{{short description|American entrepreneur}} {{Infobox person | name = Adam Zbar | image = Adam Zbar photo.jpg | image_size = 300px | alt = | caption = | birth_date = October 15, 1969 | birth_place = Washington, DC | alma_mater = Pomona College<br/>UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television | occupation = CEO of global clearing and settlement platform for central banks and financial institutions Hamsa,<br> Entrepreneur | known_for = CEO of Hamsa,<br> Former CEO of Sun Basket,<br> Founder and former CEO of Tap11,<br> Former CEO of Zannel,<br> Founder and former CEO of Lasso | website = }}
'''Adam Zbar''' is an American entrepreneur and the CEO of Hamsa, a global clearing and settlement platform for central banks and financial institutions using Hamsa’s Unified Ledger. In 2025, Hamsa will clear $400B.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />
Zbar was the CEO of Sun Basket, a San Francisco-based e-commerce company,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Chang|first1=Althea|title=Meal kit deliveries poised for growth|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2015/12/02/meal-kit-deliveries-poised-for-growth.html|website=CNBC|date=4 December 2015 |publisher=NBC|access-date=30 December 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url = http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/morning_call/2015/05/san-francisco-startup-cooks-up-service-thatbrings.html|title = San Francisco startup cooks up service that brings healthy food to your door|last = Sciacca|first = Annie|date = May 11, 2015|work = San Francisco Business Times|access-date = 30 December 2015}}</ref> which grew to $275M in revenues<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sawers |first=Paul |date=2018-01-25 |title=Sun Basket hits $275 million run rate and raises $57.8 million to fuel meal delivery expansion |url=https://venturebeat.com/entrepreneur/sun-basket-hits-275-million-run-rate-and-raises-57-8-million-to-fuel-meal-delivery-expansion/ |access-date=2025-01-17 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US}}</ref> and was sold in 2021 in a deal that valued the combined company at $1.3B.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cheng |first=Candy |title=Meal kit startup Sunbasket is combining with Prüvit, a keto supplements-maker, in a deal that values the new company at $1.3 billion |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/meal-kit-startup-sunbasket-merges-keto-supplement-maker-pruvit-2021-12 |access-date=2025-01-17 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref> Previously, Zbar founded Lasso,<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gannes|first1=Liz|title=Lasso Promises to Deliver Wine and Cheese Within Two Hours for Free|url=http://allthingsd.com/20131212/lasso-promises-to-deliver-wine-and-cheese-within-two-hours-for-free/|website=All Things D|publisher=Wall Street Journal|access-date=30 December 2015}}</ref> Tap11,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.inc.com/jessica-zemple/how-losing-50-pounds-led-to-this-successful-startup.html |title=How Losing 50 Pounds Inspired This Entrepreneur to Start a Successful Startup|website=inc.com |date=2016-01-22 |access-date=2017-06-23 |last1=Zemple |first1=Jessica }}</ref> and Zannel.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2007/10/01/zannel-twitter-with-pictures-and-video/ |title=Zannel: Twitter With Pictures And Video|website=techcrunch.com |date=2007-10-01 |access-date=2017-06-23}}</ref> Tap11 and Zannel were sold to AVOS Systems, led by the founders of YouTube.<ref name=":2" />
== Early life and education ==
Zbar was born in 1969 in Washington D.C.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}} His father, Dr. Bert Zbar, is a cancer scientist at the National Cancer Institute,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://history.nih.gov/archives/downloads/bertonzbartranscript.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160907125157/https://history.nih.gov/archives/downloads/bertonzbartranscript.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 7, 2016 |title=Berton Zbar M.D - Memoir of a Physician-Scientist|website=nih.gov |access-date=2017-06-23}}</ref> who along with Dr. Marston Linehan discovered 4 genes related to hereditary kidney cancer.<ref>{{Cite news|url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/cancer-researcher-marston-linehan-discusses-role-of-genetics/2011/09/19/gIQAhkxaaL_story.html|title = Cancer Researcher Marston Linehan Discusses Role of Cancer.|last = Torres|first = Christian|date = 2011-10-12|newspaper = The Washington Post|access-date = 2017-06-23}}</ref> His mother, Dr. Michell Lynn Arnow, was a psychologist. His grandfather, George C. Hatch,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/deseretnews/obituary.aspx?pid=132214127 |title=GEORGE HATCH |website=legacy.com |date=2009-09-13 |access-date=2017-07-20}}</ref> was an entrepreneur, communications, and cable pioneer, including co-founding Tele-Communications (TCI) which became a major cable television provider in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|title = George Hatch|url = http://archive.sltrib.com/story.php?ref=/news/ci_13263766|website = The Salt Lake Tribune|access-date = 2016-02-12|language = en-US|first = Tribune|last = Editorial}}</ref>
