Isaac Lidsky

Isaac Lidsky Profile

Over the course of 12 years, Isaac Lidsky gradually went blind due to a rare genetic disease. Though he initially viewed his diagnosis as a death sentence, he eventually discovered that although he was losing his sight, his vision of himself and the opportunities available to him were growing greater and clearer than ever before. Today Lidsky is an internationally known motivational speaker, father of four, and the CEO of ODC Construction, a once-failing business that he converted into a $150 million success story.

Lidsky received his diagnosis at age 13, the same year he was playing the part of “Weasel” on the NBC sitcom, Saved By the Bell: The New Class. An academic prodigy, he left Hollywood and entered Harvard at age 16, graduating before he turned 20.

In 1999, Lidsky cofounded an online advertising company that sold for $230 million over a decade later. After two years with the company, he returned to Harvard for law school. By the time he graduated, he was legally blind, but seemingly unstoppable. During his time as a U.S. Justice Department lawyer, he argued more than a dozen appeals in federal court on behalf of the U.S., winning every case. To date he is the first and only blind Supreme Court clerk, having worked for both Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

After the birth of his triplets in 2010, Lidsky made a career change to CEO following the advice of a career coach. He and a partner bought a floundering concrete foundation subcontractor, ODC Construction. They expanded its services and reinvented its culture and business practices, transforming it into one of Florida’s most competitive players in the construction industry.

Lidsky’s debut book Eyes Wide Open: Overcoming Obstacles and Recognizing Opportunities in a World That Can’t See Clearly examines how he didn’t let blindness hold him back from building a fulfilling life. He is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), a frequently sought-out business advisor, and board member of the Florida Hospital For Children. His 2016 TED talk, “What Reality Are You Creating For Yourself?” has received nearly 2 million views.

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  “Isaac Lidsky may possess the most eclectic resume in business. Over the years, he has been a child television star (he played series regular “Weasel” on NBC’s Saved By The Bell: The New Class), a Supreme Court clerk (for Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg), and the co-founder of an internet startup. More recently, Lidsky has used his gift for logistics to build ODC Construction into one of the fastest-growing construction businesses,” transforming an unsophisticated $11 million concrete subcontractor that was hemorrhaging money into an industry-leading $150 million construction services company—in 5 years.”
  –Inc. Magazine, “The Incredibly Inspiring Journey of a Blind Entrepreneur,” October 1, 2015.

  The full list of his accomplishments is far longer. Lidsky graduated from Harvard at 19 with an honors degree in mathematics and computer science. He graduated from Harvard Law School magna cum laude. As a U.S. Justice Department lawyer, Lidsky argued more than a dozen appeals in federal court on behalf of the United States and never lost a case. He founded a nonprofit organization to fund the development of treatments for blinding diseases and within 5 years grew it to a dozen cities nationwide and more than $5 million. The technology company he founded sold for $230 million.

  In 2016 Lidsky set out to share with others his empowering approach to living and leading, and he was promptly recognized as a visionary thought leader. Penguin Random House acquired for publication his first book, Eyes Wide Open, and TED invited Lidsky to present a mainstage TED Talk at TEDSUMMIT 2016 in Banff, Canada. Lidsky now speaks to and works with organizations around the world.

  He has been recognized for his achievements dozens of times and his leadership is routinely sought after. He is an advisor to a $1+ billion tech “unicorn.” He is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), the world’s premier peer network of chief executives and business leaders, and was tapped to lead the Orlando Chapter and to serve on the Regional Executive Committee for the Southeast U.S. and Caribbean. He was asked to join the Young Entrepreneur Council. He has been appointed to State leadership positions by the Governor of Florida and to a federal position by a U.S. Senator. He sits on the Board of the Florida Hospital For Children. He was named 1 of 4 Temple Bar Scholars by the United Kingdom’s Inns of Court and brought to London for a month-long idea exchange with UK Supreme Court Justices and leading barristers.

  Perhaps most striking, Lidsky is only 37, and he is blind. Born with Retinitis Pigmentosa, a rare degenerative disease of the retina, from age 12 to 25 he slowly lost his sight. As his bio makes clear, neither his youth nor his blindness have limited him, however.

  This is true in his professional life and personal life alike. Isaac married Dorothy, the love of his life, in June 2004. In September 2010 she gave birth to their triplets, Lily Louise, Phineas and Thaddeus—collectively, “The Tripskys”—and in December 2015 baby Clementine completed the family. The six Lidskys live in Windermere, Florida.

  Unsurprisingly, Lidsky has been featured in numerous national media, including Forbes, MSNBC, U.S. News & World Report, 60 Minutes, CNN, Voice of America, Business News Daily, Daily Business Review, Business Insider, Men’s Health, People Magazine, the National Law Journal, and the American Bar Association Journal. He is regularly asked by the media to provide his commentary on the construction industry, leadership and/or entrepreneurship. Invariably, his story shines through his commentary, and with his story, great inspiration.