On being a pattern interrupt by Sparkwork
Ed Zimmerman is a lawyer who specializes in tech deals. He's happiest in gatherings where he's the host, so for many years he's organized conferences and workshops for entrepreneurs and venture capitalists so they can get to know each other, and he can get to know them. Ed came up to me at TED right after I'd given my talk, and invited me to one of these meetings, where I got to see up close the informal and engaging way he gets people to talk about what they do. I was interested in how he chose this kind of work, and in talking with him found that the answer is complicated and fascinating, and that part of it comes directly from his father. Here's the interview, which is full of Ed's humor and generosity.
Samuel and Edward Zimmerman at Edward's bar mitzvahYou can also hear some of the music Ed talks about in this 5:00 story I produced for Studio 360 for Fathers' Day about Ed and his dad, Samuel Zimmerman, who had unrealized dreams of being a writer and a singer, and whose passion for words and music had a profound impact on his son.
