Ed Zimmerman
InvestorFounding Partner at First Close Partners · Venture Partner; Founding Partner, First Close Partners at 2050 · Member Of The Board Of Advisors at Ada Ventures
New York
Find your path to Ed Zimmerman
347 people in our graph share verified history with Ed Zimmerman — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Jeremy PhilipsunlockedEd Zimmerman: together at Columbia Business School (2015–2026)
Ed Zimmerman: together at First Close Partners
Ed Zimmerman: together at The Wall Street Journal
×4Ed Zimmerman: together at Forbes
About
Ed Zimmerman co-founded and chairs the Tech Group at law firm Lowenstein Sandler, where he began working in 1991. He has taught venture capital and angel investing to MBAs at Columbia Business School since 2005, and previously taught startup and internet law at Rutgers Law School. He co-founded First Close Partners and the VentureCrush event series, has invested in over 160 startups and 200 VC funds, and writes as a Wall Street Journal Expert Panelist, with a focus on diversity in venture capital.
Experience
- First Close PartnersFounding Partnercurrent2020 — presentNew York, New York, United States
- The Historic FundCo-Foundercurrent2020 — presentNew York, New York, United States
- Ada VenturesMember Of The Board Of Advisorscurrent2019 — presentGreater London, England, United Kingdom
- Fisk UniversityBoard Membercurrent2020 — presentNashville, Tennessee, United States
- Black Women Talk TechBoard Membercurrent2019 — presentNew York, New York, United States
- Center for Policing EquityInterim Chair (Previously Vice Chair), Board Of Directorscurrent2020 — presentNew York, New York, United States
- Lowenstein Sandler LLPCo-Founder / Chair, Emerging Companies & Venture Capital (fka Tech Group)current1992 — presentNew York City Metropolitan Area
- ForbesContributing Writercurrent2015 — presentNew York City Metropolitan Area
- The Wall Street JournalPanel of Expertscurrent2012 — present
- VentureCrush (fka First Growth Venture Network, aka VentureCrushFG)Founder & Chaircurrent2000 — presentNew York City Metropolitan Area
- GrapeArborVCFounder/Co-Leadcurrent2006 — present
- Columbia Business SchoolAdjunct Faculty (Venture Capital & Angel Investing)current2005 — presentNew York City Metropolitan Area
- AngelVineVCFounder & Chaircurrent2002 — present
- Harvey Mudd CollegeMember Board Of Trustees2018 — 2020Claremont, CA
- HAPI FoundationFounder/Chairman2002 — 2012
- Rutgers UniversityAdjunct Professor1995 — 2004
- PsychotroutBand Manager1988 — 1989Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States
- Haverford College LibrariesFront Desk Staff1985 — 1989Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States
- Wawa, Inc.Counter Staff1987 — 1988Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, United States
- Casanova Landscaping & CementWeed Whacker1985Brooklyn, New York, United States
- Bell's BagelsBagel Packer1984 — 1985Brooklyn, New York, United States
- Joe's South Shore DeliHead Bus Boy1984Brooklyn, New York, United States
- Redwood DrugstoreStockboy1980Brooklyn, New York, United States
- Self EmployedDog Walker1978 — 1979Brooklyn, New York, United States
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Skills & more
Start-up Ventures2Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI)2Corporate GovernanceVenture Capital99Start-ups99Entrepreneurship99Fundraising49Angel Investing64Business Planning22Investments19Non-profits3Mergers3
+12 more
Private EquityPoliticsBusiness StrategyCorporate DevelopmentE-commerceFinanceIntellectual PropertyJoint VenturesLeadershipPublic SpeakingMentoringStrategyFrom Ed's professional profile.
Colleagues at First Close Partners
Network5
Cyril BertrandScout
Managing Partner at XAnge
Nikhil ShahScout
Managing Director, Alvarez & Marsal at India Internet Fund
Andrew Parker
General Partner at Spero Ventures
Check Warner
Partner at Ada Ventures
Geoff Yang
Co-Founder at Redpoint Ventures
Investors connected to Ed in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Ed Zimmerman?
- Ed Zimmerman co-founded and chairs the Tech Group at law firm Lowenstein Sandler, where he began working in 1991. He has taught venture capital and angel investing to MBAs at Columbia Business School since 2005, and previously taught startup and internet law at Rutgers Law School. He co-founded First Close Partners and the VentureCrush event series, has invested in over 160 startups and 200 VC funds, and writes as a Wall Street Journal Expert Panelist, with a focus on diversity in venture capital.
- Where does Ed Zimmerman work?
- Ed Zimmerman is Founding Partner at First Close Partners.
- Where did Ed Zimmerman go to school?
- Ed Zimmerman studied at University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School (JD, Law); Haverford College (BA, Sociology and Anthropology).
Same school
Also attended University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School50
Andrew WilsonPartner, Legal at Lux CapitalDavid HartfordSenior Advisory Board at IronGate Capital AdvisorsNisa AmoilsVC, lawyer, media host, columnist and authorHoward ShecterExecutive Partner at ClearSkyHayley SteinChief Compliance Officer at Magnetar AI VenturesWesley M. JonesCo-Founder & Partner at Sage Capital
+ 44 more
Also attended Haverford College45
Laura BoydPrincipal, Head of M&A & Capital Markets at Norwest Venture PartnersJonas ClarkPartner at Elm Street VenturesPhin BarnesFrom the AND1 mixtape to First Round, Phin deeply understands the value of creative confidence.Angad SinghPartner at Long Ridge Equity PartnersPedro ArntRetail Champion at 30N VenturesMatthew StoreygardSenior Managing Director, Investments and Bio Team Director at Connecticut Innovations
+ 39 more
