Payam Zamani

Payam Zamani
Alma mater University of California, Davis
Occupation Business executive

Payam Zamani is the founder and chairman of One Planet Ops Inc, a hybrid tech firm that consists of several operating technology companies and brands, an angel fund and a startup incubator. The firm currently operates a few large tech businesses, including BuyerLink.com (formerly Reply.com), MerchantCircle.com and QualitySmith. The firm operates under a "innovation + intention" philosophy and attempts to combine capital with social capital by ensuring all operating businesses are contributing to various social causes. [1]

Zamani is a member of the Bahá'í Faith and was forced to escape religious persecutions in Iran. He came to the U.S. as a refugee in 1988 at the age of 16. [2]

Zamani’s serial entrepreneurship began in 1994 when he co-founded 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]

Zamani later founded PurpleTie, before starting Reply! in 2001. In May 2011, Reply! acquired MerchantCircle, an online network of business owners, for $60 million in cash and stock.[4]

Zamani recently founded Contractors.com, a new home improvement service which matches property owners with local contractors. [5]

Philanthropy

Zamani is on the board of Mona Foundation, which is focused on improving education around the world, particularly for women. Payam lobbied the board of Reply.com, to donate 1% percent of all its profits to Mona each year.[6]

Zamani also sits on the board of the Tahirih Justice Center - a non-profit helping individuals fleeing violence and human rights violations. [7]

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. ↑ "Reply acquires MerchantCircle for $60M", Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, May 26, 2011
  5. ↑ Contractors.com. "Contractors.com Announces the Beta Launch of Its Revolutionary New Home Improvement Service". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
  6. ↑ Meghan Kelly, "Rainn Wilson calls on Silicon Valley to give back this holiday season", VentureBeat, December 21, 2011
  7. ↑ "Board of Directors « Tahirih Justice Center". www.tahirih.org. Retrieved 2017-01-31.


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