Today we’d like to introduce you to Devyn Allen.
Devyn, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Middle school is where it all began. At the time, I was addicted to a game called Runescape. Being the inquisitive kid that I was, I often wondered how games such as Runescape worked. A few days of research led me to download a copy of the game’s source and client files, and with it, my own version of Runescape — I called it Convivial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgzJpLhwyrE). I explored and edited lines upon lines of code to ensure that Convivial differed drastically from Runescape. Through Convivial I introduced myself to computer science and unknowingly taught myself how to write code. I was in the 10th grade or so when I started making money from Convivial. Since then, I’ve understood that I am capable of supporting myself and being my own boss. This is why I aspire to be an entrepreneur today.
In high school, everything came easy. I breezed through all of my AP courses, particularly computer science since I taught myself the basics while building Convivial. Needless to say, I was convinced that I would attend an Ivy League institution, or at the very least a top engineering school in Texas. Unfortunately, I had no idea what it took to attend these schools, and my refusing to study for the SAT did not help my case whatsoever. As a result, I was offered admission to most of my top schools, but I wasn’t accepted to their College of Engineering. I didn’t realize it then, but this was a blessing in disguise.
On a class trip to Texas A&M, my good friend Kobie Bowman told me about Prairie View A&M University. At the time, Kobie was one of the smartest individuals I knew — for context, Kobie aspired to study Mathematics and/or Physics to build rollercoasters for a living, so I was definitely intrigued with the idea of attending Prairie View. Before then, the thought of attending an Historically Black College & University (HBCU) never crossed my mind. The high schools I attended did not advertise them, and the information I found on the internet didn’t persuade me either. However, Prairie View—the 2nd-to-last school on my list and the only HBCU—believed in my potential and ability to succeed. Not only was I accepted as an engineering student, but they offered to help financially as well. Consequently, I decided to reciprocate the same belief in it, and I have yet to regret that decision.
Surprisingly, I did not step foot on Prairie View’s campus until the first day of the CE2I summer program — a program for incoming engineering majors. In this program, I earned a 4.0 GPA along with the “The Most Outstanding Introduction to Engineering” award. Also, during the program, I began a project called Biz On The Hill (Business On The Hill). I started this because during the program I needed a haircut but only had one option; a friend who recently started cutting hair. I knew this was a problem all students encountered, so I was confused as to why there wasn’t a website or app to find the different services on campus. Then I figured, I was a computer science major, so why not come up with a solution of my own? For a freshman, I was very bold and ambitious to attempt to solve a problem of that complexity. In reality, though, I had a lot more to learn. Little did I know, Prairie View would provide me with the necessary network, opportunities, and knowledge to do just that and then some.
Starting freshman year with a 4.0 GPA provided me with the confidence I needed. During the Fall semester, I impressed Lockheed Martin enough to offer me my very first Software Engineering internship at their Sunnyvale, California location.
As a Sophomore, I was accepted into Google Tech Exchange, an educational program in which HBCU and MSI students take applied computer science courses taught by Google Engineers at their Sunnyvale, California location for a semester. I took several classes at Tech Exchange, but the most important was a class called “Entrepreneurship & Lean Startups”. It was here that I found most of the missing pieces to take Biz On The Hill to the next level. With the help of my good friend and now Co-Founder, Garrett Tolbert (Florida A&M ’20), Biz On The Hill turned into gBook (https://gBook.io). gBook is an e-commerce platform that empowers entrepreneurship on college campuses. We do this by providing a safe and secure place for students to buy/sell products and services on campus. Instead of hopelessly depending on social media to find what they need, students use gBook.
Once my semester at Google ended, I returned home to Round Rock, Texas for a week or so, then flew back to California to start my journey as an Apple HBCU Scholar. These scholars receive both an internship at Apple and a scholarship for the following school year. The scholars program introduced me to the most talented HBCU students in the nation, and I was very fortunate to have roomed with one of the brightest of the bunch, Jared Bryson, a recent Morehouse graduate. Jared’s passion for sustaining HBCUs and their students was contagious and spread to me soon after meeting him. At the time, Jared was just starting to build WeAreMenOfMorehouse.com, a student-run campaign that serves to inspire prospective students, current students, potential donors, and alumni through recognizing the profound achievement of students who have yet to graduate. Jared motivated me to create a Prairie View equivalent, so my Summer consisted of writing code for Apple and planning what would eventually become POPV1876.com. In addition, I performed so well at Apple that I received a return offer for Summer 2020 and will begin working remotely on June 1st.
