Entrepreneur • Builder • Aiken, South Carolina

Dexter Price

Serial Entrepreneur. Tech Founder. Community First.

Born in 1989 in Aiken, South Carolina. Entrepreneurial since age 6. Co-hosted Senator Tim Scott's Opportunity Zone Luncheon. Invited to the Opportunity Now Summit. Building six ventures in public with radical transparency. Every number published. Every receipt shown.

6

Ventures Founded

100s

Jobs Created

61+

Press Features

30+

Years Building

As Featured In Post & Courier Aiken Standard WJBF NewsChannel 6 United Way City of Aiken Sen. Tim Scott’s Office
The Origin

Built different.
From the very beginning.

Most entrepreneurs discover the hustle in college, maybe after a layoff, maybe after reading a book. Dexter Price discovered it at six years old in Aiken, South Carolina — a small, storied city in the CSRA where horse country meets heart country. The son of William Price, a longtime school administrator, and Lessie Price, a 28-year Aiken City Council member, young Dexter was already consuming the newspaper out loud before most kids finished learning to read.

That childhood spark became a wildfire. Featured in the Aiken Standard as a kid, Dexter didn't follow the trail — he cut it. By 25, he'd founded Aiken Personnel Services, a staffing agency that would place hundreds of workers into careers across Aiken County. The service was free for job seekers. That's not a business model most people would choose. But Dexter isn't most people.

In 2019, Dexter's leadership earned him a seat at the table when it mattered most. He was named alongside his mother, City Councilwoman Lessie Price, as a co-host of Senator Tim Scott's Opportunity Zone Luncheon at Newberry Hall in Aiken — an event that brought together state senators, the mayor, county council, and business leaders to discuss investing in Aiken's federally designated Opportunity Zone (Census Tract #45003021400). That same momentum carried Dexter to Charlotte, NC in February 2020 for the Opportunity Now Summit, attended by President Trump, HUD Secretary Ben Carson, and SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza. South Carolina's recognition led directly to the national stage.

From staffing agencies to AI companies, from community barbecues to patent-pending technology, from performing as MC Hammer at ADDA downtown events to meeting U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham — Dexter Price is five founders in one body. He's currently building six ventures simultaneously, documenting every win and every loss in public. No highlight reels. Just receipts.

As he told WJBF NewsChannel 6: "The fact that we care makes us different. We don't look at people as numbers. We try to find ways to really help improve the quality of life for people."

~1995 • Age 6

First Entrepreneurial Spark

Started his journey while most kids were still learning to read. Featured in the Aiken Standard as a child for his curiosity and drive.

October 2019

Co-Hosted Sen. Tim Scott's OZ Luncheon

Named as a Local Entrepreneur co-host of Senator Tim Scott's Opportunity Zone Luncheon at Newberry Hall, Aiken. Joined Mayor Rick Osbon, State Senator Tom Young, and county leaders to shape investment in Aiken's federally designated Opportunity Zone.

February 2020

Opportunity Now Summit — Charlotte, NC

Attended the Opportunity Now Summit alongside President Trump, HUD Secretary Ben Carson, SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza, and Sen. Tim Scott. South Carolina's Opportunity Zone work led directly to the national stage.

2014

Founded Aiken Personnel Services

Opened APS to help community members find careers, not just jobs. Free for job seekers. Placed hundreds across Aiken County.

2016

Community First

Hosted a community backyard barbecue to thank the people of Aiken. Attended the MLK Celebration at USC Aiken alongside Mayor Rick Osbon.

2017

Young Professional 2 Follow

Named to the Aiken Standard's prestigious YP2F class — selected from 50+ nominations. Featured in the Aiken 150 business legacy series. Full Father's Day feature as a new dad to daughter Dion.

2018

TV Feature on WJBF NewsChannel 6

"Millennials in Business" feature at age 28. Three-part "Everybody Works on Monday" newspaper series. Performed as MC Hammer and Rob Base at ADDA events.

