Tara Lemmey

Tara Lemméy
CitizenshipUnited States
OccupationsLENS, CEO and Founder
Markle Economic Future Initiative Entrepreneur

Tara Lemméy ( /ˈtærə ləˈm/TARR-ə lə-MAY) is an American entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of LENS Ventures,[1] an investment firm based in San Francisco, California.

Career

In 1998, Lemméy served on the board of TrustArc (then known as TRUSTe). In February 1999, she became the Executive Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation,[2] a position she held until 2009.

In 2005, Lemméy joined the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Privacy Advisory Committee.[3] Two years later, she served as a Commissioner on the Embassy of the Future Task Force[4] at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, representing Silicon Valley. In 2009, she participated in the U.S. State Department's Technology Delegation to Mexico, which explored ways for U.S. technology companies to assist Mexican citizens in addressing the country’s drug-related challenges.[5][6][7][8]

Lemméy is a member of Rework America, part of the Markle Economic Future Initiative.[9] She contributed to the Technology Working Group on the Markle Foundation's Task Force on National Security in the Information Age.[10]

Lemméy is the Founder and CEO of LENS,[11] an investment firm. She previously led Net Power & Light, which developed technology for video collaboration and live experiences.[12][13] She participated at the Aspen Institute and contributed to the Aspen Round Table on Talent Development report.[14]

Additionally, Lemméy has worked with the United States Department of State on international outreach, speaking on entrepreneurship and innovation in Switzerland[15] and Turkey.[16]

Awards and honors

  • Fast Company MCP 1000: Most Creative People in Business[17]
  • Fast Company 100 Most Creative People in Business in 2013[18]
  • Profiled in The Power of Pull: How Small Moves, Smartly Made, Can Set Big Things in Motion[19]

References

  1. ^ "LENS". LENS. Retrieved 2026-01-18.
  2. ^ "Short Take: EFF appoints new executive director". CNET. 1999-02-17. Retrieved 2025-10-09.
  3. ^ "U.S. Department of Homeland Security Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes" (PDF). Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  4. ^ "CSIS Embassy of the Future Commission Issues Report" (PDF). Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  5. ^ Scola, Nancy (August 27, 2009). "The State Department's Tech.Del: Can People Crush Mexico's Drug Cartels?". Tech President Blog. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  6. ^ "Digital Media and Learning 2011. Transforming Play - Plenary Session with Tara Lemmey, Mizuko Ito, David Washington, Francois Bar" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 January 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  7. ^ Lemmey, Tara (July 2001). "Harvard Business Review: Untethered Data by Tara Lemmey". Harvard Business Review. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  8. ^ "Techonomy 2012: Changing How the World Learns". PCMAG. Archived from the original on 23 January 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  9. ^ "Markle Economic Future Initiative Members". Markle | Advancing America's Future. Archived from the original on 1 June 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  10. ^ "Tara Lemmey: Markle Task Force on National Security in the Information Age". Markle | Advancing America's Future. 7 July 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  11. ^ "LENS Ventures". Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  12. ^ "BusinessWire: Introducing Spin for Apple iOS Devices, a Brand New Way to Watch, Learn, Play and Be Together in Real Time" (Press release). 2 October 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  13. ^ "Fact Company MCP 1000 Profile: Tara Lemmey". Fast Company. 13 May 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  14. ^ "Solving The Dilbert Paradox - a report from the Aspen Round Table on Talent Development" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  15. ^ "StartupTicker.ch". Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  16. ^ "Ozyegin University". Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  17. ^ "Introducing Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business 1000". Fast Company. 29 January 2014.
  18. ^ "64. Tara Lemmey". Fast Company. 13 May 2013.
  19. ^ "The Power of Pull – How Small Moves, Smartly Made, Can Set Big Things in Motion". Journal of Consumer Marketing. 28 (3): 240–241. 2011-05-03. doi:10.1108/07363761111127671. ISSN 0736-3761.