Early Life and Education
Eric Lefkofsky was born on September 2, 1969, in West Bloomfield, Michigan. He attended Southfield-Lathrup High School, graduating in 1987. He then went on to the University of Michigan, where he earned a bachelor's degree with honors in 1991 and a Juris Doctor in 1993.
Rise to Success
After graduating from law school in 1993, Lefkofsky began his entrepreneurial journey. He co-founded Brandon Apparel, a clothing company, with Brad Keywell. In 1999, they created Starbelly.com, an internet company specializing in promotional products, later sold to Halo Industries in 2000. He co-founded InnerWorkings in 2001, a firm that provided print procurement services. InnerWorkings went public in August 2006. In 2005, he co-founded Echo Global Logistics, a freight logistics company that went public in 2006. His biggest success came with the founding of Groupon in 2008 with Andrew Mason and Brad Keywell.
Key Business Strategies
Lefkofsky has a proven track record of identifying opportunities and leveraging technology to disrupt traditional industries. His strategy involves bringing technology to industries that have not had a lot of it. With Groupon, he capitalized on the growing e-commerce market. Later, he founded Tempus AI in 2015, focusing on using data and AI to personalize cancer treatment.
Philanthropy
Lefkofsky, along with his wife Elizabeth, established The Lefkofsky Family Foundation in 2006. The foundation supports initiatives that aim to enhance the quality of human life. In 2013, they joined The Giving Pledge. He is also involved with numerous Chicago-based organizations and serves as a trustee for the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, The Art Institute of Chicago, and World Business Chicago.
