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AVAILABLE JUNE 2024

At the age of 16, he escaped persecution and made his way to America as a refugee. At age 28, he secured a billion-dollar IPO. Today, he’s redefining what it means to be successful, by building a new model of capitalism.

His name is Payam Zamani. And his story is a timely reminder that enduring and embracing life’s most difficult journeys can lead us to a brighter future—not only for ourselves, but for the people around us, and even the world.

In the summer of 1987, Payam Zamani fled Iran. Raised by his parents under the peaceful teachings of the Baha’i Faith, he had already survived years of religious persecution at the hands of a fundamentalist regime. Taking the only path available to him, he escaped to Pakistan through the Emptiness Desert: a harrowing five-day trek through one of the hottest, driest, and most hostile regions on the planet.

Twelve years later, he and his brother set records when the company they founded hit a $1.2 billion valuation on Wall Street. He was rich—on paper. But bubbles don’t last, and in the wake of yet another Wall Street disaster, he learned the hard way that modern capitalism can be harmful to the human soul.

In 2015, Payam set the example he wanted to see by merging his business acumen with his spiritual beliefs and founding a new company—One Planet Group—this time without letting Wall Street or the venture capital world dictate the terms. Today, One Planet Group is proving that it’s not only possible but necessary to build strong businesses while taking care of our employees, customers, communities, and the planet alike.

By blending the personal with the historical and the technical with the motivational, Crossing the Desert gives readers an intimate look at how the paths we choose, the values we embrace, and the systems we decide to participate in—or not—can make or break us, not only financially, but spiritually.

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About the Author

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. Born in Iran, Zamani was forced to flee at the age of 16 due to his religious beliefs as a Baha’i. He was offered asylum in the United States in 1988, settling in the San Francisco Bay Area. Upon graduation from UC Davis, he and his brother founded AutoWeb, one of the first online car marketplaces, which they took public in 1999. Since then, he has built and currently owns multiple technology and media businesses, has invested in over 50 companies, and is striving to redefine capitalism in an attempt to elevate business to serve humanity. He has been named the “Best CEO for Diversity,” is the recipient of Tahirih Justice Center’s “Hope Award,” and received an Award of Distinction from University of California, Davis in 2018. Zamani and his wife, Gouya, have two daughters, Sophia and Ella.

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