History:
Evolution Advisors began in 1992 as a systems analysis and IT services consulting business in the early days of the document management (EDM) industry. At that time there were a handful of big vendors like IBM and FileNet who “owned” the market but their solutions were impractical for wide-scale adoption and far too expensive for most businesses. At the same time the Big 6 consulting firms, the vertical industry systems integrators, and the top tier enterprise-focused value-added resellers (VAR) were all trying to develop services to deliver document management, paperless transaction systems, and image storage solutions. Taking advantage of all this market confusion, a small software development firm in New York built an easy to use PC-based document management system that could be operated at a fraction of the product and services costs of the larger mainframe and minicomputer systems. Evolution Advisors helped in bringing that product to market, getting it adopted by its first commercial customer, and creating a licensing model for channel partnerships that would allow larger vendors to offer this system to their smaller clients. This experience was the foundation of Evolution Advisor’s consulting services – helping tech company founders validate, develop, and launch new products. With a focus on building viable business models and the go-to-market resources needed to maximize both adoption and industry awareness, Evolution Advisors helps turn interesting ideas into sustainable tech businesses.
Product & Go-to-Market Expertise:
View Ken Evans’s profile Ken Evans is a product-focused marketing executive with both startup and Fortune 50 senior management experience. Ken has held marketing, product development, business development, and operations positions at Compaq Computer (now HP), NYNEX (now Verizon), and several venture-backed technology start-ups in industries including data and network security, systems & applications management, SaaS-based document storage, and digital rights management. Beyond his work on individual products, Ken has been actively involved in setting policy, direction, and adoption of a number of industry-wide initiatives including:
- Standards for system instrumentation & management (WBEM)
- Secure digital music / media (SDMI)
- Secure wireless (IEEE 802.11i)
Ken’s areas of expertise include distilling product strategy and positioning into actionable plans and meaningful product development initiatives. He is equally at home in emerging technology markets as well as the re-engineering, rebuilding, and the relaunching of established products and services that may need a refreshed approach. Ken is an advocate for emerging tech companies in the Central Florida area. His activities include:
- Board member of TechNova (annual host of BarCamp Tampa Bay)
- Advisory board member – Phonism (SaaS platform for VoIP provisioning & systems management)
- Advisor & committee member, Tampa Bay Innovation Center / STARTec
- Co-founder, StarTec IdeaCamp
- Co-founder of Tampa Bay’s 1st coworking space, IdeaField Coworking
- Regional coordinator, Kauffman Foundation’s Global Entrepreneur Week
- A frequent speaker at tech events (BarCamp, Tech Venture, TB Inventors Council)
- Thought leader of Hillsborough County’s Economic Development Innovation Initiative (#EDI2)
Summaries of books I reference in my startup accelerator workshops are listed on the Startup Resources page.
Visit the Media Coverage & Events page for articles about me and my professional activities.