Hello, I’m Lee Lorenzen.
I’m an entrepreneur, mediator, systems thinker, and the founder of Altura Ventures and Altura Mediation.
I help founders, partners, and teams turn high-stakes conflict, complex decisions, and fundraising challenges into clear, actionable outcomes.
I design systems
For forty years I’ve been designing systems that turn ideas into products and conflict into outcomes – from graphical user interfaces and desktop publishing tools to e-commerce infrastructure and startup growth frameworks like the GEM System™ and the Two-Summit Mediation System™.Today I use those same systems to help founders, partners, and teams solve hard problems, make better decisions, and reach clear, measurable results.
40+ years
building products, systems, and companies
25+
in aggregate market value across industries I’ve worked in
$100B+
in aggregate market value across industries I’ve worked in
Lee Lorenzen’s Software Journey: From Mainframes to iPhones (1975–2025)
A chronological slideshow illustrating the evolution of hardware platforms that have run Lee Lorenzen’s software. Beginning with early systems such as teletypes and IBM punch cards, moving through pioneering personal computers and graphical user interfaces, and culminating in web-based and mobile applications, the slideshow highlights the continuity and adaptability of Lee’s work across five decades of technological change.
I got my start writing software in high school
1980 – First exit while still in college
Builds and sells a sales-tracking software company to Haggar, discovering that end-user programming software like VisiCalc can completely rewire how a business works.
1982 – Designing a GUI before Mac & Windows
At Xerox, develops Lone Star, a graphical user interface for PCs that is demoed at PARC more than two years before the Macintosh and Windows reach the market.
1984 – Bringing GUI to everyday PCs
Joins Digital Research and creates GEM OS and GEM Desktop, proving that mouse-driven interfaces can run on standard PCs – enough to worry Steve Jobs into threatening legal action.
1986–1990 – Pioneering desktop publishing
Founds Ventura Software and architects Ventura Publisher, an advanced long-document publishing system later acquired by Xerox and praised by Bill Gates as “setting a new standard for excellence.”
Early 1990s – From pixels to public markets
Co-founds Fractal Design and helps develop Painter, one of the first natural-media painting tools – ultimately exiting via IPO.
1997–2001 – Inventing OneCart™ & the “Everything Store” infrastructure
Invents the multi-vendor, virtual inventory, one-cart shopping system at SHOP.COM, attracting seed investment from Bill Gates and a later investment of over 800,000 Amazon shares from Jeff Bezos to help him turn Amazon.com from Earth’s Biggest Bookstore to the “Everything Store.”
2000s – Multiple ventures and exits
Helps found, fund, or guide companies such as Mac2Win (sold to SHOP.COM), PGSoft (sold to Novell), IsoDraw (sold to PTC), Adonomics (sold to Adknowledge), and more.
2007–2012 – Calling Facebook’s $100B moment
Publicly predicts that Facebook will be worth $100B at IPO, in writing and on video. Five years later, the IPO lands almost exactly there – and early critics later admit he was right.
2010s – Logistics, influence systems & global e-commerce
Works on WorldShop/ShopO (seed-funded by UPS), explores the Influence Operating System concept built on Facebook’s Social Graph, and experiments with group delivery and cross-border commerce models.
2017 – Recognized as a Desktop Publishing Pioneer
Honored by the Computer History Museum alongside leaders from Adobe, Apple, Microsoft and others for contributions to the $100B+ desktop publishing industry.
2020s – The GEM System & Altura Ventures
Formalizes the GEM System for Growth, Engagement, and Monetization to help startups scale, and creates the Two-Summit Mediation System™, bringing four decades of systems thinking into high-stakes dispute resolution.
Key Predictions and Industry Impact
I’ve made multiple accurate predictions in the tech world, including:
Facebook’s $100B IPO Valuation (2007 Prediction, 2012 IPO)
Publicly predicted Facebook’s market cap five years before it went public.
Amazon’s Marketplace Growth
Developed the e-commerce OneCart™ system, shaping modern third-party marketplaces.
Influence Operating System (Influence OS)
Outlined a model for digital influence networks, first demonstrated in the Arab Spring.
Golden Ticket Plan (2011)
Proposed a tiered Gold/Silver/Bronze Card path to U.S. citizenship to reduce debt and illegal immigration.
Entrepreneurial ventures
I’ve founded, funded, and sold a number of startups over the years, including:
Ventura Software (sold to Xerox)
I led the creation of one of the first desktop publishing systems for long documents.
Fractal Design Corporation (IPO)
I co-founded the company and helped develop the Windows version of Fractal Design Painter.
SHOP.COM (sold to Market America)
I used “link-off hacks” to help grow revenue from $8M to $34M annually.
WorldShop / ShopO (seed-funded by UPS)
I secured a $2M investment from UPS based on a single PowerPoint presentation.
AESOP Systems (sold to Haggar)
I built the first inventory-tracking system on VisiCalc.
Mac2Win (sold to SHOP.COM)
I created a system that enabled single-source development of 60+ Mac and Windows apps.
PGSoft (sold to Novell)
I seed-funded and helped guide the company from concept through to acquisition.
IsoDraw (sold to PTC)
I helped launch the U.S. company that popularized this Germany-built 3D technical illustration software.
Adonomics (sold to Adknowledge)
I built a leaderboard and marketplace for early Facebook apps.
TapCloud (sold to WellSky)
I helped with fundraising for an early third-party customer of my GEM System.
Birthday Calendar (sold to BigDates)
I developed a persuasion-based growh hack for a viral Facebook app that attracted over 2 million users in 14 days.
Honors, Legacy & Impact
A brief look at how my work has been recognized, documented, and continues to shape technology and business:
Honors & recognition
I’ve been honored as a Desktop Publishing Pioneer by the Computer History Museum and recognized by industry leaders including Gary Kildall, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Steve Ballmer for my contributions to software and digital innovation.
Legacy & what I’m doing now
As CEO of Altura Ventures, I use my GEM System to help startups grow and scale, and my work has directly or indirectly contributed to industries and companies now worth over $100 billion.
Documented insights
My ideas and strategies are recorded in my oral history at the Computer History Museum and have been featured in multiple industry publications that explore the evolution of software and digital business.
Let’s talk
If you’re facing a fundraising challenge, a high-stakes decision, a stuck partnership, or a “crazy” idea you’re not sure what to do with, I’d be happy to hear about it.I can’t promise I’m the right fit for every situation, but I can promise a clear, honest conversation and at least one concrete next step.
© Lee Lorenzen. All rights reserved.