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What's a morally driven 28-year-old father of threewho's still married to the woman he met at age 14 doing ine-world, where raising money reigns and soul-selling goesunnoticed? Darien Dash, founder of advanced technology provider DMEInteractive Holdings Inc. in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, isproving the Internet can do more than produce millionaires byexecuting his long-standing mission: "to expand the hardwareand software infrastructure within minority communities."
"Always try to do good before you do well," says Dash,a University of Southern California grad who left his marketing andsales director post at a cable technology firm the day after his1994 marriage and started DME (Digital Mafia Entertainment)."Have faith, and God will show you the way," he says."I'm a living example."
But Dash's wealth of good karma doesn't hurt. Whileproviding Web development and Internet solutions for such clientsas Motown Records, BMG North America, Sony Music, BlackEntertainment Television, and HBO Home Video may quench the averageentrepreneurial thirst, prestige doesn't move Dash--changedoes. That's why he spent three and a half years devising a wayto provide 10 million African-American and Hispanic households withcomputers, applicable content, Internet access, training,certification and job placement, all for $19.95 a month. And afterinking some wonderfully huge deals, he did it by launching Placesof Color, an America Online-like business-to-consumer Internetservice, earlier this year.
A $500 loan from an uncle whom Dash has "paid back 10 timesover" and a bedroom-based office may seem a weak foundationfor such high aspirations, but soon Dash's "innersalesperson" signed first client LaFace Records, and doorsopened in recognition. Since becoming the first publicly tradedAfrican-American-owned Internet company last June, DME has openedan office in New York City. With sales increasing 33 percentannually from 1996 to 1999, DME continues to expand by acquiringsmaller Web development agencies and minority content companies.Dash gives as he grows: Whether it's 1,000 shares of DME stockto benefit inner-city kids or educating minority businesses aboutthe Net's importance, he's showing what this medium'sreally made of.
Contact Source
DME Interactive Holdings Inc., (212) 422-6600, nicole@dmeinteractive.com
