Meet the Team - Blazing Hospitality

Meet the Team

The people behind every site we acquire, entitle, build and hold.

Smit Shah

Founder & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Smit Shah

Founder & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Building a Legacy of Service and Community Impact

Smit Shah's journey to success is rooted in resilience, vision, and a deep commitment to serving others. Despite facing the challenges of modest beginnings, Smit built a thriving career through hard work, innovation, and an unwavering dedication to ethical values. From a young age, he cultivated discipline and creativity that now drives Blazing Hospitality to success and inspire those around him. The future is bright for Blazing Hospitality and the communities it serves under Smit's strong leadership and commitment to giving back.

As Founder and President of Blazing Hospitality, Smit has helped lead the company to become one of the most innovative and rapidly expanding hospitality and retail development firms in Texas. His focus on cultivating a collaborative team environment and prioritizing the needs of communities has driven Blazing Hospitality's success across a range of developments, from retail centers to mixed-use properties.

Throughout his accomplished career, Smit has earned numerous accolades for both his business acumen and public service, including recognition from industry associations for his leadership and positive impact on the community. However, the accomplishment he cherishes most is his ongoing work mentoring young entrepreneurs, guiding them to reach their potential regardless of their background.

Smit's commitment to community service is reflected in his support for local initiatives focused on education and economic empowerment. Through Blazing Hospitality, he has sponsored scholarships, educational programs, and job training workshops to uplift underprivileged youth and strengthen communities. For Smit Shah, entrepreneurship is not just about building successful businesses—it's about making a lasting difference in the lives of others.

Prachee Patel

Co-Founder & Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Prachee Patel

Co-Founder & Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Powering Growth, Vision, and Balance at Blazing Hospitality

Prachee Patel is the CFO and co-founder of Blazing Hospitality, a fast-growing enterprise with a $200M+ commercial real estate portfolio and the expanding retail brand Liquorland. A strategic finance leader and visionary operator, she has built scalable ventures across hospitality and real estate, leading with a unique blend of fiscal discipline and people-first leadership. Prachee oversees all aspects of financial strategy, investment planning, and asset performance while driving innovation in customer experience and operational efficiency. A mother of two and a mentor to many, she champions women in business and fosters a culture of collaboration and growth among her 150+ employees. Under her leadership, Liquorland has become a model for modern retail, and Blazing Hospitality continues to scale across the southern U.S. Prachee is a rising voice in finance, hospitality, and entrepreneurship—proving that high-impact leadership can be both visionary and grounded.

Will Tolliver

Director of Development

Will Tolliver

Director of Development

Leading New Developments & Destination Projects Across Texas

Will Tolliver is the Director of Development at Blazing Hospitality, where he leads the firm's new developments across Texas — overseeing site selection, entitlements, and ground-up execution. He brings more than 15 years of retail development experience spanning Texas and 25+ states nationwide.

Previously, Will served as Managing Director of Retail Development at Leon Capital Group, where he was the firm's first employee in 2010. Over the following decade, he helped build and lead its retail platform, delivering more than 270 retail projects with an asset value north of $1 billion.

Throughout his career, Will has developed assets for many of the country's most recognized retail and restaurant brands — including Whole Foods, Kroger, H-E-B, Chick-fil-A, Raising Cane's, 7-Eleven, and McDonald's — among many others.

Will resides in the Lakewood neighborhood of Dallas with his wife and two sons. Outside of work, he enjoys watching sports, playing golf, and cooking for friends and family.

Shams Merchant

Director, Investor Relations

Shams Merchant

Director, Investor Relations

Five Decades Building Retail & Grocery Across DFW

Jeff Knutson brings more than 50 years of commercial construction experience to Blazing Hospitality, including 21 years in executive leadership over large-scale grocery and retail development. For the past 22 years, Jeff led Precise Commercial Builders as President and Owner, delivering more than 100 completed commercial projects across North Texas — spanning ground-up retail, grocery-anchored developments, hospitality, and tenant finish-outs throughout DFW.

His portfolio includes work with premier grocery anchors such as Tom Thumb, H-E-B, Kroger, Whole Foods, Albertson's, Winn-Dixie, Minyard, and Schnuck's. Known for direct, daily executive involvement, tight scope control, and detailed estimating, Jeff applies practical, ROI- driven value engineering to every project he oversees.

As Director of Construction, Jeff stays hands-on from preconstruction through completion, ensuring Blazing Hospitality's developments are delivered on time, on budget, and built to last.

Jeff Knutson

Director of Construction

Jeff Knutson

Director of Construction

Five Decades Building Retail & Grocery Across DFW

Jeff Knutson brings more than 50 years of commercial construction experience to Blazing Hospitality, including 21 years in executive leadership over large-scale grocery and retail development. For the past 22 years, Jeff led Precise Commercial Builders as President and Owner, delivering more than 100 completed commercial projects across North Texas — spanning ground-up retail, grocery-anchored developments, hospitality, and tenant finish-outs throughout DFW.

His portfolio includes work with premier grocery anchors such as Tom Thumb, H-E-B, Kroger, Whole Foods, Albertson's, Winn-Dixie, Minyard, and Schnuck's. Known for direct, daily executive involvement, tight scope control, and detailed estimating, Jeff applies practical, ROI- driven value engineering to every project he oversees.

As Director of Construction, Jeff stays hands-on from preconstruction through completion, ensuring Blazing Hospitality's developments are delivered on time, on budget, and built to last.

Brian Boro

Project Manager

Brian Boro

Project Manager

Dan Samarawickrama

Controller

Dan Samarawickrama

Controller

Omar Otero

Property Manager

Omar Otero

Property Manager