gym.

Thank you Dan! For answering all our questions, and for all your hard work to give all of Reggora's users a convenient and easy to use mobile experience. Our LOs and appraisers thank you.

We’re continuing to hire across all departments here at Reggora. To learn about joining the team and see our open roles, visit www.reggora.com/careers.