Hello Beautiful People,
The Lunch Read began as a social experiment between two friends looking for good reads for their lunch breaks. New to their desk jobs, they found that when it became lunchtime, there was hardly ever anything good to read. The group quickly expanded to 9 and so The Lunch Read began. Six months into the project, the group thought others might find interest in a curated list of lunch reads so they started sending the weekly edition. Now, just over a month in, The Lunch Read delivers a weekly Wednesday edition and tweets out interesting finds, or “leftovers” for people to read during the week on their breaks. Get your daily dose of The Lunch Readby signing up here.
The nine founding members Michele Kory, Jori Bell, Sutton Kauss, Mathew Lasky, Adam London, Sam Goodman, Michael Hoffman, Alexa Rosenbloom, and Eric Stupnitsky, are all GEMS, who have so graciously participate in our Movers & Shakers Q&A Series. You’ve met Michele, Jori, Sutton, and Mathew. Next up – Adam London.
MM: What’s your day job?
AL: I’m an associate at Lightbank, an early-stage venture capital firm.
MM: What role do you play in the structure of TLR (The Lunch Read)?
AL: The one who wears many technical hats. Everything from developing the website to getting the infrastructure for the emails up and running. I also tend to blog a lot about our experiences.
MM: If you were stranded on a desert island, what movies, albums, and television shows would you want to have with you?
AL: Mad Men, all two seasons of Happy Endings, and however many seasons exist of Survivor. I’d have some compilation of female artists on repeat. Think: Haim, Lorde, Taylor Swift (with a bit of James Taylor mixed in for nostalgia.)
MM: If we were to walk into your home/apartment, what books would be on your bookshelf?
AL: Shantaram, A New Digital Age, the Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, and about 25 others stacked up. I love my bookshelf.
MM: In today’s economy, arts programs are being cut in schools. What reasons would you give to a politician/school board for preserving the arts?
AL: The Arts are everything. Some of the greatest business minds and entrepreneurs that I’ve had the opportunity to work with all had some sort of creative experience prior to founding / working for their companies. Arts teaches you to think creatively, outside of the box. Many of the classes are collaborative and distill confidence in students – all skills critical to success in any field in the ‘real world.’ The arts, ranging from creative and performing to liberal, teach students how to work and think. They’re essential.
MM: What’s the best piece of advice that you would offer to college graduates entering the job market?
AL: Find mentors. Listen to them. You don’t have to agree with everything they say, but they’ll open doors and/or provide insight that will allow you to succeed down the road. Other piece of advice? Hustle became a cliché, overused verb because, shockingly, it works. Go create your opportunities.
MM: We believe that art can be a tool for social change, that it can transform lives. How would you disagree or agree with this statement?
AL: I love photography, so I’ll focus on that. Photos can be the most powerful way to tell a story. From Lewis Hine’s photographs of working conditions in American factories, to Steve McCurry’s Afghan Girl, photographs create passionate, emotional responses and that s the framework to any successful social change.
MM: Who is/was your greatest teacher?
AL: My first grade teacher, Mrs. Sabin, made me read the blue dot books (this was ahead of whatever level I supposedly tested into.) My second grade teacher, Ms. Gibson, didn’t take shit from anyone and pushed us all to learn and work harder. Also, love to my parents since my mom will undoubtably read this if it ever gets published.
Thank you, Adam!
Live, Love, Learn
Megan & The Write Teacher(s) Team