Shima Oliaee is the founder of Shirazad Productions. Her work focuses on the stories of the marginalized: Voices forced into silence, often ignored or maligned by the media. Pink Card, shirazad’s first independently-produced series, premiered in December 2022 at ESPN 30 for 30. It received a Murrow Award for excellence in writing, honors from the Overseas Press Club, an Intl sports Press Association award, a National Headliner Award, two Gracie Awards, and two NY Festival of the Arts Awards.

Oliaee’s follow-up series The competition debuted in 2024. It followed seven teenagers competing for america’s most lucrative cash scholarship for high school senior girls. it was honored at the future of media awards and The guardian named it one of the best podcasts of the year.

she is currently completing shirazad’s third miniseries.

Oliaee co-created Dolly Parton’s America, receiving a Peabody Award and a Murrow Award, along with several national honors. Her independently-produced documentary The flag and the Fury won a duPont-Columbia Award and Best in Show at the National Headliner Awards. She created The Vanishing of Harry Pace for Radiolab, nominated for Best Audio Doc by the IDA, and her series UnErased was named podcast of the year by KQED News.

In 2023 ADweek named oliaee podcast producer of the year.

After studying music and cinema at USC, Oliaee received her graduate degree in psychology. She worked as a teacher, a translator, and in comedy television, including on the Golden Globe-winning Brooklyn Nine-Nine.