# Eric Lefkofsky

> Eric Paul Lefkofsky is a Chicago-based American entrepreneur, investor and author. The founder and CEO of Tempus AI, he also co-founded Groupon, Lightbank, InnerWorkings, Echo Global Logistics and Mediaocean. His career connects a University of Michigan student carpet business, a decades-long partnership with Brad Keywell and a continuing involvement in Chicago’s cultural institutions.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Tempus AI
- **Organizations:** Tempus AI, Lightbank, Groupon, InnerWorkings, Echo Global Logistics, Mediaocean, Lefkofsky Family Foundation, Art Institute of Chicago, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, University of Chicago
- **From:** West Bloomfield, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Arts, University of Michigan, Juris Doctor, University of Michigan Law School
- **Known for:** Founded or co-founded businesses spanning print procurement, logistics, advertising software, e-commerce and AI., InnerWorkings, Echo Global Logistics, Groupon and Tempus reached the public markets., Authored Accelerated Disruption, published in 2007.

## Career timeline

- **College years** — Began selling carpet remnants to University of Michigan students with Noah Siegel; the business expanded to five universities.
- **1990s** — After law school, partnered with Brad Keywell in Brandon Apparel Group; the business later failed.
- **1999** — Co-founded Starbelly, an online promotional-products business later acquired by HA-LO.
- **2001** — Founded InnerWorkings, a print-procurement business.
- **2005** — Co-founded Echo Global Logistics with Brad Keywell.
- **2006** — Co-founded MediaBank, a predecessor of Mediaocean; established the Lefkofsky Family Foundation with Liz Lefkofsky.
- **2007** — Backed Andrew Mason’s The Point, the precursor to Groupon; published Accelerated Disruption.
- **2008** — Groupon launched following The Point’s pivot to group buying.
- **2010** — Launched Lightbank with Brad Keywell.
- **2013** — Became Groupon CEO in August; joined the Giving Pledge with Liz Lefkofsky.
- **2015** — Founded Tempus; left Groupon’s CEO role on November 3 and returned to chairman.
- **2024** — Tempus AI began Nasdaq trading on June 14; elected Art Institute of Chicago board chair in November.

## Achievements

- Founded or co-founded businesses spanning print procurement, logistics, advertising software, e-commerce and AI.
- InnerWorkings, Echo Global Logistics, Groupon and Tempus reached the public markets.
- Authored Accelerated Disruption, published in 2007.
- Elected chair of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Board of Trustees in November 2024.
- Signed the Giving Pledge with Liz Lefkofsky in 2013.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Published his Q2 2026 CEO letter on July 31, reporting Tempus quarterly revenue of $382.5 million, up 22% year over year.
- **2025-06** — Published A Look Back, reflecting on Tempus’s December 2023 name change from Tempus Labs to Tempus AI.
- **2024-11** — Elected chair of the Art Institute of Chicago Board of Trustees, succeeding Denise Gardner.

## Links

- Website: https://lefkofsky.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericlefkofsky/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/lefkofsky
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eplefkofsky

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/eric-lefkofsky
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21