Patrick Lee

Patrick Lee is best known as the Co-Founder and former CEO of Rotten Tomatoes, the world’s most trusted site for movie reviews and news. A proven entrepreneur and a visionary, Patrick understands how to build a disruptive, beloved brand from scratch, even within the highly competitive tech sector.

Patrick Lee’s journey into media innovation began while he studied Cognitive Science at UC Berkeley. He, along with his co-founders, launched Rotten Tomatoes in 1998. They quickly grew it into a top-1,000 trafficked website worldwide. This successful venture sold to IGN Entertainment in 2004. Consequently, he possesses hard-won experience including bootstrapping a company, navigating early-stage funding, and achieving a successful exit.

Patrick Lee’s expertise extends far beyond Rotten Tomatoes. He is a stalwart of the global startup ecosystem. Furthermore, he has founded seven different startups across three countries (US, China, Hong Kong). Five of these companies focused on technology and entertainment. Patrick is also a recognized figure in investment and mentorship. He co-founded PKO Investments, an investment syndicate. This group has funded 45 companies since 2021. In fact, he actively advises companies such as Casetify, Instaread, and Inworld AI. He serves on the Creativity Advisory Board at Gold House. This organization champions Asian Pacific creators and companies.

Patrick Lee is deeply engaged in fostering the next generation of founders. He has mentored and supported programs at major accelerators. These include SOSV, Founder Institute, and Berkeley SkyDeck. His current focus is Fanverse. Patrick Lee is its Co-Founder and CEO. Fanverse is a curated community for creators and talent in the “geek fandom” space. Therefore, Patrick Lee offers audiences current, frontline insights. These cover community-building, the creator economy, and Gen Z consumer trends.

For conference organizers, Patrick Lee is an ideal fit for fireside chats and panels. He expertly addresses critical topics, including effective change management, the process of fundraising, and innovation. Overall, Patrick uses his story to inspire leaders, investors, and teams to embrace risk, think differently about market opportunity and scale their vision.