The Tale of the Iranian Boy Who Built A World from Scratch

Image Source: GIC

Kamran Elahian is a global high-tech entrepreneur, a co-founder of ten companies, six of which produced a market cap over $8B, three failed. Now an innovation catalyst, a global VC partnership chairman, and a dragon-like entrepreneur, Kamran left his home in Iran when he was only 18, heading to the unknown land of the USA with a desire to change the world and the ultimate goal to end all wars among humanity.

“As a young boy, I would ask my relatives “Why are you so content with just socializing with one another? Why aren’t you doing something to change the world?” I knew that I had a global role to play and that my journey in life would lead me to broader horizons.” – Kamran Elahian

Kamran was a young boy before the technology innovation era truly struck — there was no internet to help him, no email communication, no easy access to influencers. He attended the University of Utah, where from he left with two Bachelors and one Master degree by the time he was 22. He was pursuing a tech career. Consequently, he joined the HP as part of the Honors Program, where he was told that he was young and inexperienced to lead an innovating project on his own. He quit, alongside a few colleagues, to found a business of their own.

He started with nothing but passion, knowledge, ideas and determination. No fancy office or insane funding. During one speech, Kamran remembers how it was hard to appear at VC firm’s HQ looking completely opposite of how a successful CEO used to look at that time: white, tall, American, and wealthy. That did not stop him show up anyway, and make his words overrule side factors.

Founding ten companies, 3 of which have failed, others have achieved enviable success on the market, bringing back billions in revenue. Kamran uses the money and power he obtained to support and produce innovative ideas all around the globe. He and his wife have founded Global Innovation Catalyst company that helps countries in the AMENA region get the resources necessary to stimulate job creation, advanced use of technology, and eventually bring people closer together. Through this foundation, they continuously support multiple projects and organizations that improve education, eradicate poverty and celebrate diversity.

“People ask me why I care so much about making a difference in the world. The reality is that the impact of war and violence on the last two generations of our families have led us to believe that if we can empower people through the use of the Internet and communication technologies, we have a genuine chance to give this generation and the generations of the future the knowledge to appreciate and celebrate our differences. Ultimately, my dream is a world without war. It is the only way to bend the arc of human civilization toward unification.”

Kamran Elahian is fighting for the most noble of all causes — making the humanity come together. He has chosen to build his dream through high-technology and venture capital. He has been working to create both technological and financial resources to create jobs, encourage innovative ideas, and bring people closer. He has built it all from scratch — with his bare hands. And he keeps building toward a better, more tolerable future, for a world that celebrates differences.

So, what’s keeping you from working passionately to make your dream come true? Let me ask you this: What Big Problem Would You Solve If It Was Possible? Read on.