2020

Giving Back During COVID-19

Funded free pool admission for every child under 12 at Smith-Hazel Recreation Center. Met Senator Lindsey Graham. Continued community reinvestment.

2024–2026

The Era of Building in Public

Launched Automated Worx, Keystone MAP, 247 HelpDesk, PayRing, and The Dexter Project. Six ventures. Every metric tracked. Every receipt published.

“It is amazing what God can do. We are on the cusp of something great in this county and city. We can't be afraid of progress.”

— Dexter Price, Young Professionals 2 Follow Banquet, 2017

Current Ventures

Six companies.
In public. With receipts.

Every venture follows the same system. Ideas get validated with data, not feelings. What survives gets built, shipped, and documented.

Live

The Dexter Project

A real-time public experiment in building discipline, revenue, and ventures — tracked, scored, and documented weekly. No highlight reels. Just receipts.

thedexterproject.com →
Patent Pending

Keystone MAP

The Mental Architecture Platform. A structured, patent-pending system for how you think, decide, execute, and evolve. Five layers. One system. Everything connects.

keystonemap.tech →
Live

Automated Worx

Systems architecture and AI enablement firm. We don't build websites — we architect the digital infrastructure that powers modern businesses. Automation. AI. Systems.

automatedworx.com →
Launching 2026

247 HelpDesk

AI-powered IT support that never sleeps. From password resets to full infrastructure management — real humans plus AI triage, around the clock, 24/7/365.

247helpdesk.co →
Validating

PayRing

Contactless payments on your finger. A wearable payment ring that makes transactions seamless — tap and go, anywhere you are. Wearable fintech, reimagined.

Coming Soon →
Legacy • Est. 2014

Aiken Personnel Services

The staffing company that started it all. Founded in 2014 to give Aiken County residents not just jobs, but careers. Free for job seekers. Hundreds placed. Lives changed.

Founded 2014 • Aiken, SC →
“The fact that we care makes us different. We don't look at people as numbers. We try to find ways to really help improve the quality of life for people.”

— Dexter Price, WJBF NewsChannel 6, 2018

By The Numbers

Impact that compounds.

6

Ventures Founded

100s

Jobs Created in Aiken

61+

Press Features

28

Years — Mom on Council

Press Room

The paper trail
doesn't lie.

Featured in the Aiken Standard, Post & Courier, WJBF NewsChannel 6, and across the CSRA with 61+ published articles, photos, and TV features.

Aiken Standard • 150th Anniversary Feature

Aiken 150: Aiken Personnel Services

"History is important to Dexter Price." Featured as a cornerstone of Aiken's 150-year business legacy.

2017

Aiken Standard • Feature

Young Professionals 2 Follow Honors Second Class

Named among Aiken's top 10 young professionals from a pool of 50+ nominations. "It is amazing what God can do."

2017

Aiken Standard • Father's Day Feature

Fatherhood Changes You: New Dad Shares Hopes

"I'm her human jungle gym." Five-photo Father's Day feature on being a new dad to daughter Dion Alexandria Price.

2017

Aiken Standard • Business Series

Everybody Works on Monday: APS New Location & Mission

Part of a three-article series on Aiken's workforce. Featured APS's expansion and Dexter's mission to create careers.

2017

Aiken Standard • Business Series

Everybody Works on Monday: Creating Great Company Culture

Dexter Price on building company culture that drives retention and morale at APS.

2018

Aiken Standard • Community

Donation Allows Children to Keep Swimming This Summer

"When they're done with that money, call me. I'm gonna give them some more." Funded free swimming for all children under 12.

2020

Aiken Standard • Photo Feature

Dexter Price Meets U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham

Photographed with the U.S. Senator during an official visit to Aiken.

2020

Aiken Standard • Community

APS Says Thank You with Community Barbecue

Dexter Price, CEO of APS, hosts a backyard barbecue to thank the community that built him.

2016

WJBF NewsChannel 6 • TV Feature

Millennials in Business: Aiken Personnel Services

"The fact that we care makes us different." Full TV feature on APS developing candidates through testing and certified training. Connected workers to $17-18/hr manufacturing jobs.

