For Real?!?

Ben Allen

Founder and President

Ben Allen loved working with computers since age 8 (1978) when Commodore came out with the PET computer that utilized a cassette tape loading device, predating the VIC 20 by almost 3 years. He continued having an accute interest in computers, attending Computer Camps in Ann Arbor, Michigan, becoming comfortable with software such as WordStar and Visicalc and designing databases at age 16 for non-profit organizations.

While he majored in English Composition at DePauw University, in Greencastle, Indiana, he continued to take programming classes and after graduation spent six months doing an apprenticeship in Southern California with an MIT graduate who had built up his own business technology consulting company. This gave him the experience to get a job with Price Waterhouse in Chicago where he served in a help desk capacity. He received the first ever office-wide administrative award for the creation of a database linking Human Resources, the mail room, the technology department and the different business units.

He changed hats and helped GE Capital Railcar setup a help desk system for one year and then returned back to Price Waterhouse in Denver where he managed the network and provided technical assistance to staff. He then joined an elite group of 10 individuals who were responsible for implementing network and communication systems for the top 20 audit clients, including Pepsi, United Bank of Switzerland, Walt Disney, NCR and Hewlett Packard. He then was promoted to Business Technology Liason which positioned him between the Price Waterhouse CIO and the Audit Business Unit, repsonsible for providing overall management of all technology business cases and leveraging technology between the different business units. He built the 12 step process tool for managing all technology business cases across the worldwide firm.

He left Price Waterhouse when the merger with Coopers and Lybrand occurred in 1998 and formed Allen Technology Advising on July 17th, 1998. The first client was Evergreen Fitness, which changed ownership to Nick’s Pro Fitness in 2008, and still remains a client to this day.

In addition to running the business Ben has a huge heart for volunteering in his community and internationally:

• Incoming 2011 board chair for the 530 member Evergreen Chamber of Commerce
• Spent 7 weeks in Tanzania with his wife and 4 children in November of 2008 volunteering his time to setup the network and software at the brand new Selian Lutheran Hospital, helping Africaid by visiting our student (www.africaid.com), working with the PlasterHouse and updating everyone with our Blog  (see more here -> allensinarusha.blogspot.com)
• Evergreen Rotary Member since 1999 and Youth Exchange chair from 1999 through 2007 and 2009 through the present
• Board member of Institute for Attachment and Child Development from 2004 through 2007, serving as Board President from 2006 – 2007

Also, Ben has been recognized by his community with the following awards:

• Evergreen Area Chamber of Commerce 1996 recipient of Business of the Year
• Evergreen Area Chamber of Commerce 2000 ambassador of the year

In addition to his business and volunteering he is passionate about his children as well as his wife, who is a world class triathlete and CEO of Allen Technology Advising!  In 2009  she received a 6th in the world in her age group (see what 6th in the world looks like here)