At age 17, Hamid Andalib braved a violent crowd at the American Embassy in Iran and climbed the wall to obtain one of the last available Visas. While Hamid knew no one in America at that time, and could not speak English, he was determined to move to the United States to build a better life for himself.

After his arrival in Atlanta, Hamid enrolled in college and accepted a job as a dishwasher at a local restaurant. By the age of 24, he had completed two degrees and had purchased The Loft, the largest restaurant in Tennessee. While managing the restaurant, Hamid discovered the co-branding credit card industry and made the Loft the first restaurant in the world with its own co-branded MasterCard. Due to the success of the card, Hamid assisted other nationwide companies in launching their own co-branded cards.

Hamid’s experience with the credit card business, coupled with his growing interest in the incentive industry, led him to create VIPGift in 2000. One of the fastest growing companies in America, VIPGift revenues have grown remarkably every year since inception.

Hamid’s secret to success is tirelessly serving others: customers, vendors, employees, friends and family. This philosophy was instilled in him by his parents, who explained that his purpose in life was to "be a gift to others". Therefore, Hamid has dedicated his life to positively impacting the lives of those around him. Hamid shares his advice and wisdom by serving on the Board of Directors for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, as a member of Atlanta’s Global Commerce Council and on the Advisory Boards at Parkridge Hospital and T.C Thompson’s Children’s Hospital in Chattanooga. His genuine selflessness and endless generosity have earned him numerous awards and honors such as:

• Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce Small Business Person of the Year
• Atlanta Business Chronicle Small Business Person of the Year Finalist
• AeA Emerging Business Award Finalist
• US Chamber of Commerce Blue Chip Enterprise Award
• Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame at UTC’s College of Business
• One of World Magazine’s Finest and Most Patriotic Immigrants
• Business to Business’s Fastest Growing Private Companies
• Business TN’s Top Executive of Tennessee

Hamid and his wife, LaDonna, have three children, Soraya, Amir, and Adam. Hamid believes that "God has surrounded all of us with the abundance of everything and a spoon longer than our arms, meant to feed others rather than ourselves".