NBC 6’s Kristin Sanchez introduces us to one strong Latina woman who became president of her own company.
It’s Hispanic Heritage Month and one woman stands out in her field as a developer with years of hard work and dedication, hoping to inspire Latinas everywhere to follow their dreams.
A daughter of Colombian immigrants, Stephanie Shojaee is now the president of one of the largest development firms in Miami. It’s a big accomplishment and now she says she’s making sure that she inspires other women to stay true to who they are in the workplace.
Shojaee stands out as one of the few female Hispanic property developers in the US. Stephanie helped catapult Shoma Group into great success from her position as a company Chief Marketing Officer.
“I had to fight tooth and nail to get to where I am,” Shojaee said.
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Stephanie came to the United States as a young girl, learning English at the age of 8. She said watching her parents, two Colombian immigrants, struggle to get ahead while learning a new language inspired her to break boundaries.
“I wanted to change the perception of the stereotypes of Latinos," said Shojaee. "Fast forward, I wanted to change the perception of women in the business place."
She climbed her way to the top through her hard work and dedication while never sacrificing her passion for fashion.
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“Now in these board meetings, I refuse to adapt to what the norm is. It was tough at first, people would not take me seriously, I used to say I would wear black to fit in but now I wear hot pink miniskirts,” said Shojaee.
Now as the president of Shoma and with a huge following on social media of nearly half a million followers, her goal is to encourage women to be who they are and to help diversify the workforce.
“Forget the fact that we need more women in the company," said Shojaee. "We are based in Miami after all, and we need more Latinos. I am a very large advocate for women empowerment so I wanted more Latinas."
It’s women like Lilliam Amor, the current marketing manager of Shoma Group, who is thankful for the workspace Stephanie helps create.
“Sometimes you feel like you can’t be fully who you are, and she’s always fully authentic and inspiring to all of us and always inspiring to all the girls on the team,” said Lilliam Amor, marketing manager of Shoma Group.
Shoma Group may have helped create some locations that you already know - like Shoma Village in Hialeah or Shoma Bazaar in Doral. Their most recent project will be Shoma Bay Condos in North Bay Village.
