Lorne Brown, Edison Director Network Member and Founder of Lenora Health, has built and sold companies, created markets, and now he’s tackling one of the biggest problems in the U.S.—corporate healthcare.

 

A longtime entrepreneur, Lorne founded Operative, a leading digital advertising platform, before selling it to private equity and launching Front Stage Ventures, a venture studio designed to scale new businesses through a unique “strategic insertion” model. Now, he’s applying that playbook to Lenora Health, his latest startup focused on helping companies regain control of their healthcare spending.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The right way to define and win a market

• How to fix a broken system (whether in advertising or healthcare)

• The power of thinking like an investor and operator at the same time

• Lessons learned from selling a company, stepping down as CEO, and stepping back in

• Why paying it forward is Lorne’s personal mission

• This conversation is a masterclass in market-making, leadership, and the mindset it takes to turn inefficiency into opportunity

 

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Intro

(02:00) The 20-year relationship between Lorne and Edison Partners

(06:30) How a failed job hunt led to entrepreneurship

(12:00) The early days of digital advertising and building Operative

(18:00) Selling the company, stepping back in, and doing it again

(25:00) Why nobody really owns healthcare inside a company

(30:00) Lenora Health’s model for driving accountability in corporate healthcare

(40:00) What every entrepreneur should know about focus and leadership