Payam Zamani

Payam Zamani is an Iranian-American entrepreneur, angel investor, internet expert, technology enthusiast, and philanthropist. He is the founder, chairman, and CEO of One Planet Group, Buyerlink, and Autoweb Inc. Zamani also serves on the board of directors and is an advisor to various companies, including BestMile, The RealReal, Wayfarer Entertainment, and SoulPancake.
Zamani has also been credited with several awards for his business and entrepreneurial skills: Best CEO for Diversity (2020), Davis Award of Distinction (2018), and Hope Award (2016). He has been featured in several leading media publications and magazines highlighting his success story, including Yahoo, USA Today, SFGATE, East Bay Times, and others.
==Early life and education==
Zamani was born in Tehran, Iran. He was refused an education because he adhered to the Baha'i Faith and was forced to flee Iran at age 15. He eventually sought asylum in the United States and landed in San Francisco in 1988. Zamani obtained a degree in environmental toxicology from the University of California, Davis, in 1994. 
Zamani also holds two certifications from Federal Aviation Administration in instrument rating and as a private aircraft pilot.
==Career==
In 1994, following his graduation, Zamani co-founded Autoweb with his older brother, Frank Zamani. Autoweb was the first online car-buying business. Within a day of the company's 1999 IPO, its market value had hit $1.2 billion. After leaving the firm six months after its initial public offering, in 2022, Zamani repurchased it and became its CEO and chairman.
In 2001, Zamani launched PurpleTie, a business that collects online clothing orders and cleans them in a central location. In the same year, Zamani subsequently developed Reply.com, a major online platform for acquiring locally-targeted customer demand in the automobile, real estate, and home improvement industries. In 2015, the company was relaunched as Buyerlink. Today, Buyerlink is the most prominent online auction platform for producing and monetizing locally focused and category-specific consumer demand.
Zamani founded One Planet Group in 2015 as a technology company that owns and maintains a portfolio of businesses and supports seed and early-stage startups, such as Buyerlink, California.com, BahaiTeachings, One Planet Media, One Planet VC, and One Planet Studios. One Planet Group promotes innovative company concepts while fostering a culture that benefits society and gives back to local communities. Beyond attempting to implement the best business practices, One Planet Group strives to cultivate a culture that authentically considers how "innovation x intention" applies to every aspect of the company, including its culture, policies, and governing values, as well as its impact on the surrounding community and humanity as a whole. One Planet Group was recognized as "Best Place to Work" by the San Francisco Business Times and the Silicon Valley Business Journal in 2020 and got the Torch for Ethics Award from the Better Business Bureau.
Zamani is an angel investor, advisor, and board member to various startup companies such as BestMile, The RealReal, Wayfarer Entertainment, SoulPancake, Airmap, Kanthaka, Schola, Emerging Impact, Verneek, The Beans, Formic, Wrapbook, and others.
==Philanthropy==
Zamani and his wife are suporters of the Tahirih Justice Center and the Equal Justice Initiative. The Tahirih Justice Center is a national non-profit group that helps brave immigrant women and girls who refuse to be abused. TJC ensures that their voices are heard in communities, courts, and Congress so that women and girls can live in a world where they are treated equally, safely, and have dignity.
Additionally, Zamani is the creator and principal editor of BahaiTeachings.org. BahaiTeachings.org is a website for spiritual enlightenment. To further the humanitarian process, the organization aims to create an awareness of Baha'i principles and apply these teachings to modern challenges.
==Awards and recognitions==
* Zamani was honored as the ‘Best CEO for Diversity’ in 2020 by Comparably.
* The Tahirih Justice Center has awarded him the Hope Award (2016).
* Zamini has also been credited with the Davis Award of Distinction (2018) by the University of California.
==Patents==
* Payam Zamani, Brian Kanaga; Lead Marketplace System and Method With Ping Campaigns; US 7899715 B2; issued March 1, 2011
* Paul O'Leary, Payam Zamani; Merchant Influence Scoring; US 13652246; issued October 15, 2012
* Payam Zamani, Brian Kanaga, Brian Bowman; Click Marketplace System and Method with Enhanced Click Traffic Auction; US 12211732 · issued September 16, 2008
==References==
==External links==
* Company Website
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Category:American entrepreneurs
Category:American investors
Category:American technology executives
Category:American philanthropists
Category:Iranian Americans