Meet Evan Owens, Sonic's New Director of Business Development

Sonic Labs is entering a pivotal moment in its evolution, and we’re excited to welcome a leader built for what comes next. Meet Evan Owens, our new Director of Business Development.

With 15 years of experience as a founder, investor, and operator, Evan brings a rare mix of execution, humility, and long-term thinking. His career has been defined by one core strength: turning strong technology into real adoption through partnerships, ecosystem design, and disciplined go-to-market strategy.

Evan entered crypto in 2017 at Aenigma Capital, a multi-strategy digital asset fund, where he gained early exposure to navigating emerging markets and building conviction in new technologies. He later led business development at Flipside Crypto, working closely with protocols, developers, and institutions to drive meaningful ecosystem growth. Along the way, he has closed major partnerships across both web2 and web3, including collaborations with the Golden State Warriors and Ticketmaster during his time building Pogoseat, as well as ecosystem deals with Aptos, Sei, LayerZero, and SushiSwap.

So why Sonic, and why now? For Evan, it came down to the people, the clarity of direction, and the opportunity. Under Mitchell’s leadership, Sonic has world-class technology and a clear mandate: convert technical advantage into a thriving business and a magnetic ecosystem for builders.

“Crypto is at an inflection point. Many Layer 1s are still searching for their North Star. At Sonic, we get to define it.”
- Evan Owens, Director of BD

In his new role, Evan will establish Sonic’s renewed business development strategy, identify the priority verticals and partners that will shape growth, and build a high-performing BD team and approach. His focus is on making Sonic the most attractive environment for builders, ensuring teams are supported across engineering, fundraising, business development, marketing, and go-to-market execution. In addition to all of these core initiatives, Evan is in the process of establishing clear lines of communication with builders and applications in the ecosystem.

“The goal is clear: Sonic needs to establish a scalable BD strategy, sustained builder inflow, a growing DeFi ecosystem, and durable revenue streams. We can not accomplish this without smooth communications, follow-through and execution from our team. I look forward to growing the BD team to cater to the needs of all applications throughout the Sonic ecosystem.” 
- Evan Owens, Director of BD

Evan sees significant opportunity in global partnerships and institutional adoption, particularly around tokenization and real-world assets. While many things are still in development on the business front, things are coming along well and there are several exciting avenues that Sonic will explore under Evan’s direction of business development. 

Beyond work, Evan brings a unique perspective shaped well outside of tech. Before entering the industry, he spent years as a sailboat captain in the British Virgin Islands, logging over 10,000 nautical miles, crossing the Atlantic, and navigating multiple hurricanes. It’s an experience that mirrors the crypto world in many ways: high stakes, constant change, and the need for steady leadership.

Now based in Oregon, Evan is ready to help steer Sonic into its next phase of growth with improved BD and application relations.

Welcome to Sonic, Evan. Be sure to follow him on X to stay connected.