2018

Aiken Standard • Business

Small Businesses Discussed at Stakeholders Symposium

Dexter Price featured in coverage of the small business stakeholders symposium in Aiken.

2017

Aiken Standard • Community

MLK Celebration at USC Aiken

Photographed with Mayor Rick Osbon at the Aiken Community Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at USC Aiken.

2016

Aiken Standard • Economy

Unemployment Rate Holding Steady in Aiken County

Dexter Price quoted as a workforce development expert on Aiken County employment trends.

2021

City of Aiken • Official

Opportunity Zone Luncheon with Sen. Tim Scott in Aiken

Dexter Price named as Local Entrepreneur co-host alongside Mayor Rick Osbon, State Senator Tom Young, and civic leaders. October 10, 2019, Newberry Hall.

2019

City of Aiken SC • YouTube

Tim Scott Opportunity Zone Luncheon — Full Video

Full 28-minute video of the Opportunity Zone Luncheon in Aiken, archived on the official City of Aiken YouTube channel.

2019

Showing 14 of 61+ articles in the Post & Courier / Aiken Standard archives

“Whenever you're born, you have the entire world before you. The possibilities are endless. That's the beauty of youth — you have so much room to learn, to grow, to make mistakes, to thrive.”

— Dexter Price, Aiken Standard Father's Day Feature, 2017

Roots Run Deep

Aiken raised me.
I'm raising Aiken back.

When COVID-19 gripped Aiken in the summer of 2020, Dexter Price didn't wait for someone else to act. He wrote a check to cover every child under 12's admission to Smith-Hazel Recreation Center pool — the same pool his mother, Lessie Price, took him and his brothers to learn how to swim as kids. When the money ran out, he told them to call him. He'd send more.

That's not a PR move. That's DNA. The son of a school administrator and a 28-year City Council member, Dexter grew up watching his parents pour into the community every day. As he told the Aiken Standard: "We wouldn't be where we are without the community of Aiken. We are going to reinvest and pour into the community just as much as they have poured into us."

Dexter is one of five children. He credits his parents' work ethic — absorbed "through osmosis" — as the engine behind everything he builds. His oldest daughter learned to swim at Smith-Hazel. His youngest will too. The cycle continues.

  • Funded free children's swimming during COVID-19 at Smith-Hazel Pool
  • Community backyard barbecues to thank Aiken residents
  • Small Business Stakeholders Symposium organizer
  • Northside Improvement Partnership contributor
  • MLK Day Celebration at USC Aiken with Mayor Rick Osbon
  • ADDA Downtown Development performer & supporter
  • School Board Forum advocate for education
  • United Way of Aiken County partner (2022-2023)
  • Child Advocacy Center comedy fundraiser supporter
  • Aiken Unity Day Festival supporter
  • Women in Philanthropy Tea contributor
  • Christmas drives for at-risk children
  • First Friday downtown Aiken events
  • Young Professionals 2 Follow volunteer & mentor
  • Co-hosted Sen. Tim Scott's Opportunity Zone Luncheon at Newberry Hall (2019)
  • Attended the NC Opportunity Now Summit with President Trump (2020)
  • Opportunity Zone community advocate — Census Tract #45003021400
How I'm Built

Beliefs that don't bend.

Build, Don't Talk

Ideas are cheap. Execution is everything. Ship weekly, track daily, publish the receipts. The scoreboard never lies.

Fail Forward

I've failed more than most people have tried. Every closed door taught me where the windows were. Failure is tuition, paid in full.

Community First

Pour back into the soil that grew you. From free swimming for kids to creating hundreds of jobs — Aiken is home, and home gets everything.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Dexter Price is a serial entrepreneur, tech founder, and community leader from Aiken, South Carolina. Born in 1989, he has been entrepreneurial since age 6 and has founded six companies including Automated Worx, 247 HelpDesk, Keystone MAP (patent pending), PayRing, The Dexter Project, and Aiken Personnel Services. In 2019, Dexter co-hosted Senator Tim Scott's Opportunity Zone Luncheon in Aiken, and in 2020 he attended the Opportunity Now Summit in Charlotte, NC alongside President Trump and federal officials. He has been featured in over 61 press articles across the Post & Courier, Aiken Standard, and WJBF NewsChannel 6.

