Payam Zamani

Payam Zamani is an entrepreneur, investor, and the founder of One Planet Group, a closely held private equity firm that owns a suite of online technology and media businesses. Infused with Zamani’s deeply held beliefs from the Baha’i Faith, One Planet’s mission is to support strong business ideas while building an ethos that helps improve society and gives back to communities. Born in Iran, Zamani was forced to flee at the age of sixteen due to his religious beliefs as a Baha’i. He was offered asylum in the United States in 1988. Upon graduation from UC Davis, he and his brother founded AutoWeb, one of the first online car marketplaces, which they took public in 1999. Over the years, Zamani has built and now owns multiple technology and media businesses, spanning ad tech, publishing, and media. Owned and operated businesses of One Planet Group include Buyerlink, AutoWeb, One Planet VC, One Planet Studios, and others. As part of its nonprofit arm, One Planet Group also operates One Planet One People and Bahai Teachings. In 2023, the company launched the One Planet Summit, an annual conference exploring how we can navigate capitalism with a spiritual compass and elevate business to serve humanity. In 2020, One Planet Group was named a “Best Place to Work” and received the Better Business Bureau’s Torch for Ethics Award. Zamani has won numerous awards for diversity and inclusion and has received the Tahirih Justice Center’s “Hope Award” and the University of California at Davis Award of Distinction. Zamani and his wife, Gouya, have two daughters, Sophia and Ella.