After decades of entrepreneurship and philanthropy, Marta Batmasian was selected as the DIAMOND Award winner by the Boca Chamber of Commerce. The chamber bestowed the honor upon her during a luncheon Friday at The Boca Raton.
“I would not be here without all of you now; I don’t want to sound cliche,” she said when accepting the award. “You are better than I am and I am honored you are here to recognize me.”
Batmasian shared her journey of immigrating to the United States in 1970. Born and raised in Turkey as a Christian Armenian, she earned her B.A. in English from Emerson College in Boston, where she met her husband, James. Eager to explore real estate—joking that she was in competition with James—she went to three banks before she found one willing to give her a loan; this was in a time when a woman could not get a credit card without her husband’s signature.
“I couldn’t afford a cup of coffee. I could not afford the Boston winters with heavy college books. I could not afford 25 cents to put in the subway. I had to walk for miles. I became an au pair,” she said.
The couple moved to Boca Raton in 1983 and founded Investments Limited, a real estate investment and management company. One of their biggest projects includes the founding of the 14-acre Royal Palm Place. The shopping and entertainment center is also the home of Boca Raton’s Walk of Recognition, with stars honoring the people and institutions that have propelled the city forward. Last year, the Boca Raton Historical Society surprised Batmasian with a star on the walk.
Beyond business, Batmasian is also known for her philanthropic spirit. She founded and funded a number of area nonprofits including Children’s Science Explorium, Tri-County Animal Rescue, League of Educational Awareness of the Holocaust (LEAH), People Reaching Out to Provide Education and Leadership (PROPEL), Garden of Humanity, Kids in New Direction (KIND), and more.
As is tradition, a Pearl Award was also presented to a young woman who is a graduate of the Chamber’s Young Entrepreneur Academy (YEA!); this year, it was presented to St. Andrews School senior Sabrina Greenberg. The founder of Ecoloop, a biodegradable hair tie brand, she will be attending Emory University in the fall to study political science and business. She hopes to found a woman-run law firm serving women from underrepresented communities.
“Leadership is not just a title, but a responsibility to motivate others, take initiative and create an environment where people feel valued and empowered,” Greenberg said.