Keeping the momentum, my Junior year was nothing short of amazing. Garrett and I continued to develop gBook (set to launch Fall 2020). I was one of eight recipients of the Unknown eight Award, named after the eight Unknown individuals that formed the inaugural class of students at Prairie View. And most importantly, I visited the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School through their HBCU Visit Day put on by my friend and mentor, Ayanna Kennedy. Witnessing HBCU alumni prospering at an Ivy League institution was icing on the cake for my Junior year. That visit showed me two things: First, going from an HBCU to the Ivy League is possible, and second, God’s plan for my life will always be better than the one I have for myself.
Attending Prairie View was not a part of my plan, but it was in God’s. Had I known what I do now, Prairie View would have been the only school I applied to, not on the bottom of my list. While I understand there are plenty of great universities, high schoolers should at least know about what Prairie View and other HBCUs have to offer. Today, myself and a few friends are still crafting POPV1876.com to change the perspective and stigma around Prairie View. Furthermore, I and a few others are following Jared’s lead to build WeAreHBCUs.com. WeAreHBCUs identifies and develops HBCU talent across underrepresented disciplines. Together, with the support of our industry and academic partners, we make it possible for HBCUs students to live, thrive, and succeed in any discipline they want.
This is my story thus far. As you can see, God has truly blessed me. I’d speak on my plans for the future, but God clearly has the final say. Although, with the track record He has in my life already, why would I even worry about what is to come? I thank Him for life, opportunity, and the purpose I have yet to discover for my life. Jeremiah 17:7-8
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been somewhat smooth, but ONLY because of the support system I have been blessed with. The challenges I have faced were due to lack of proper preparation or because I had more to learn (i.e., Biz On The Hill). God placed the perfect people in my life just when I needed them. To name a few: Kendall Lemons, my brother for life. We challenge and motivate each other to be the best version of ourselves. Zari McFadden, my best friend, financial advisor, and personal editor. Thankfully, she has yet to charge me for her services! Ayanna Kennedy, my friend and mentor. D’marquis Allen, my older brother who I strive to model my life after. Garrett Tolbert, my friend, Co-Founder, and the best frontend developer/designer I know! Giana Darville, the most articulate, energetic, and loving person I know. She has saved my life on several occasions. Nicole Johnson, one of the most successful people I know. She has no idea how much I look up to her, and she can COOK! And, Lance Davis; my brother from another mother. He and I have similar goals in life, so we support each other any way we can. There are several others, they know who they are.
Please tell us about the business.
gBook (https://gBook.io) is an e-commerce platform that empowers entrepreneurship on college campuses. We do this by providing a safe and secure place for students to buy/sell products and services on campus. Instead of students hopelessly depending on social media to find what they need, they use gBook.
The name gBook derives from the “Green Book”. The Green Book was created by Victor Hugo Green and used by African Americans during the time of Jim Crow laws and racial segregation in the United States. In short, the Green Book showed what services and businesses would serve African American travelers. In the same manner, gBook will show what services and businesses are available to students, and more.
Sadly, I’m not allowed to work on the actual development side of gBook while I’m at Apple, but we are still set to launch in Fall 2020. We are a team of HBCU students and plan to keep it this way for as long as possible. As a company, we are most proud of being able to help students become better entrepreneurs and potentially support themselves during school and even after.
Unlike Facebook Marketplace, LetGo, Booksy, eBay, etc., gBook is student-focused, so you must sign up with your student email. We centralize trade and commerce on college campuses, creating opportunities for students to connect and support each other’s businesses. gBook is a platform every college student can benefit from.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory would have to be spending Summers at my Grandparents’ house. Despite my grandmother making my cousin, twin brother, and I complete Summer math packets, Summers were always fun and simple. My grandmother made the BEST grilled cheese sandwiches, we’d pick pecans, run away from their big and super-friendly dogs… life was great.
Contact Info:
- Website: gBook.io
- Email: devyn@gbook.io
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gbook.io/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/gbook_io
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devyn-allen/
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
