![]() Dash later told FSB: Fortune Small Business: "I thank God for my wife. Money from a joint venture between Roc-A-Blok and Columbia Records funded the company's start-up in September 1994. He believed Internet access could improve the quality of life for American minorities, and he grew angry at the technology industry's reluctance to market its services to them.ĭash quit his job at DMX-on the day after his wedding-and started his own company in the couple's one-bedroom apartment in Hackensack, New Jersey. technology trends and developed a vision for marketing Internet services to minority clientele. He worked his way to the position of eastern region marketing and sales director for Digital Music Xpress (DMX), a company that provided digital cable television with high quality music. Becomes Technology EntrepreneurĪfter college, Dash gained experience as a consultant on new media marketing for Fortune 500 companies. New York Times states: "He made-and spent-$100,000 during his sophomore year of college when he and a cousin, Damon Dash, teamed up as managers and snagged inaugural record deals for the rapper Jay-Z and Original Flavor." But Dash wanted to continue his education, and during his senior year, he found himself influenced by the book Megatrends, which predicted future wealth for technology entrepreneurs. As a freshman, he started his own record company, Roc-A-Blok Records, specializing in hip-hop. He became president of the Black Student Union and participated actively in the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. I was either going to turn to ice, or have faith and make something of myself."Īt the University of Southern California, Dash studied political science and leadership in the Emerging Leadership Program. ![]() Dash himself recalled for New York Times a turning point during his teen years: "In the space of two weeks when I was 18, my father died, and I was one of the first ones to find him, my dog died, my stepfather's house in Paramus burned down, my mother and stepfather separated, and my girlfriend, the woman who later became my wife, left me. She described her son to People as "always thinking of business schemes," often renting his toys instead of loaning them. Dash is married and has three children.ĭuring Darien's childhood in Paramus, New Jersey, Linda Dash noted her son's penchant for marketing. His step-father Cecil Holmes, a Casablanca Records executive, played a major role in inspiring Dash to work hard and live ethically. His cousin Damon chairs New York's Roc-A-Fella record label. His sister Stacey, probably best known for her role as Dionne in Clueless, has appeared in a number of television shows and movies. ![]() His mother Linda served as general manager of DME. ![]() While still a young man, he modeled leadership skills for current and future African American entrepreneurs.ĭarien Dash was born in 1972 in New York City to a family involved in entertainment. Through DME's subsidiaries, Digital Mafia Entertainment and Places of Color, Dash delivered less expensive hardware and software, developed customized Internet services, and played a significant role in training minorities to use the Internet. As founder and CEO of DME Interactive Holdings, Dash developed the first African American-owned Internet company traded on Wall Street. While others pictured the American minority community on the deprived side of the digital divide, Darien Dash saw a clientele ripe for the marketing of Internet services. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |