WITI Women - Nori-zso Tolson
WITI Women
Nori-zso Tolson
Partner
twenty2product

Nori-zso Tolson is a partner of twenty2product, a motion graphics and interactive production company in downtown San Francisco. She learned her craft within a family of television directors at Tolson Visuals, New York. She continued developing her skills as an artist at San Francisco animation house Colossal Pictures, then later as a 3d animator at Synthetic Video, where she and Terry Green met and decided to go into business as twenty2product in 1988.

22p's internationally recognized client work appears as title design, broadcast identity, motion graphics for commercials, and prototyping for www sites. 22p mostly serves a technology, sports and entertainment based clientele, including Nike, NEC, Adobe Systems, IBM, Levi Strauss & Company, MTV, America Online, Yahoo!, Apple Computer, Sony, and Hewlett-Packard. Examples of projects designed by 22p are available online at: http://www.twenty2.com

1. What was your first job in technology?
I began using computers by doing the typesetting at Chartmasters in San Francisco in the mid-1980's. I left there to learn 3D animation at a company called Synthetic Video in 1987 where I met my current business partner, Terry Green.

2. Who has been your most significant mentor?
I'd have to say that both of my parents were the greatest influence in my career.They worked together producing and directing television commercials and industrial films. Their entrepreneurial spirit and creativity was very inspiring. And the fact that they worked in this field made it seem very accessible to me.

3. What has been your greatest challenge and what strategies did you use to overcome obstacles?
I spent years overcoming feelings of insecurity. I didn't know what it was that I needed to learn or accomplish, but I kept waiting for someone to tell me that I was good at what I do before I could charge a lot of money for it. Over the years I've learned to trust my own judgement and to validate myself.

4. Who has been the most influential person in your life?
My partner, Terry Green has been the greatest influence in my professional life. We've lived and worked together for 12 years and in that time have developed a very complementary way of working. I feel I've had the opportunity to develop my own unique expression in our work together. Where we live and work is really a playground where we can explore our interests.

5. What lessons have you learned that would be valuable to women beginning their careers in technology?
Choose a field that keeps you curious. Every job, no matter how glamorous, will be tedious and boring throughout the day. It should have something about it that really gets you excited. All careers demand a great deal of tenacity. Set big goals for yourself and then don't give up. We're free to design our lives as we choose, so only take what you really want because in the end you'll have to live with what you chose.

6. What new technology do you believe will have the most positive impact on the world in the next 20 years? The most negative impact?
The Internet will have the most positive and negative influence on people over the next 20 years. On the negative side it is yet another means to promote the value of excessive consumerism (biting the hand that feeds me . . . ) Advertising tends to make people feel poor when they don't have whatever that essential (and usually pointless) object of the moment. On the positive side it provides the most incredible reference library and means of communicating with people all over the world. It has the potential of promoting a real understanding and shared knowledge among people.

On a lighter note ...

1. If you could have dinner with any two people (living or not) who would they be?
Bruce Lee (I've started taking a cardio-kickboxing class) and Mary Queen of Scots. I'd have to find out what in the world made her think she'd be safe in England.

2. What was the last book you read? What books do you love to recommend?
I've just finished reading "The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon" translated and edited by Ivan Morris. It's an eloquent and witty diary about court life in eleventh century Japan at the height of Heian culture.

3. If you were to choose a different profession, what would it be?
If I couldn't pursue any of the visual arts I would have to become a writer. Whatever it would be would have to give me room to make it up as I go.

4. What is your definition of success?
Success is:
Following through on well thought-out decisions.

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