Tech for the World:
HAMID AND LAWDAN SHOJAEE
Changing the world through the technology space is the commitment of Hamid and Lawdan Shojaee. The couple, who met nearly 20 years ago and got married eight months later, now run two local software companies in addition to being parents of two. In 2002, Hamid founded Axosoft, a project management software used by more than 11,000 teams worldwide. During this time, Lawdan received her doctorate in physical therapy, practiced for a year, and then became the director of development for Mission Montessori School before taking over as CEO of Axosoft so Hamid could focus on running his new creation, Pure Chat, a live chat software. At the heart of their work, The Shojaees seek to create technological advancements that will outlive and outperform their life expectancy, and, ultimately, make a positive contribution. And their vision is one rooted in humanity: “We want to leave this earth better than we found it, so we build software tools that help companies like NASA, Apple, IBM and many others be better at what they do. We provide them with the hammer that allows them to build what they need.” And The Shojaees are steadfast in their mission and stand firm in their beliefs, such as advocating for greater diversity in the tech space. They launched a female empowerment campaign, #ItWasNeverADress, which went viral – appearing on BuzzFeed, The New York Times, CNN and The Huffington Post – and, subsequently, started a scholarship for females in tech at Arizona State University. The ideals of improving the tech industry and shaping future generations transfer into the collaborative, contributive
culture of their companies. The dynamic duo preaches teamwork, communication and persistence in overcoming roadblocks, especially in the ever-changing tech landscape, walking the talk of their family motto: Never give up! You get up and you work as hard as you can and that SO SCOTTSDALE! |
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is all that is asked of you. “We don’t give up. When we fail, we just get back up and do it again,” The Shojaees say. “The end game is the privilege of getting up and working alongside brilliant minds and helping change the world.”