Payam Zamani

Payam Zamani
Alma mater University of California, Davis
Occupation CEO, chairman, entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist

Payam Zamani (born February 12, 1971) is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and investor. He is the founder and CEO of One Planet Ops, a hybrid tech firm that runs a suite of online technology and media businesses. The company’s mission is to support strong business ideas while at the same time building an ethos that helps improve society and gives back to communities. This philosophy is embodied in the company’s tagline, innovation + intention, to convey that good ideas and profitable businesses are not enough; to positively impact thevv world, we need align all our efforts with the right intentions.[1]

He is a member of the Bahá'í Faith. In 1988, he arrived in America from Iran as a refugee fleeing religious persecution.[2] Thrilled for the opportunity to receive a higher education (since 1980, Baha’i’s have not been allowed to attend University in Iran), he put himself through college and in 1994 earned a B.S. in environmental toxicology from the University of California, Davis.

Shortly after graduating, he began his entrepreneurial journey founding and launching Internet-based businesses including Autoweb.com, the first online car buying service. In 1999 he helped to take the company public. The company’s market cap ultimately reached $1.2 billion.[3] Today, in addition to running One Planet Ops, he currently serves or has previously served on the Board of Directors or Advisors to many technology-based startups, including The RealReal, SoulPancake, Wayfarer Entertainment, and BestMile. Payam is a mentor to many entrepreneurs, recent graduates and youth, especially those who have had to face oppression.

Together, he and his wife, Gouya Zamani, support the Tahirih Justice Center, which works with immigrant women and girls fleeing violence, and support the Equal Justice Initiative, which recently opened a monument and a museum in Montgomery, Alabama honoring the lives of African-Americans who were the victims of lynching after the Civil War.                                                               

In 2016, he received the Tahirih Justice Center’s Hope Award. For Tahirih, his personal story of immigration is one in which inspires hope for those fleeing violence in search for new beginnings here in the US.[4] In 2017, IranWire listed him as one of 50 Iranian-Americans you should know.[5] In 2018, Manoto –the leading Persian broadcasting network –aired an inspiring talk he gave on the future of business and philanthropy that was broadcast to over 40 million people.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Inc., One Planet Ops. "Tech Entrepreneur Payam Zamani Launches Hybrid Tech Firm, One Planet Ops". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
  2. ↑ Rice, Bill (July 22, 2008). "Q&A with Lead Generation Leadership: Talking with Payam Zamani of Reply!". LeadMarketwatch. Archived from the original on July 24, 2010. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Payam Zamani". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  4. ↑ "One Planet Ops CEO Payam Zamani Accepts Hope Award at Tahirih Justice Center Gala". One Planet Ops. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  5. ↑ "50 Iranian-Americans you Should Know: Payam Zamani". IranWire | خانه. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
  6. ↑ تو, Manoto من و. "دیدگاه - قسمت ۴". Manoto TV (in Persian). Retrieved 2018-08-08.


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