Impact Networking, a national managed service provider based in Lake Forest, IL, announced the launch of its AI consulting services practice today. The new services are designed to help mid-market organizations transition from AI exploration to achieving measurable business outcomes. Led by Chief AI Officer Jon Evans, Impact's AI consulting practice provides structured support at every stage of AI adoption, including education, readiness assessment, and custom development.
“AI has a ton of interest, but there's also a ton of confusion,” Evans said. “We built these services to help people understand what's possible, decide what makes sense, and move forward with confidence towards measurable goals.” Evans, who has been with Impact for nearly 20 years, built the AI team as a natural extension of his background in digital transformation and solution architecture. He has spoken at the 2025 Data-Driven Wisconsin conference and appeared on Knownwell's podcast and the Assessments & Insights LinkedIn Live series.
The Impact AI team includes Anna DeGiulio (Senior AI Product Manager), Christopher Kukla (Director of AI Technology), Colin Burns (Applied AI Engineer), Mike Noonan (Principal Consultant, AI), Vineeth Kalister (Application Developer), and Dr. Zubia Mughal (Lead Data Researcher). The consulting services are organized around three core offerings: AI Labs (Education), AI Transformation Assessment (Enablement), and AI Custom Development (Purpose-Built Applications).
AI Labs provides hands-on sessions that introduce practical AI use cases and help teams identify opportunities relevant to their business. Participants take an AI maturity assessment and leave with usable proof-of-concept solutions. The AI Transformation Assessment is a multi-week structured evaluation covering people, processes, and technology to support scalable initiatives. AI Custom Development involves creating and installing custom AI solutions with defined goals and use cases.
Impact's discovery process focuses on how businesses make decisions, where human judgment is essential, and how AI can reduce bottlenecks and support better outcomes. “We're not just implementing tools,” said Noonan. “We're helping organizations build a thoughtful approach to AI that strengthens how people work.” Each engagement includes a four-to-six-week introductory pilot program intended to show tangible value early and establish a clear path to return on investment.
Impact's AI services were refined over more than a year of field work and internal deployment, where the AI team saved the company around 92,000 hours of work time in 2025. Impact also offered early access to select clients ahead of the public launch. One of those clients was Zero Zone, a commercial freezer, cooler, and refrigeration systems manufacturer. “Before collaborating with Impact AI Labs, there was some uncertainty about AI's practical value and its fit in our business,” said Sheila O'Neil-Eisert, Zero Zone's Director, Program Management Office. “Now, after hands-on experience, there's a clear recognition of AI's ability to solve real business challenges and drive measurable improvements in efficiencies and accuracy.”
The AI consulting services launch builds on Impact's experience delivering managed IT, cybersecurity, and consulting services to mid-market organizations for over two decades. Impact Networking, founded in 1999, employs 800+ experts and supports businesses from over 20 locations. For more information, visit Impact's website.
