Sahar Hashemi Biography

Former attorney Sahar Hashemi and her brother launched Coffee Republic, the first chain of US-style coffee bars in the UK. They turned it into one of the country's most recognizable high street businesses with a £30 million annual revenue. With the "coffee revolution" that changed the UK high street, she made the Coffee Republic one of the early participants. Sahar is a well-known speaker who blends her inspiring experience with important ideas like entrepreneurial leadership, innovation, customer service, change management, and employee engagement to create inspiring and motivational talks. After stepping down from daily oversight of Coffee Republic in 2001, Sahar wrote the number-two best-selling book on entrepreneurship on Amazon, Anyone Can Do It: Building Coffee Republic from Our Kitchen Table, which has been translated into six languages. Richard Branson's book is number one in the category. Sahar Hashemi founded the famous brand of guilt-free candy Skinny Candy in 2005. In 2007, she sold the company to the confectionary behemoth Glisten plc. Her second book, "Switched On: 10 Habits to Becoming Extremely Successful in Your Work, and Loving It," which was released in 2010, focuses on encouraging employees of giant corporations to adopt an entrepreneurial attitude. According to Sahar, the future is all about being entrepreneurial in the context of employees. You must bring your entire personality to work, not simply your "professional" version. Go out of your comfort zone, unleash your natural creativity, and stop thinking about things the way we've always done them—fear not failure but complacency. Sahar Hashemi was named one of the Top 10 Original Thinkers in 2011 by Director magazine, joining names like Jonathan Ives, vice-president of design at Apple, who created the iPod, and Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web. Her belief that "Entrepreneurially inclined talent shouldn't have to quit huge businesses to attain fulfillment" was commended. Bootstrapping, prototyping, and celebrating failure are examples of entrepreneurial behaviors that may help transform stodgy organizations into innovative workplaces. They can also convert robots into cherished, motivated workers. She was invited in 2011 to participate in the Entrepreneurs Forum, which UK Business Minister Vince Cable established to guide the government on entrepreneurship and business issues. For "services to the UK economy and to charity," Sahar received an OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list in June 2012. Her Majesty The Queen recognized Sahar as a "Pioneer to the Life of the Nation," The World Economic Forum in Davos recognized her as a "Young Global Leader." She was also included in the Daily Mail's list of Britain's 100 most powerful women. As one of the "Maserati 100," a "definitive list of 100 of Britain's most successful philanthropists, investors, mentors and advisers... who generously give back to the next generation of entrepreneurs," she was chosen in 2016 for the list. She participates in the E on Customer Council, which acts as the customer's voice at the board level. She engages the audience emotionally by sharing her incredibly personal path, which brings to life the drive, perseverance, and open-mindedness required to achieve. She describes the behaviors that form the basis of Switched On and inspires the audience with a "can do" attitude and the routines and tools necessary to "make it happen."

As a renowned expert and highly sought-after speaker, Sahar Hashemi's expertise is in high demand. To book Sahar Hashemi for your next event, conference, or workshop, please contact our speaker booking agency. Our experienced team will work closely with you to understand your specific needs and help secure Sahar Hashemi's participation. With our professional guidance and seamless booking process, you can ensure a memorable and impactful experience for your audience. Don't miss the opportunity to engage your audience with Sahar Hashemi's compelling insights and inspire positive change within your organization. Fill out the booking request form to take the first step in securing Sahar Hashemi for your next speaking engagement.