History

ROI Ventures, LLC was founded by Jonathan H. Lack. The firm was originally called Research Online International, Inc. (“ROI”) when it was founded in 1994. The firm’s initial focus was conducting market research. As Jonathan’s career advanced, he became more proficient in strategic planning and marketing. Having been involved with several start-ups, Jonathan gained first-hand management and operations experience. He later leveraged this experience to help turn around distressed businesses across a variety of industries.

Jonathan grew up working with his five siblings in Lack's Inc. of Texas' warehouse and stores that his grandfather founded in Houston in 1932. The picture above is of Abe Lack, Jonathan's grandfather, in his first store on Main and Dallas in downtown Houston. After Lack's closed its operations during the mid-1980's, Jonathan's brother Stephen, turned Lack's into a single family office. In 2007, Stephen founded Galapagos Partners, LP, a multi-family office (www.gplp.com) that manages the balance sheet of high-net worth families with operating businesses, several of whom have engaged ROI to provide strategic planning services. ROI  has also worked with other family offices, private equity, venture capital, investment banking and business advisory firms.