Hooman Tavakolian

Hooman "Mo" Tavakolian (born Mohammad Ali Tavakolian, September 17, 1976) is an Iranian-American former wrestler, author, wrestling coach, sports diplomat and a member of United World Wrestling. He is a 2017 National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum inductee. He is also an executive on Wall Street and works at a global hedge fund and serves on the board of directors of Titan Mercury Wrestling.

Early life Tavakolian was born September 17, 1976, in Tehran, Iran. At the age of nine, Tavakolian, his parents and younger brother immigrated to Great Neck, New York, during the height of the Iran-Iraq War.

His post-collegiate wrestling career includes competing for the New York Athletic Club and taking part in the National Veteran's World Championship in Budapest.

In addition, Tavakolian is the vice president of the New York Athletic Club and also the U.S. Delegate for the Iranian National Wrestling Team. He was also the liaison for the Islamic Republic of Iran during the Senior and Junior World Championships for wrestling and handled diplomacy between Iran and the US.

In 2024, as a board member of the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, Tavakolian took part in signing a two-year joint agreement with the Jordan Wrestling Federation (JWF).

Philanthropy In 2011, he founded the “Become Your Own Dream” scholarship with Lorelei Martin and former Hunter College wrestler and mentor, Jon Tush. Each year the scholarship provides $2500 to a graduating high school senior in New York City who plans to wrestle in college. In 2012, Tavakolian partnered the fund with the long-standing youth development program, Beat the Streets New York City. He has also funded mats and sport facilities for Iranian people in wrestling. American donations made through Tavakolian's charity, Hoomanities, funded the purchase of new mats, mat covers, gym equipment, and wrestling outfits. He has also secured further contributions, including wrestling gear from several American universities.

In 2019, Tavakolian founded Hoomanities Inc., a not for profit organization "To encourage global community, to empower adolescent youth around the world and to reinstate hope in humanity through sports." Tavakolian also serves as an adviser at Wrestling For Peace organization.

In addition, he has co-founded the Living Your Dream Scholarship Fund that provides financial assistance to a college-bound Beat the Streets athletes.

Tavakolian was nominated in 2017 for the Peace and Sport Federation's “Diplomatic Action of the Year” award for his efforts to bring together the Islamic Republic of Iran Wrestling Federation and the USA Wrestling Federation through the 2017 Wrestling World Cup, during which he was leader of the US team. Iran, the World Cup host, had initially barred the US team from competing in retaliation for President Trump's travel bans.

In 2025, USA Wrestling appointed Tavakolian as the newest steward of its prestigious Living the Dream Medal Fund, a program that incentivizes U.S. Olympic and World medalists with financial awards.