38 | Education: SMU, University of Texas at Austin | Company: ZETA Partners
ZETA Partners CEO Shan Zaidi doesn’t just invest in companies. He’s also pouring his energy into the future of Dallas by volunteering and guiding nascent nonprofits working to tackle its most pressing issues.
Zaidi began dabbling in venture capital and private equity in 2011, when he became one of five founders of the investment firm VF Partners. Today, Zaidi owns logistics, manufacturing, and real estate development businesses, as well as invests in companies, funds, and real estate under the ZETA Partners umbrella.
Zaidi has followed in his family’s entrepreneurial footsteps. But as a teen growing up in Preston Hollow, he never would have contemplated the life he has today.
“I really thought that I was going to avoid entrepreneurship and head towards a more corporate career after seeing how business consumed my parents’ lives,” he said. “However, as I spent time with the start-up, I came to see how fulfilling running a business was and how exciting growing a company can be.”
Zaidi credits his mother for inspiring him to serve his community.
“She made it very clear to me and my younger siblings how fortunate we were,” Zaidi said. “As kids, she took us to Austin Street to understand just how lucky we were. I developed both a tremendous appreciation for the opportunities I had been given and a lifelong passion for serving and giving back whenever and wherever I can.”
Zaidi, who helps lead the city’s affordable housing initiatives as the mayor’s appointee to the Dallas Housing Finance Corporation, has volunteered with the United Way Social Innovation Accelerator for the past decade. Through the Accelerator program, he works to help social entrepreneurs grow their impact in North Texas. Last year, he mentored Housing Connector, a nonprofit focused on housing access that won the Social Innovator of the Year Award at the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas’ “The Pitch” event.
He has also volunteered with the Dallas Regional Chamber and The Real Estate Council, and serves on boards for the Hoover Institution and the George W. Bush Institute.
What (or who) motivated you to get involved in the community?
My mom was my primary inspiration. She made it very clear to me and my younger siblings how fortunate we were. As kids, she took us to Austin Street to understand just how lucky we were. I developed both a tremendous appreciation for the opportunities I had been given and a lifelong passion for serving and giving back whenever and wherever I can.
What is your favorite part of your current job or community involvement?
I love being part of the United Way Social Innovation Accelerator. Every year, I get paired with a non-profit startup that is tackling a pressing problem in the city, and each year, I work with the head of the nascent organization to grow quickly and add capacity. It is such an educational and fulfilling experience. Last year, my area of expertise, housing, coincided with my mentees’ needs, and we were able to work together to win the Pitch competition and secure funding that will lead to housing hundreds of additional families in Dallas.
Are you where you thought you’d be when you graduated from high school?
I could not have contemplated the life I have now when I was in high school. I think there are elements of who I thought I would be and that my high school self would be proud of who I have become, but that they would also push me not to rest on my laurels.
What was your first job and what did you learn from it?
My parents were entrepreneurs, and I spent mornings, evenings, and weekends at their office as a young child. I was frequently enlisted to help with various work tasks, but the first thing I actually got compensated for was filing and then basic accounting work. I learned just how all-encompassing running a business is and how even the simplest of tasks and most inexperienced of workers can be important parts of an organization. That there really is no job too small and that if you’re given a job, you should aim to do your best at it.
Was there a “lightbulb moment” that led you to your career? If so, what was it?
During business school, I helped a couple of my classmates and friends raise money for a business they started. I really thought that I was going to avoid entrepreneurship and head towards a more corporate career after seeing how business consumed my parents’ lives. However, as I spent time with the start-up, I came to see how fulfilling running a business was and how exciting growing a company can be. Between the MBA classes and that start-up experience, I got a taste for investment and running companies, and that drastically changed my career trajectory.
What accomplishment are you the proudest of and why?
I am really proud of the relationships I have built and maintained throughout my life. Starting from preschool through elementary, high school, college, grad school, and my professional life, I have done a really good job fostering friendships, some of which are now over 30 years old. I also really enjoy introducing people from various parts of my life that might never otherwise interact. I am really good at helping people build business, personal, and social relationships that last. And in my professional life, I am good at building teams that succeed as well. Pretty much all of my success, financially and otherwise, has come as a result of relationships.
Which leadership skills have been the most challenging for you to develop and why?
I still struggle with patience, which has a negative impact on my relationships and work product. I am impatient in meetings with others, and really like to get to the point, and I push employees and business partners rather than listening respectfully and intently. I also like to get work out the door, and this can lead to mistakes or rework or clarifications, which ends up burning more time than if it had just been done patiently and correctly in the first place.
What do you see is the biggest challenge facing Dallas right now? If you had the connections and resources to change that, what would you do?
Dallas is still such a disconnected city between north, south, east and west. There is very little overlap, and as a result, there is a lot of distrust. Certainly, the city has had its historical challenges and missteps, some of which still persist today, but Dallas is, in most cases, a welcoming and wonderful place. If I could find a way to build trust and relationship bridges across the various communities and geographies in the city, I think we would be having more collegial and productive conversations, and at the city leadership level, I think it would make things a lot easier on city staff and improve our performance and governance as a city.
If someone made a movie about your life, what would it be called and who would play you?
I’ve really tried hard to build a balanced life between family, work, civic and charitable endeavors and hobbies. My first thought for a title was Invested,with the subtitle A life of purpose and balance. I do a lot of things, but I really try to be committed and purposeful with the things I do. I am a fan of Xolo Maridueña from Cobra Kai, and think he could play a younger version of me, especially since I was big into martial arts in my teens and early 20s.
What is your favorite local restaurant or shop?
I am a huge fan of Barsotti’s. Their chicken parm and lasagna are both fantastic. I love the casual atmosphere, and that they do every little thing right, and make you feel like you’re in a friend’s home. I also love Jimmy’s. Their sandwiches are almost singlehandedly destroying my Ironman dream, but they are so worth it.
What’s on your bucket list?
I promised one of my best friends that I would do an Ironman triathlon with him. I don’t think it’s realistic to qualify for Kona with him, but I can at least do one in Texas. I need to find a solid six months where I can train and get back down closer to 200 lbs. Having three kids in four years has delayed the commitment, but I made a promise, so within the next few years, you will see me swimming, running, and biking my way into Ironman shape.
What do you have in mind for after 40?
I’ve spent a lot of my time pre-40 learning, and I am just starting to raise my hand and take on challenges. I still have a lot to learn, and I don’t think that will ever change, but I plan to take a more active leadership role in the community. It’s time for the millennial generation to take up the mantle in the city, and I plan to be one of those people. I’ll invest more in causes and lead organization and events for the betterment of the city. I also hope to be a fixture in my kids’ lives. They are my greatest source of joy, and I want to be able to support them as they grow into little humans.
Is there anything else you think we should know about you?
I am a diehard hockey fan. You can frequently find me at Stars games. The team moved here when I was a little kid, and I took up hockey. I still play to this day on Sunday evenings, and it’s one of my favorite hobbies. I even built a small synthetic ice rink in my garage for my kids, and I am hopefully turning the three of them into little hockey players. I was a little bummed that Oettinger didn’t get to play and Robertson wasn’t on the team, but I was so excited when the USA men’s and women’s hockey teams won gold medals. And I really think this is the year for the Stars!
During COVID, the Stars players would organize private practices at the Farmers Branch StarCenter. I actually got to spend a few minutes skating with some of the players because they came out on the ice early before their reserved time. Most of the guys are pretty normal-sized, so it took a minute before I realized who they were, but once I saw them make a few moves, it was pretty obvious. I did my best to keep my composure, but seeing them move out there was simultaneously an awe-inspiring and humbling experience.
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