Racing to new opportunities; How one Boston Scientific employee helped a veteran-owned business rebrand and rebuild

Sam Zamany, a senior data engineer at Boston Scientific, grew up with a deep appreciation for those who serve in the military. “I was born and raised in Afghanistan during the civil war and when the Taliban was in power. It was a time when the country was fully disconnected from the outside world and all doors were closed. The sacrifices that veterans made in Afghanistan changed my world.”

After attending high school in Turkey and completing his undergrad studies in India, Sam returned to Afghanistan to work as a contractor with U.S. military forces. When he received a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue his master’s degree, he moved to the United States and gained over a decade of marketing technology expertise.

Upon joining Boston Scientific, Sam learned about the company’s employee resource groups (ERGs). He quickly became involved with the Vets ERG, a group of Boston Scientific employees who network and volunteer together. “It’s rewarding to meet so many colleagues from diverse backgrounds and roles,” explains Sam. “We each bring different skills to the table, but we have one common goal – to support veterans.” 

During a brainstorming session, the group identified a new way they could help veterans using Sam’s expertise in marketing technology and previous experience building websites for small to medium-sized businesses. The group vetted a short list of businesses who could benefit from Sam’s web consulting skills and selected Blackall Racing, a veteran-owned motorcycle racing team.

One reason the team chose to help Blackall was the organization’s commitment to supporting veterans. Blackall provides supplies for spectators to create care packages which are sent to deployed troops at the end of each racing season. A new website could help the team attract more fans to participate in their #patrioticpackage philanthropy project.

“When the team introduced me to Blackall Racing, I knew this was a company that could use my help. The company is owned by two veterans. They have a great story and having a sleek and functional website could help them establish new partners at their events.”

Sam spent 120 hours of his personal time building a new website and e-commerce shop for Blackall Racing. He also provided free web consulting tips, training sessions and analytics strategies to help drive marketing strategies forward. The Blackall team launched their new website in August 2020.

 “Our new website turned us into a different class of organization,” explains Janet Blackall, president of Blackall Racing.  “I can see we are getting over 800 hits a day from over 40 different countries, and we’re excited to continue enhancing our site as we build our 2021 program. I cannot thank Sam and the team at Boston Scientific enough.”

For Sam, volunteering his expertise was a double win. “I love what we do as a company, but to also give back to a community that is so near and dear to me, makes Boston Scientific my dream company. It’s a new learning experience every day and I feel like I’m part of a bigger team that is transforming lives across the globe.”