Evan L. Jones, Duke University Visiting Associate Professor / Entrepreneur

Evan is currently teaching courses in Entrepreneurship at Duke University and working to help promote Entrepreneurship within the University

Evan's background includes fourteen years in the entrepreneurial and investment banking communities.

Evan founded TSI Soccer in 1989 and grew the company as President/CEO and Chairman of the Board to over 400 employees and $35 million in sales. TSI Soccer sold product via direct mail catalog, retail stores, institutional sales, and e-commerce. In 1998 he sold the company in a multi-million dollar sale to a publicly held company.

During his time at TSI Soccer, the company was twice named to Inc. Magazine's 500 Fastest Growing Companies in the Nation list (1995 & 1996) and twice named to the Triangle Business Journal's Fast 50 Growing Companies (1994, 1995).

Additional TSI Soccer highlights include:

• sales grew at an average of over 100% annually from 1989 to 1997
• created the first ever soccer specialty retail chain concept in 1994, which operated 23 retail stores.
• catalog distribution in 1997 was over 7 million nationwide and into 26 foreign countries
• TSI Soccer Internet site (www.tsisoccer.com) was the first sporting goods site capable of taking orders over the World Wide Web in early 1994
• created a company culture that allowed over 80% of new positions to be filled from within the company resulting in almost zero employee turnover at the management level during his tenure.
• for every $1 invested in TSI Soccer in 1989 investors received over $20 upon the sale of the company in 1997 for an average annual return for the eight year period of over 50%

Prior to founding TSI Soccer, Evan was an investment banking analyst in the M&A Group at Prudential-Bache Capital Funding, NY, NY. He received his BA in Economics from Duke University and an MBA from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Evan's achievements have been recognized by being named Businessman of the Year by the Durham Chamber of Commerce and Sports Trend magazines' 21 Leaders for the 21st Century. He has been a guest speaker at a number of business conferences and institutions and worked with startup companies in positions ranging from investor to Board member to mentor and consultant.