Zbar studied economics at Pomona College and received his MFA in Film Production from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film, & Television.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://web.stanford.edu/group/econference/speakers/industry_profiles.html|title = Speaker|access-date = 30 December 2015|website = Stanford University}}</ref>
== Career == Zbar started his career in management consulting at McKinsey & Company in Los Angeles, where he worked from 1991 to 1993.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://alumni.mckinsey.com/public_content/500183274 |title=Alumni News - Week Ending March 5, 2017 |website=mckinsey.com |date=2017-03-13 |access-date=2017-06-23}}</ref> He then worked as VP of Business Development at kpe, part of Agency.com, a digital media company based in Los Angeles, where his team built some of the early websites for Warner Home Video, Six Flags, and Mandalay Resort Group.<ref name=digital>{{Cite web|url = http://prime.digitalhollywood.com/07DHSpring/DHSp07Thurs15.html|title = Personalized Music and Video Experience - Mobile and Broadband - Social Networking: Breakthroughs in Messaging, Music, Video Capabilities & Advertising|access-date = January 19, 2016|website = Digital Hollywood|last = Panelist}}</ref> In 2001, Zbar moved to Silicon Valley where he worked as a technology executive for post-bubble online and mobile companies. During this period, he ran a $100M online hotel booking business at WorldRes, and developed next generation mobile media applications at Moviso/Infospace.<ref name=digital/>
===Zannel=== In 2005, Zbar along with co-founder Braxton Woodham, raised $6M in venture capital from US Venture Partners (USVP) for his first start-up, Zannel.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Zannel Scores $6M {{!}} silicontap.com|url = http://www.silicontap.com/zannel_scores_6m/s-0005655.html|website = www.silicontap.com|access-date = 2016-02-12}}</ref> Zannel was a real-time, multi-media microblogging platform which won a Webby in 2008 for best mobile social network.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Zannel {{!}} The Webby Awards|url = http://webbyawards.com/winners/2008/mobile-apps/mobile-apps-categories-handheld-devices/social-networking/zannel/|website = webbyawards.com|access-date = 2016-02-12}}</ref> In 2008, Zbar raised $10M for Zannel’s Series B.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Zannel Raises $10M to Take On Twitter with Mobile Multimedia Service|url = http://mashable.com/2008/06/02/zannel-10m-funding/|website = Mashable|access-date = 2016-02-12|first = Alana Taylor2008-06-02 10:11:39|last = UTC| date=2 June 2008 }}</ref>
===Tap11=== In 2009, Adam Zbar along with Braxton Woodham launched their second company, Tap11, a real-time Twitter business analytics platform.<ref>{{Cite web|title = YouTube founders buy Tap11 - Silicon Valley Business Journal|url = http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2011/05/09/youtube-founders-buy-tap11.html|website = Silicon Valley Business Journal|access-date = 2016-02-12}}</ref> Tap11 was the first social analytics firm to store and index Twitter's then 140 million tweets per day.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Tap11 Tries to Tame the Twitter Data Firehose|url = https://gigaom.com/2011/03/23/tap11-tries-to-tame-the-twitter-data-firehose/|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110324164718/http://gigaom.com/2011/03/23/tap11-tries-to-tame-the-twitter-data-firehose/|url-status = dead|archive-date = March 24, 2011|website = gigaom.com|date = 2011-03-23|access-date = 2016-02-12|first = Mathew|last = Ingram}}</ref> In 2011, Zbar sold both Tap11 and Zannel to AVOS Systems, led by the founders of YouTube, Chad Hurley and Steve Chen.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title = With Tap11 Buy AVOS Is Playing a Big Game With Big Data|url = https://gigaom.com/2011/05/09/avos-tap11-acquisition/|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110511215240/http://gigaom.com/2011/05/09/avos-tap11-acquisition/|url-status = dead|archive-date = May 11, 2011|website = gigaom.com|date = 2011-05-09|access-date = 2016-02-12|first = Colleen|last = Taylor}}</ref>
=== Lasso === In 2012, Zbar raised $1.7M in seed funding from Baseline Ventures and Pivot North Capital, and in 2013 launched Lasso, a same day on-demand wine and cheese food delivery service.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://allthingsd.com/20131212/lasso-promises-to-deliver-wine-and-cheese-within-two-hours-for-free/|title = Lasso Promises to Deliver Wine and Cheese Within Two Hours for Free|website = AllThingsD|language = en-us|access-date = 2016-03-18}}</ref>
===Sun Basket=== {{main|Sun Basket}} Later in 2014, Zbar realized that a healthy food delivery service was a much bigger market than wine delivery, and he pivoted the business to become Sun Basket, which ships organic and sustainable ingredients and recipes to customers, allowing them to make their own meals. The company launched in beta in March 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/Prepped-meal-kits-All-you-do-is-cook-6163536.php|title = Prepped meal kits: All you do is cook|website = San Francisco Chronicle| date=27 March 2015 |access-date = 2016-03-18}}</ref>
