The City Lights Reporter

Darien Dash, 28, founder of D M E Interactive Holdings, Inc. (DME), is on a mission to close the “digital divide” by expanding the hardware and software infrastructure within minority communities. The “digital divide” refers to the disheartening American predicament that gives America’s affluent and educated, computers and Internet access while preventing those minorities with less income and education from getting connected to the Web.

DME Interactive is the first African American-owned, publicly traded Internet company. Traded on the NASDAQ exchange, the stock symbol is “DGMF.” Mr. Dash has strategically partnered DME with America Online, Inc., to develop and launch Places of Color, a new, co-branded urban-oriented online service, powered by AOL’s CompuServe 2000.

Places of Color, a wholly owned subsidiary of DME, will offer Internet access, training and education for minority communities in a way that is relevant to the community. Currently Whites and Asians are at least three times more likely than African-Americans and Hispanics to use the Web. The “digital divide” is widening. In 1997, the difference in PC-ownership levels between White and Black households was 21 percent, up from 16.8 percentage points in 1994.

The DME plan is not to create “digital welfare,” but instead Places of Color will sell the tools and training people need to help themselves. They plan to not only introduce the product and the ISP, but also to provide the content online that will keep the minority communities interested via the use of urban music, styles and trends—much like FUBU did with clothing.

DME will continue to give African-Americans and Hispanics the incentive to get online by developing web sites and providing advanced technologies for businesses interested in providing relevant content for urban communities, including HBO Home Video, Bad Boy Entertainment, Stress Online and Motown Records. DME also offers an internship program that provides minority youth the opportunity to do graphic design, basic html programming, and marketing research to advanced technology companies under the wing of experts in each field. In this way DME hopes to create new business opportunities within the minority community. For the Digital Divide is not only about race but income and opportunity

Darrin Dash has been appointed Technology Chair by the Harlem Superintendent’s Council for District 5, giving him the responsibility of charting the course for technology for the entire district of Harlem. He is speaking on Internet panels across the country, such as Yahoo! Internet Life’s “Race and the Net Panel”, Digital Divide Summits Hosted by William Daley, Secretary of Commerce and Harlem Live’s “Playing to Win” conference with neighborhood minority youth.

Currently based in New York City, DME Interactive was established in 1994 with offices in New Jersey and Los Angeles and it now has close to 40 employees and 40 major clients, widening their reach to communities nationwide.

For more information on DME Interactive Holdings, Inc. and the “Digital Divide,” please contact Rachel Carr or Mark Hazlin at 212-685-4300

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DARIN DASH AND

D M E INTERACTIVE

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