Darius Allen

Darius R. Allen (born March 30, 1981 in Detroit, Michigan) is a former football player and entrepreneur. He is the CEO and founder of Starcast Group LLC. and CRBT Inc. In 2015, Siam CRBT (a subsidiary of CRBT) has pioneered a dual-screen smartphone for the American market, known as the Siam 7X.^[1] He is also known for his book From Athletics to Business.^[2]

Early life

Allen was born on March 30, 1981, in Detroit, Michigan, to two General Motors plant workers. He was the third of six siblings. He became interested in football when he was seven years old and also participated in basketball and track at this time. He and his family then relocated to the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex in 1993. It was during this time that his passion for sports grew, and he began to make connections with various athletes and coaches.^[3]

In 1999, Allen began his education at Auburn University where he also played in his school's football team. In 2001, he played as a running back with the number 32. His collegiate teammates included Heath Evans and Ronnie Brown^[4]

In 2003, Allen graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a general diploma in management information systems. After completing his education, he attempted to find a job in technology sales, but was told that he did not have enough experience. He then worked at two high-pressure sales jobs, first in auto sales and then in real estate.^[5]

Entrepreneurship

In 2004, Allen founded Starcast Group, which was a business that locates debtors for possession and collection. This group later expanded and now contains twelve different entities. These include an asset location firm, debt collection practice (Signature Recovery), accounting & bookkeeping franchise (Tax Breaks), and an accounting software company (Tax Breaks Professional Software). ^[6]

The recurring revenue stream that was provided by Starcast Group enabled Allen to make more risky investments in the smartphone industry. In 2004, he founded CRBT (Caller Ring Back Tone), whose original business was to substitute caller ringtones with advertising solutions. However, this company soon became more well known when it began manufacturing the Siam 7x Dual-Screen Smartphone, whose initial release was on November 27, 2015. This phone was the first phone on the market which had a screen on both the front and the back. ^[7]

While this phone was designed by CRBT Inc in Dallas, it is produced by a contract manufacturer in Shenzhen, China. Darius Allen made this decision so that the Siam 7X would not have the same issues with manufacturing its main competitor, the Yotaphone has experienced. In 2016, Darius Allen has declared that his production target of the Sim 7X would be 50-100,000 per year. ^[8]

The Siam 7X is an Android-based phone which is compatible with any AT&T or T-Mobile SIM Card. The front screen is a fully functional color screen while the reverse screen is black and white E Ink Corporation screen. The phone also has the ability to use two SIM cards simultaneously and features an infrared eye which allows users to control most internet controlled devices, such as TVs, stereos and air conditioners. Allen designed a unique security feature for this phone, where it would unlock based on a unique ear configuration ("ear print sensor"), rather than by a traditional fingerprint or passcode. ^[9]

He also has plans for a future release (known as the Siam 8X) which will feature two colored screens and is scheduled to be released in fall 2016. ^[10]

Other works

In 2011, he published a book titled "From Athletics to Business", which analyzes some of the common problems that athletes experience in the business world. This book also outlines twelve steps that an athlete can take to ensure post-career financial success.^[11]

In 2014, Allen produced a series of five-minute-long spots, called "Tech Beat with Darius Allen". These episodes are hosted on SIRIUS XM and BYU Radio. In these episodes, Allen interviews both up-and-coming and established authorities in a variety of fields and disciplines in the technology industry. His goal is to showcase the current evolution of technology and provide viewers with his unique insights regarding the industry. ^[12]

References