David Perez

Why did you choose NewSchool?

I first learned about NewSchool from a friend. I then followed up with an advisor and went to an open house and quickly applied! I chose NewSchool because of the environment – I liked the class sizes, people, and professors. It felt like a great place to learn.

What was your favorite aspect of attending NewSchool?

I think what I liked the most about NewSchool was the library. There are so many great resources for students. My favorite memories while attending NewSchool were the people, the projects, and, during my thesis year, presenting my final project “On the Rails.”

What projects are you currently working on?

I am working on high-end residential custom homes. I design and build homes from the ground up. I also founded a startup company called Whatfloor, a building safety app.

What has been your biggest career accomplishment?

Graduating from NewSchool with my Bachelor of Architecture with a minor in 2017, a Master of Construction Management in 2018, and creating the Whatfloor phone application.

Tell us more about Whatfloor. Why was it created and what does it do?

Whatfloor was founded in 2018 by Martin Bermudez, Jose Martinez, David Perez (myself), and Luis Verastegui in San Bruno, CA.

The app was created with the purpose of saving lives. Building security is essential for everyone working in a building. The only tools that people have currently are the evacuation maps that are placed near the entrance of a building. We want to provide more to guarantee the safety and wellbeing of everyone so that they can easily be accounted for during an emergency or crisis.

Our mission at Whatfloor is to save lives by streamlining emergency preparations for buildings and connecting first responders in real-time during an emergency.

We assist building owners and emergency teams before, during, and after an emergency in their buildings. Every decision could mean the difference between life and death. Whatfloor’s innovative mobile emergency evacuation app can help people make better decisions during a crisis.

UPDATE: David now champions safe environments as a Business Development Manager at USG-Upland Group.