Founder story

Why Jim Zimmerman founded V-Impact.

Jim Zimmerman (“Zim”) founded V-Impact to advance Conscious Progress: a proposed model that evaluates progress through human, economic, democratic, and ecological outcomes.

I am fascinated by life—this wondrous evolutionary force, four billion years in the making. As a human, privileged to contemplate the magnificence of life’s creative impulse, I am moved.

I believe that through a deeper awareness of life itself, we can come to recognize the true wonder and vast potential of being human.

For decades, I’ve been enthusiastically connecting the dots of evolutionary biology from the extraordinary nature of our existence to this moment in our human journey.

Project authorship: Founder’s Draft 1.0 reflects Jim Zimmerman’s proposal. It has not been adopted through a member vote.

My enduring passion for both individual and collective human potential has led me and my team in this pivotal moment, to create V-Impact.

V-Impact is my sincere effort to offer a new 21st-century narrative—one that redefines who we are as humans, what we are capable of as humankind, and introduces a new model of progress called Conscious Progress. The project currently includes a founder’s platform draft and proposals for Impact Cafés and a future voting bloc.

We invite you to explore the possibilities with us.

Life and Times of Zim

In The Beginning

I am so grateful for my wonderful parents, Marie Molinaro and Alfred Zimmerman.

Marie and Alfred — Way back in the 1940s they met and fell wildly in love.

Marie and Alfred married — And, got married!!

Young Zim Has It Good

Young Zim in the neighborhood — Big brother Zim sets a good example in the neighborhood :)

Young Zim playing — Little Zim loves the mud.

Zim and Puddles — Zim and his childhood dog, Puddles—the classic “boy and his dog” bond.

Zim cleaning the neighborhood — Zim recruits his younger brother Bob to clean up the neighborhood.

Zim Goes Full-On Hippie

Zim at a log cabin — Zim gets a log cabin.

Zim and cousins — Zim and his spirited cousins in the woods behind his parents’ house.

Zim in nature — Zim is at peace with the natural world.

Zim at a music festival — Zim goes to music festivals.

Zim Takes On Business - an entrepreneurial sampling

Alfred Zimmerman, Ph.D. chemist — Zim’s dad, Alfred, was a Ph.D. chemist.

Zim showing micro-electronic technology — Zim shows his mom the technology from his engineering startup.

Solar farm — The 400-collector solar farm powering an ethanol plant.

Zim demonstrating VisionLink — Zim demonstrates the VisionLink Internet system designed for home use.

Zim in his office—his business persona hasn’t erased his hippie roots.

A Five Decade Through-line - activism and inspiration

Zim high school publication — In high school, Zim defined a loser as “A narrow-minded person who cannot accept new ideas.”

Anti-apartheid protest — Zim protests a university’s investments in apartheid-era South Africa.

Citizens Party — In 1980, Zim led Barry Commoner’s campaign in Southern Illinois.

Buckminster Fuller quote about architects — Bucky Fuller on consciously shaping the future.

Buckminster Fuller quote about new models — Bucky Fuller on creating a new model when a system is broken.

Buckminster Fuller quote — Bucky Fuller on human agency in the unfolding cosmos.

Cierra and Augustus

Thank you for exploring “The Life and Times of Zim.” By sharing my journey, primarily through photographs, I hoped to convey the arc of my life. This process has been an invaluable exercise in self-reflection—one that has greatly fueled my inspiration and motivation for creating this site.

A loving shout out to my daughter, Cierra Zimmerman and her son, Augustus Zimmerman! You both inspire me each day to keep fighting for the future.

Cheers