Ed Zimmerman with winemaker Freddy Mugnier
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 entire interview, which is full of Ed's humor and generosity.
You can also hear some of the music Ed talks about in this 5:00 story I produced for Studio 360. This weekend is Father's Day, and kids all over the country are buying ties and barbecue aprons and music for their dads. When he was growing up, Ed always knew what kind of music to get for his father Sam, who had unrealized dreams of being a singer and a writer. Ed is a lawyer who crafts deals for tech entrepreneurs and VCs, and he has been surprised and pleased to find that his father's passions have had a major influence on his own work, 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. Ed spends a lot of time talking about songs by Springsteen, Aretha, Dar Williams and The Clash with his wife and two kids, and always keeps one of his father's opera tapes in his glove compartment. You can read Ed's blog post about music and his father here.
