Introducing Yodata: the new Backend as a Service (BaaS) solution dedicated to changing the relationship between software and customer data.

Yodata is for data schemas what GitHub is to open source: an open, democratic approach to data management. Yodata solves data integration and portability by embracing open source and making cloud computing and app development customer centric.

For users, Yodata means total control over their personal data.

For developers, Yodata is a place where developers discover, create, share, discuss, and crowdsource open data standards development in real time.

And corporations aren’t just sitting on that data: they’re monetizing it — selling the specifics of our digital identities to the highest bidder, whether it’s a marketing company looking to mine data for fuel to target their next campaign, or a home insurance company looking for ways to increase their premiums.

Have you ever felt uneasy with what an organization is doing with your data? You don’t really have much of a say. When you checked that little box marked “Agree” -- you know, the one at the bottom of the novel-length Terms of Use agreement you need a law degree in order to understand -- you essentially signed away the rights to your data. Whatever platform you happen to be using essentially owns your data, and you pay for the privilege of accessing it when you use their platform.

And good luck when you want to get your data back. Migrating data from one vendor to another can take months, not to mention the fact that it’s extremely expensive and frustrating, and you run the risk that you could wind up losing your data altogether.

Beyond all the headaches that the current data system creates for users and developers, there’s the power imbalance that proprietary data systems create between the big guys and everybody else. When all vendors have a proprietary API and declare themselves a “platform,” it’s too easy for the data giants to crowd out smaller vendors and startups.  This keeps smaller companies from getting the customers and customer data that could allow them to build competing or superior services.

It’s time that data management was designed in a way that puts data owners first, instead of the data-gobbling mega-giants looking to profit off their data.

It’s time that data management was designed to foster competition and innovation in the software development world, rather than stifling it.

It’s time for Yodata.

Yodata marks the beginning of a totally revolutionary take on data and software development.

Throughout the history of the Internet, principles of openness have been the key to fostering innovation, facilitating growth and spreading good ideas throughout the digital world.

At Yodata, we feel it’s time that data standards got with the program, and abandoned outdated, proprietary formats that put vendors’ interests front and center, in favor of open standards that keep users’ interests at the heart of it all.

Here’s what the data landscape looks like in the Yodata universe:

With Yodata, customer data belongs to the customer, and lives in the customer’s personal cloud. No more novel-length Terms of Agreement documents with one little “Agree” box - with Yodata, you call the shots.

Yodata makes data integration direct and transparent. Vendors integrate directly with customers to access their data — not with other vendors, so users always know where their data is going and what it’s doing.

Looking to move your data from one vendor to another? With Yodata, migrating your data is as simple as granting access to a new vendor and disabling the old one.

With Yodata, APIs are open, and data is available to any software allowed by the user, so small vendors and startups have the same access and opportunity to work with customer data as the big guys do.

In the current software model, software gets developed first, with data standards constantly lagging behind. With Yodata, standards evolve in parallel with software development and innovation, instead of after the fact.

When developers come together to develop data standards collaboratively in real-time and those standards are adopted on a mass scale, the result is improved and more user-friendly software. Who can argue with that?

Here’s a quick rundown of how Yodata’s stance on data standards relates to a freer, more equal data experience — for developers and data owners alike.

FOR DEVELOPERS

Why start your data model from scratch? With Yodata, you can build a production-ready backend database on proven, standards-based data models in minutes.

In the Yodata environment, vendors don’t “own” users or control access to their data. That means everybody has equal access to the customers and their data that they can use to build great products.

With Yodata, you have one API to deal with and it's your own. Yodata brings the integration to you, drastically cutting down time and expense.

In Yodata’s world, developers pay for the data they use, and not a penny more. No more paying when other developers access the API.

FOR DATA OWNERS

Yodata allows you to easily see and control access to your data, so you always know who is using it.

With Yodata, you own your data, and you can leave your software vendor and take your data with you.  There is no longer the nuisance of being tethered to vendors because migrating your data or starting from scratch would be too much of a hassle.

End-to-end encryption, strong encryption, asymmetric keys…. if you care about your data’s security, you know what we’re talking about. For everybody else, let’s leave it at this: we keep your data safe and private. Period.

The Yodata team has the expertise, the relationships, and the startup acumen needed to make Yodata a reality. The team’s experience includes:

Founding startups AgentAchieve (acquired by CoreLogic) and Imprev (real estate SaaS platform)

Advising on technology and strategy for brokers, broker affiliate networks, and multiple successful startups

Leading data model and API designs: AgentAchieve API program and the MLS data aggregation model ultimately adopted as CoreLogic company standard

Developing and executing marketing strategy at brokers and real estate tech startups

The roster of companies our team has either worked with, for, or founded includes:

And our team is already putting our past experience to work with Yodata, setting the stage for big things to come.

Yodata is in beta and engaged in a major pilot with a leading national real estate franchise to demonstrate two-way data flow and automation between the franchise and its vendors.

Yodata makes its debut in the real estate industry, where our team has the experience and relationships to put Yodata to work and showcase what our solution can do. From there, we’ll expand into other verticals, and bring open data standards to developers and users everywhere.

Dave Duran, Founder/CEO
Dave is a full-stack entrepreneur who understands technology, business development and sales. His expertise and perspective is honed from more than 20 years inside broker and franchise organizations, as well as a technology provider. Dave's most recent startup, AgentAchieve, a pioneering real estate CRM platform, was acquired by First American Title in 2006. His expertise data models and integration, building power teams, and executing on transformational technology vision.

Brian Shamblen, Founder/Head of Development
Brian Shamblen was the lead developer on AgentAchieve and has worked with Dave Duran on numerous projects. Brian earns the respect of developers and management because he consistently delivers a level of quality at a pace few can match. When a project is high-risk, complex and mission critical, you want Brian on your team.

Derek Overbey, Founder/Head of Marketing
Derek brings nearly 20 years of real estate, technology and communication experience to his role at Yodata. During this time he’s had the opportunity to work with a variety of businesses from venture backed startups to Global Fortune 500 enterprises. Derek’s passion for real estate started in 1999 when he joined the marketing team at eHome, one of the first online real estate brokerages. More recently Derek spent almost six years as the Vice President of Marketing at Intero Real Estate Services where he oversaw all the marketing activities for the international broker. In addition to his real estate experience, Derek has also had the opportunity to run the marketing and social media operations at several technology start-ups and mid-level businesses.

Eric Bryn, Head of Industry Relations
Eric Bryn brings more than 27 years of combined real estate and technology experience to his advisory role at Yodata. Today he serves as a Senior Product Manager at BoomTown, a web-based software company specializing in an end-to-end marketing solution for real estate. This current experience coupled with his time as VP of Digital Innovation at Baird & Warner and VP of Strategic Development at Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (LeadingRE) provides Eric with a unique understanding and familiarity of both the real estate brokerage and real estate technology side of the business. While at LeadingRE, he also functioned as IP Counsel.

Curt Schooling, Head of Operations
Curt Schooling is a seasoned real estate technology executive, bringing 18 years experience in building innovative companies. He was the founding team member of Imprev, the largest marketing SaaS platform in the industry. During his twelve years he set strategic vision and created the business development plan for each phase of the company as it moved from early stage to market maturity, including all revenue generation, product roadmap and financial modeling. Prior to Imprev, Schooling was an early employee at E-LOAN, an early pioneer in online lending and one of the first successful Internet IPOs. Schooling has an MBA from Georgetown University and a BA in Pharmacology from the University California Santa Barbara.

Board & Advisors