Dexter Price has founded six ventures: (1) Automated Worx — a systems architecture and AI enablement firm at automatedworx.com, (2) 247 HelpDesk — AI-powered 24/7 IT support at 247helpdesk.co, (3) Keystone MAP — a patent-pending Mental Architecture Platform at keystonemap.tech, (4) PayRing — a contactless wearable payment ring, (5) The Dexter Project — a transparent venture-building experiment at thedexterproject.com, and (6) Aiken Personnel Services (APS) — a staffing agency founded in 2014 that placed hundreds of workers into careers across Aiken County.

The Dexter Project (thedexterproject.com) is a real-time public experiment in building discipline, revenue, and ventures. Dexter Price tracks and publishes weekly progress — every win, loss, and metric is documented publicly. It's accountability at scale, with no highlight reels — just receipts.

Keystone MAP (Mental Architecture Platform) is a patent-pending structured system created by Dexter Price for how people think, decide, execute, and evolve. It consists of five interconnected layers that form one unified system for personal and professional growth. Learn more at keystonemap.tech.

Automated Worx (automatedworx.com) is a systems architecture and AI enablement firm founded by Dexter Price. The company builds digital infrastructure for modern businesses — focusing on automation, artificial intelligence integration, and systems design.

247 HelpDesk (247helpdesk.co) is an AI-powered IT support service that combines real human technicians with AI triage for around-the-clock helpdesk coverage. From password resets to full infrastructure management — support that never sleeps, launching in 2026.

Dexter Price is from Aiken, South Carolina. He is the son of William Price, a longtime school administrator, and Lessie Price, a 28-year Aiken City Council member. He is one of five children and continues to build his ventures in Aiken while investing back into the community that raised him.

Aiken Personnel Services (APS) is a staffing agency founded by Dexter Price in 2014 in Aiken, South Carolina. APS helps community members find careers — not just jobs. The service is completely free for job seekers and has placed hundreds of workers into positions in construction, clerical, industrial, and manufacturing, including connecting workers to opportunities paying $17-18/hr at major employers. As featured on WJBF NewsChannel 6 and in a three-part Aiken Standard series.

Yes. In October 2019, Dexter Price was named as a Local Entrepreneur co-host of Senator Tim Scott's Opportunity Zone Luncheon at Newberry Hall in Aiken, South Carolina. The event brought together Mayor Rick Osbon, State Senator Tom Young, Aiken County Council Chair Gary Bunker, and business leaders to discuss investment in Aiken's federally designated Opportunity Zone (Census Tract #45003021400 — population 6,044, 41% poverty rate). Dexter is listed by name on the official City of Aiken website alongside his mother, City Councilwoman Lessie Price, as a co-host. The full event is archived on the City of Aiken YouTube channel and at Archive.org.

Dexter Price co-hosted Senator Tim Scott's Opportunity Zone Luncheon in Aiken, SC on October 10, 2019. Senator Scott championed the federal Opportunity Zone legislation in 2017 to incentivize investment in low-income communities, and Aiken County was selected as a participating zone. Dexter was recognized as a local entrepreneur helping to lead community development in Aiken's designated census tract. This involvement connected him to the broader national Opportunity Zone initiative.

Yes. In February 2020, Dexter Price attended the NC Opportunity Now Summit at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event featured President Donald Trump, HUD Secretary Ben Carson, SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza, and Senator Tim Scott. Dexter's recognition through South Carolina's Opportunity Zone work led to his participation at this national-level summit focused on economic opportunity and investment in underserved communities.

“We wouldn't be where we are without the community of Aiken. We are going to reinvest and pour into the community just as much as they have poured into us.”

— Dexter Price, Aiken Standard, 2020

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