# Eddie Lou

> Eddie Lou is a Chicago-based entrepreneur and angel investor, a co-founder and former CEO and executive chairman of Shiftgig, and a co-founder of OneGoal. He previously invested at OCA Ventures and is a venture partner at Mercury Fund. His newsletter, 100 Checks, examines startup building through founder interviews and investing lessons.

- **Role:** Venture Partner at Mercury Fund
- **Organizations:** Shiftgig, Mercury Fund, OCA Ventures, OneGoal, PlanetHVAC, The Mom Project, Chowbus, Albert.io, Lemonlight, 100 Checks
- **Education:** BS, Mechanical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, MBA, Finance, Washington University in St. Louis - Olin Business School
- **Known for:** Co-founded Shiftgig and led it as CEO until 2017., Co-founded education nonprofit OneGoal., Named to Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40 in 2010.

## Career timeline

- **1999** — Returned from Hong Kong to Silicon Valley to start a company; bought a used Nissan Pathfinder.
- **2001** — Closed his venture-backed startup and returned to the Midwest.
- **Before 2011** — General partner at OCA Ventures, investing in software, consumer internet and business services.
- **2011** — Left venture capital to build Shiftgig, according to his retrospective account.
- **2012** — Shiftgig launched in Chicago with co-founders Jeff Pieta and Sean Casey.
- **2013** — Late-year customer interviews informed Shiftgig’s move from a professional network to an on-demand hourly-work marketplace.
- **2017** — Moved from CEO to executive chairman as Wade Burgess became CEO in September.
- **2026** — Listed as a Mercury Fund venture partner; continued publishing founder interviews in 100 Checks.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Shiftgig and led it as CEO until 2017.
- Co-founded education nonprofit OneGoal.
- Named to Crain’s Chicago Business 40 Under 40 in 2010.
- Recognized as a Chicago United Business Leader of Color in 2011.
- Named an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Midwest finalist in 2016 and 2017.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Published a 100 Checks interview with OneGoal co-founder Jeff Nelson on building a nonprofit.
- **2026-08** — Published 100 Checks conversations with Albert.io’s Luke Liu and Factor’s Mike Apostal.
- **2026-04** — Published a 100 Checks founder conversation with Home Chef’s Pat Vihtelic.

## Links

- Website: https://www.eddielou.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddielou/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/eddieplou

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/eddie-lou
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-26