Karim Zaman is President of The Zaman Group, which provides manufacturers representation for minority and women manufacturers in the Southern California region in the areas of Office Products, Janitorial Products, Safety and Scientific Equipment, and Health and Beauty. Mr. Zaman has taken his tremendous experience in the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office through building partnerships with MBE/WBE/DBE firms and the corporate sector by starting The Zaman Group, which provides representation for these firms exclusively. The Zaman Group also provides consulting services in the areas of: community outreach, government liaison, and MBE/WBE/DBE outreach. Additionally, Mr. Zaman is the owner of The Payphone Company, a pay telephone service provider and The Zaman Group Trucking, which hauls materials on construction sites.

Formerly, Mr. Zaman served as Program Manager of the Los Angeles Opportunities for Procurement and Services (LAOPS) in Mayor Riordan’s Office of Economic Development. The LA OPS program, which he co-authored, assists minority, women, and small, local businesses access the estimated $1 billion in annual procurement opportunities with the City of Los Angeles. Mr. Zaman facilitated strategic partnerships, joint ventures and consortiums between prime vendors and subcontracting vendors/suppliers.

Using his public policy background, Mr. Zaman authored or co-authored several small business initiatives/programs, which were adopted by City Council and the Mayor including: the Los Angeles Opportunities for Procurement and Services (LA OPS), the Small Local Business Preference, the Buy Recycled 2000 motion to include remanufactured toner cartridges, and the Mayor’s Executive Directive 2001-26, “Minority and Women Business Outreach Program.”

Recognized in the minority business community, Mr. Zaman participated in numerous workshops and served on steering committees for trade fairs such as the Greater Los Angeles Vendor Fair and the Southern California Regional Purchasing Council’s Minority Business Opportunity Day. As a board member of the African Growth and Opportunity Act – Southern California Coalition, he promotes trade and investment in AGOA approved beneficiary countries and private firms in the State of California.

Mr. Zaman has also served as Program Manager of the Minority Business Opportunity Committee (MBOC) and as a legislative aid in the California State Assembly and the U.S. House of Representatives. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Loyola University of New Orleans, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California, and a Master of Public Policy from Claremont Graduate University and is a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science at Claremont Graduate University. Mr. Zaman has received several awards for his work to assist small businesses. He most recently was named the 2001 Minority Advocate of the Year by the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce (GLAAACC) and now serves as Secretary on the GLAAACC Board of Directors. He is also member of Los Angeles Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and serves as Graduate Advisor to undergraduates of UCLA, UCSB and CSUN campuses.