Eric Lefkofsky is one of Chicago's most successful technology entrepreneurs. His entrepreneurial ventures include Groupon, Echo Global Logistics, Lightbank and, most recently, Tempus.

As the founder and CEO of Tempus, Eric has led the company — which uses machine learning and genomic sequencing to better understand cancer tumors — to become one of Chicago's most valuable technology startups. Tempus raised $300 million last year, bringing their total financing to more than $1 billion and their valuation to $8.1 billion.

The most recent infusion of capital has allowed Tempus to expand beyond oncology to additional areas, including mental health, cardiology, diabetes and infectious disease — including COVID-19. Last November, Tempus announced a collaboration with the Yale School of Public Health to develop an at-home, saliva-based, COVID-19 diagnostic test.

In a conversation moderated by Paragon Biosciences Founder, Chairman and CEO Jeff Aronin, Eric discuss his career-long entrepreneurial journey, lessons he’s learned along the way and his vision for the future of Tempus.

The Tales from the Trenches series invites seasoned healthcare entrepreneurs to the MATTER stage to share their journeys — from how they got started to what they’re trying to accomplish and what they’ve learned along the way. Tales from the Trenches is sponsored by Paragon Biosciences.

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