About
Ken RUTKOWSKI

Ken Rutkowski, Ken Rutkowski, a well-known Business Talk Radio Personality, an Innovative Strategist, Business Nextist, International Speaker, is considered one of the premier experts in Emerging Business Technologies, New Media, the Digital Economy, and Connection.

For over 20 years, Ken has made it his life’s work to connect with entrepreneurs, governments, and founders all over the world. His speciality in the business landscape is uncovering and revealing new trends and technologies, then collaborating and mapping out how to implement them.

He has collaborated, grown, enhanced, and sat on the board, with various high profile companies including the likes of Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, SurfAir, Motorola, AT&T, Telstra, Singtel, SBS, Dish Network/ Echostar, and Hyperloop Transportation Technologies. Additionally, Ken has consulted with many governments including Australia, Canada, Finland, Holland, Indonesia, New Zealand, Panama, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates.

Ken began his career at the age of 21 as a computer programmer. He was the first to invent a PC software tool that could convert 2D to 3D, which he sold to Autodesk for $1million. Ken continued to build and sell technology and businesses to companies ranging from Microsoft, Telstra, IAC, Yahoo, and Google.

In 1988, Ken became one of the youngest professors at the University of Illinois, Loyola University Chicago, and Northwestern University, teaching Conceptual Design for Engineers and Architects. One day while driving home Ken heard an accountant on the radio talking about bookkeeping and accounting, a topic that sounded so unexciting that he thought: “If that boring guy can have a show on the radio, I can too!” He boldly reached out to the radio station’s manager and offered to do a regular show on technology and the internet. The show became a huge success quickly going to NPR (national public radio), and eventually was picked up by WLS, one of Chicago’s biggest radio stations.

Ken had found his passion in radio, becoming one of the original broadcasters on Mark Cuban’s first-ever internet radio platform in the 90’s. In 1996 Ken discovered that many countries such as Australia, Hong Kong, and South Africa had limitations on their own data/bandwidth when searching for content outside of their own countries. Ken decided to write a program that would make his radio show accessible on the local internet servers of those countries. He created a tool for locals to download the shows without going against their data, and he also figured out how to send his show episodes directly to their pda phones for automatic downloading during low cost idle hours without the user having to manually download episodes like other platforms boasting internet radio at the time. Ultimately, Ken invented the very first automatic downloading interview show over the internet – known today as the podcast.

In 1995, Ken launched Tech Talk which became Ken Radio in 1999. In 2012, Ken created and hosted the #1 Business Radio Talk Show in America, Business Rockstars, which was listened to in over 200 markets across the U.S.