Sahar Hashemi

Sahar Hashemi attended City of London School for Girls, obtaining a corporation exhibition scholarship. She studied law at the University of Bristol. Upon graduation, Hashemi trained and qualified as a solicitor with Frere Cholmeley Bischoff's (a 200-year-old firm in Lincoln's Inn Fields that folded in 1998).{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/law-something-even-bigger-in-the-city-frere-cholmeley-and-bischoff-are-joining-forces-in-may-1473916.html |title=Law: Something even bigger in the City: Frere Cholmeley and Bischoff are joining forces in May – UK, News |newspaper=The Independent |date=19 February 1993 |access-date=24 January 2011 |location=London |first=Sharon |last=Wallach}}{{cite web | last=Lawyer | first=The | title=Freres:an offer it could not refuse – Legal News and Jobs – Advancing the business of law | website=The Lawyer | Legal News and Jobs | Advancing the business of law | date=5 December 1998 | url=https://www.thelawyer.com/issues/30-november-1998/freresan-offer-it-could-not-refuse/ | access-date=21 November 2017}}

{{Hatnote|See also: Coffee Republic}}

Alongside brother Bobby, Hashemi developed and co-founded Coffee Republic, the UK's first US-style coffee bar chain. The first site opened on South Molton Street in 1995. The group was listed on AIM in 1998 by reversing into Arion Properties. Coffee Republic switched from AIM to the full list in July 2000. The chain had opened 108 stores by 2001, when Hashemi left the firm to write Anyone Can Do It: Building Coffee Republic from Our Kitchen Table.

Published in 2019 by Troubador Publishing,{{Cite web |title=Start Up Forever – Troubador Book Publishing |url=https://www.troubador.co.uk/bookshop/business/start-up-forever/ |access-date=9 May 2022 |website=troubador.co.uk}} Start Up Forever (ISBN 978-1789016345) is the culmination of her work speaking to 400 organisations about the actionable, practical steps that can bring out anyone’s inner entrepreneur. It was named The Financial Times Best Business Book of the Month in March 2019.{{Cite news |last=Hill |first=Andrew |last2=Jacobs |first2=Emma |last3=Conboye |first3=Janina |date=6 March 2019 |title=FT business books of the month: March edition |work=Financial Times |url=https://www.ft.com/content/e42e1128-3a89-11e9-b72b-2c7f526ca5d0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/GFkhu |archive-date=24 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=9 May 2022}}

Published in 2003 by John Wiley & Sons,{{cite web|url=http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1841127655.html |title=Wiley::Anyone Can Do It: Building Coffee Republic from Our Kitchen Table 57 – Real Life Laws on Entrepreneurship |publisher=Eu.wiley.com |access-date=24 January 2011}} Anyone Can Do It ({{ISBN|978-1841127651}}) was written jointly by Sahar and Bobby Hashemi and describes the journey of turning Coffee Republic from an idea into a high street brand. The book is aimed at budding entrepreneurs. The authors seek to dispel the idea that entrepreneurs are inherently "special" people.{{citation needed|date= March 2022}}

The book has been translated into six languages.{{citation needed|date= March 2022}} It reached number 1 on the Amazon business chart and gathered endorsements from the DTI, The Princes Trust and Institute of Directors.{{citation needed|date= March 2022}}

In 2005, Hashemi launched confectionery brand Skinny Candy, producing low-fat sweets and chocolates. The range was distributed in Coffee Republic, Harvey Nichols,{{cite web |url=http://www.harveynichols.com/output/page444.asp |title=HN Edit – Latest Fashion News & Trends, Health & Beauty, Food |publisher=Harveynichols.com |access-date=24 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100123102831/http://www.harveynichols.com/output/page444.asp |archive-date=23 January 2010 }} Selfridges, Top Shop, Julian Graves and Waitrose. In 2007, Hashemi sold 50% of Skinny Candy to Glisten Plc.{{cite web|url=http://www.confectionerynews.com/The-Big-Picture/Glisten-moves-into-healthier-confectionery-market |title=Glisten moves into healthier confectionery market |publisher=Confectionerynews.com |access-date=24 January 2011}}

Hashemi is a supporter of The Princes Trust, donating a portion of royalties of Anyone Can Do It to the youth charity. She sits on the NSPCC Corporate Development Board and is a Patron of Child Bereavement UK.{{cite web|url=http://www.childbereavementuk.org/about/who-are-we/patrons/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150303165530/http://www.childbereavementuk.org/about/who-are-we/patrons|url-status=dead|archive-date=3 March 2015|title=Child Bereavement UK :: Patrons|access-date=7 August 2015}} She fronted a government campaign in 2004 for Skills for Business to encourage employers to develop staff skills.{{cite web|url=http://www.b2bm.biz/news/?groupId=13181&articleId=25826 |title=CAMPAIGN NEWS: The Government sexes up skills – B2B Marketing News |publisher=B2bm.biz |date=7 November 2004 |access-date=24 January 2011}}

She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2012 Birthday Honours for services to the UK economy and to charity.{{London Gazette|issue=60173|supp=y|page=10|date=16 June 2012}} She has been named on various power lists, including the Independent on Sunday.{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-20-most-powerful-women-in-britain-under-the-age-of-35-595867.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610091726/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-20-most-powerful-women-in-britain-under-the-age-of-35-595867.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 June 2008 |title=The 20 most powerful women in Britain under the age of 35 – Home News, UK |newspaper=The Independent |date=27 April 2003 |access-date=24 January 2011 |location=London}}

• World Economic Forum, Davos: Young Global Leader{{cite web|url=http://www.personallyspeakingbureau.com/speaker/sahar-hashemi/|title=Sahar Hashemi – Personally Speaking Bureau|access-date=7 August 2015}}
• Management Today: Top 35 Women in British business under 35{{cite web |url=http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/search/article/407219/leading-ladies-women-35/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120905093108/http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/search/article/407219/leading-ladies-women-35/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 September 2012 |title=Search leadership, business and management news and news analysis from MT and Management Today magazine |publisher=Managementtoday.co.uk |access-date=24 January 2011 }}
• Independent on Sunday: 20 most powerful women in Britain

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.saharhashemi.com/ Official website]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hashemi, Sahar}}

Category:Alumni of the University of Bristol

Category:British women in business

Category:British motivational speakers

Category:Businesspeople in coffee

Category:Living people

Category:National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children people

Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire

Category:People educated at the City of London School for Girls

Category:1967 births