Dr. Songo Dede is the CEO of DSM-H LLC, a software/IT services company with additional focus in management consulting, supply chain management and lean Operations. In 2009 he started the business in Morton, Illinois where it is currently headquartered.
Dr. Songo was born in England and spent most of his life growing up in Nigeria. He later moved to Colorado for his master’s degree, and would eventually get a job in Peoria, Illinois. Upon moving to the Greater Peoria area, he was pleasantly surprised by the green vegetation as opposed to the arid vegetation he experienced in Southern Colorado. Dr. Songo has thoroughly enjoyed the small-town feel, the family friendly environment and the no traffic hassle in the Greater Peoria Region. However, he notes that the Greater Peoria area needs to work on building the bridge between minority groups across the region, specifically reducing the income disparity between different demographics in the region.
For the past 14 years he has worked within the software/IT industry, networking and growing his company. After starting DSMH LLC in Morton, he has continued to work and live here to this day. He believes that the area provides good jobs for skilled employees and offers great opportunities for education at both high school and college levels.
DSMH LLC now boosts employees in Illinois, Florida, Texas, Tennessee and Colorado. Employees both work remotely, in office and at client sites, although the company is still primarily based in Morton, Illinois.
“As a very hands on person, I prefer the business to be headquartered where I live. It enables me to be actively involved in the daily operations. And the Greater Peoria area has been a great place for me to start my company, establish employees, build strong personal relationships and network with numerous individuals.”
– Dr. Songo Dede on why he wants to continue to keep DSM-H LLC in Morton