Zbar led several funding rounds for the company, including one by food giant Unilever's venture capital arm, Unilever Ventures.<ref name=reuters>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sun-basket-ipo-idUSKBN16T04Y |title=U.S. food delivery service Sun Basket hires banks for IPO: sources |website=reuters.com |date=2010-12-04 |access-date=2017-04-06}}</ref> Sun Basket grew to $275M in revenues<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sawers |first=Paul |date=2018-01-25 |title=Sun Basket hits $275 million run rate and raises $57.8 million to fuel meal delivery expansion |url=https://venturebeat.com/entrepreneur/sun-basket-hits-275-million-run-rate-and-raises-57-8-million-to-fuel-meal-delivery-expansion/ |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US}}</ref> <sup> </sup>and was sold in 2021 in a deal that values the combined company at $1.3B.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cheng |first=Candy |title=Meal kit startup Sunbasket is combining with Prüvit, a keto supplements-maker, in a deal that values the new company at $1.3 billion |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/meal-kit-startup-sunbasket-merges-keto-supplement-maker-pruvit-2021-12 |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=Business Insider |language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Hamsa === Zbar founded Hamsa in 2020. The company is the creator of the Universal Confidential Ledger, which provides a standard programmable layer for global clearing and settlement for central banks and financial institutions.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=May 31, 2023 |title=Smart Rich Data Tokens to Revolutionize $11T Alternative Asset Market |url=https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/smart-rich-data-tokens-to-revolutionize-11t-alternative-asset-market |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=nasdaq.com}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=About Hamsa {{!}} Leading the Future of Digital Money and Assets |url=https://www.hamsa.com/about-us |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=www.hamsa.com |language=en-US}}</ref> In 2025, Hamsa will clear $400B.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Hamsa {{!}} Leading the Future of Digital Money and Assets |url=https://www.hamsa.com/about-us |access-date=2025-01-17 |website=www.hamsa.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1" />
Hamsa has raised $27M as of 2025 and is backed by Greycroft, Haven, Valor, Quona, and other institutional and strategic investors.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2024-11-08 |title=Hamsa anuncia captação de US$ 27 milhões em rodada Série A para transformar compensação e liquidação bancária |url=https://tiinside.com.br/08/11/2024/hamsa-anuncia-captacao-de-us-27-milhoes-em-rodada-serie-a-para-transformar-compensacao-e-liquidacao-bancaria/ |access-date=2025-01-17 |website=TI INSIDE Online |language=pt-BR}}</ref>
== Books & films == Zbar is an author who has written 3 books. ''Shine'' is a memoir of Adam’s life.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-04 |title=Sun Basket CEO Adam Zbar Releases Non-Fiction Novel, SHINE |url=https://www.biospace.com/sun-basket-ceo-adam-zbar-releases-non-fiction-novel-shine |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=BioSpace |language=en-US}}</ref> ''Infinite Power'' is a novel that takes place in Silicon Valley about the race for renewable energy.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Zbar |first=Adam |url=https://isbnsearch.org/isbn/9798839359024 |title=Infinite Power: The Race For Limitless Energy: A Silicon Valley Murder Mystery |date=July 2, 2022 |website=isbnsearch.org |publisher=Big Fish Little Pond |isbn=9798839359024 |access-date=2025-01-14}}</ref> Gaze is a collection of short stories about modern life.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Zbar |first=Adam |url=https://isbnsearch.org/isbn/9798854848282 |title=Gaze |date=August 3, 2023 |website=isbnsearch.org |publisher=Big Fish Little Pond |isbn=9798854848282 |access-date=2025-01-14}}</ref>
Zbar has made 2 feature films. ''The Divine Toad'' is set in Silicon Valley and is retelling of Dante’s ''Inferno''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Martine |first=Katherine |date=2023-01-25 |title=The Ark {{!}} Belvedere man's independent film to screen at S.F. festival |url=https://www.thearknewspaper.com/live/belvedere-man-s-independent-film-to-screen-at-s-f-festival |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=The Ark |language=en}}</ref> ''Mermaids and Manatees'' is a cautionary tale about the challenges of being a CEO in Silicon Valley.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Larson |first=Vicki |date=2019-01-24 |title=Sun Basket co-founder's first film a cautionary tale |url=https://www.marinij.com/2019/01/24/sun-basket-co-founders-first-film-a-cautionary-tale/ |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=Marin Independent Journal |language=en-US}}</ref> Zbar also made the short film ''When the Sea Turns To Lemonade''.<ref>{{Citation |last= |first= |title=When the Sea Turns to Lemonade |date=2003-03-01 |type=Short, Drama |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2366630/ |access-date=2025-01-14 |publisher=Millstream Productions}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=When the Sea Turns to Lemonade |url=https://www.shortfilmwire.com/en/embedded/film/100040054/When-the-Sea-Turns-to-Lemonade |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=www.shortfilmwire.com}}</ref> ==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zbar, Adam}} Category:American chief executives in the food industry Category:Living people Category:Businesspeople from the San Francisco Bay Area Category:1969 births Category:Pomona College alumni