Sahar Hashemi OBE

Sahar Hashemi, founded Coffee Republic, the UK’s first US style coffee bar chain with her brother and built it into one of the UK’s most recognised high street brands, and one of the first players in the ‘coffee revolution’ that transformed the UK high street. It grew into one of the UK’s most recognised high street brands with 110 bars and a turnover of £30m.

Sahar left the day to day management of Coffee Republic in 2001 and published a bestselling book called Anyone Can Do It- building Coffee Republic from our kitchen table, which has been translated into 6 languages and is 2nd highest selling book on entrepreneurship on Amazon after Richard Branson’s book.

Four years later she set up Skinny Candy, a brand of sugar-free sweets, which was then sold to Glisten PLC in 2007.

Her next book Switched On, was released in 2010 and focused on eight habits that foster a more entrepreneurial mindset for employees. It is based on her experience of the transformation in culture when a small entrepreneurial company becomes prominent and successful when the obvious and easy entrepreneurial habits are often forgotten as bureaucracy take over.

In her speeches Sahar outlines the habits that are the basis of Startup Forever which encourage entrepreneurial behaviour in organisations of all types and sizes. These habits will make companies nimbler, more creative, more customer-centric more resilient and better places to work. She ignites the audience with a ‘can do’ spirit and the tools and habits to ‘make it happen’

Speaking Topics

• Igniting Creativity and innovation
• Entrepreneurial Leadership – Encouraging entrepreneurial behaviour in a corporate environment
• Customer Service – Stepping Into the Customer’s Shoes
• Persistence and Resilience
• Embracing Change – Working Outside your Comfort Zone

Sahar inspires international business audiences with her unique story. To book her as a Business Speaker, After-dinner Speaker or Motivational Speaker, contact a Prime Performers Booking Agent via the online booking enquiry form or alternatively call 020 3500 3331 for further information.