Ali Sahabi
President
Ali Sahabi has extensive experience in multiple areas of real estate development including master planned communities, mixed-use development, finance and public funding, entitlement, retail/lifestyle centers, golf course development, entertainment venues, infill projects, environmental restoration and residential communities. Prior to forming Optimum Group, Mr. Sahabi was president of the land-planning and entitlement firm, SE Corporation, winner of the California Governor's Economic and Environmental Leadership Award for Sustainable Communities for development of the mixed-use community of Dos Lagos in Corona, California. Previously, Mr. Sahabi served as Executive Vice President of Vahdani Construction where he negotiated and managed more than 300 projects statewide. He is the recipient of a Builder of the Year award from the Building Industry Association and multiple awards and recognitions from organizations such as the American Planning Association, the American Institute of Architects and the Southern California Association of Governments' Compass Blueprint Award. Mr. Sahabi has also been featured in dozens of newspaper and magazine articles. Complementing his achievements in business, Mr. Sahabi is a generous benefactor to numerous philanthropic causes and serves on several boards including the Board of Counselors at the USC Price School of Public Policy. His commitment to sustainability is reflected in his endowment of the UC Riverside Edward J. Blakely Center for Sustainable Suburban Development. He holds a Master of Real Estate Development degree from the School of Urban Planning and Development at the University of Southern California; and a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Pepperdine University.