Masoud Shojaee

Chief Executive Officer, Shoma Group

Masoud Shojaee, co-founder of Coral Gables-based Shoma Group, stands out for his longevity in calculating shifts in the residential market. 

Shojaee co-launched Shoma with his former wife, Maria Lamas, in 1988, a decade after emigrating to Miami from Tehran. 

During the firm’s early years, he focused on developing townhome and single-family home communities in west Miami-Dade. Over time, Shojaee evolved Shoma’s strategy toward denser mixed-use and multifamily assets, taking advantage of Miami’s population boom. Recent projects include the planned Shoma Bay, a North Bay Village waterfront tower that will have short-term rental units, and Ten30 South Beach, a boutique condo development completed in 2021. 

Shoma Village, his 304-unit Hialeah project with retail tenants like Publix, reflects his pivot to lifestyle-oriented, urban infill communities. 

Beyond development, Shojaee has expanded Shoma’s brand with Shoma Bazaar, a food hall concept added to projects in Doral and Hialeah, and continues scouting infill opportunities across South Florida’s fastest-growing corridors. Most recently, Shoma announced plans to enter the Dubai market, marking its first international expansion and extending Shojaee’s vision of positioning Shoma as a global lifestyle developer. He now runs the company alongside his wife, Stephanie Shojaee, a social media personality and reality TV star who serves as Shoma’s president and brand strategist. However, Shojaee is facing turmoil with his other immediate family members. A trust for his adult daughters Lilibet and Anelise Shojaee has a pending lawsuit against him that alleges he secretly siphoned funds from one of their companies to  support his lavish personal lifestyle. 

— Francisco Alvarado