February 27, 2021
By Carlene Olsen
John Edelman has been surrounded by design for as long as he can remember—it is, after all, the family business. Growing up in Ridgefield, Connecticut, design permeated every aspect of his life, from the art in his family's home, which included collages made by none other than Andy Warhol, to conversations at dinner with his parents' mélange of eccentric friends. And though Edelman never felt drawn to become a designer, his innate business sense and eye for timeless forms built the foundation for his illustrious career.
From his start working alongside his brother, Sam Edelman, in the shoe business to his formative years at Edelman Leather and, later, his success as CEO of Design Within Reach, Edelman approaches each task at hand with the goal of making a positive impact and leaving a lasting impression. And he's drawn most to projects that enable him to help others. As a testament to this, most recently, Edelman joined as Co-CEO of Manhattan-based liquor brand Fourth & Pride, which donates 5% of all sales to LGBTQ+ partner organizations, including DIFFA. "A lot of my parents' friends died of AIDS, and so did a lot of our clients at the time," Edelman recalls. "I've been on the board of DIFFA for over a decade, and I'm very drawn to design influenced by mission."