In our latest Meet the Real Estate Tech Entrepreneur interview, we’re speaking with Robb Monkman of React Mobile. Since we are both tech founders in the Seattle area — I sat down with Robb for lunch last week in Pioneer Square to learn more about what he’s up to, and trade war stories from building our respective early stage tech companies. His app, React Mobile, isn’t a pure real estate technology play, but given there is a real estate angle for staying safe in unfamiliar areas (which is mentioned in this TV clip) and given it’s Realtor Safety Month — I thought it worth highlighting Robb and his company here in this series.

Here’s a bit more about him, from his own mouth…

What do you do?

Currently, I’m serving as the founder and CEO of React Mobile, a free app for iPhone and Android that is helping to enhance personal safety. React Mobile helps you turn your smartphone into a powerful lifeline. The app’s “Follow-me” feature allows you to have your friends and family track you in real-time whenever you’re concerned for your safety. With the push of a button, you can send an SOS alert containing your GPS coordinates to select emergency contacts via text message and email with an option for an alert to be posted on Facebook and Twitter. Once the SOS alert is activated, you’re automatically prompted to dial the authorities. React is well suited for real estate agents who are frequently meeting new clients in unfamiliar locations.

Why do you do what you do?

I was inspired to create the app after being held at gunpoint during a home invasion while in college several years ago. Wanting to do more for on and off campus safety I created a tool that can be used to silently and discreetly alert a wide network, including the authorities, of an emergency and its location. After testing several beta products in various markets for over a year, the React Mobile safety app was finally launched in March 2013. Since our launch we have been gaining traction with real estate agents and have been recommended by Agent Magazine as an app to keep real estate professionals safe.

What are you most excited about right now?

I’m really excited about our new Private Label service that we launched at the beginning of the summer.  We now give universities, K-12 schools and companies the opportunity to have their very own custom security app to share with their students and employees. This service is a cost effective and easy to implement layer of protection that allows institutions to brand our application as their own. Our private label opportunities allows schools and corporations to focus on delivering a powerful risk mitigation tool to employees without having to spend the resources and time developing a comprehensive solution like React on their own.  You can learn more about our custom branding opportunities by following this link: http://www.reactmobile.com/private-label

What’s next for you?

We are already busy working on the next version of React that has many exciting new product enhancements. We are remaining stealth on this new product revision but it is the result of months of focus groups and surveying our users.

What’s a cause you’re passionate about and why?

I have two causes that are near and dear to me.  My family is actively involved with the Alzheimer’s Foundation. I had two Grandparents that suffered from Alzheimer’s. In addition, I try to stay involved with Muscular Dystrophy Association. Lastly, we at React are active supporters and partners with Clearcause Foundation who is on of our initial white label customers.  ClearCauses mission is to help keep youth traveling/studying  abroad safe.

Thanks to Robb for sharing his motivations and current projects. If you’re interested in connecting with Robb further, you can find him on Oh Hey World and LinkedIn.

We’ll be featuring other real estate tech entrepreneurs in the coming weeks. If you are an entrepreneur in the real estate vertical (past or present), and want to be profiled, please sign up for an OHW account and add “real estate tech entrepreneurs” as an interest on your profile — then shoot me an email (drew at ohheyworld).