Sahar Hashemi is a British entrepreneur, author and keynote speaker whose career combines law, retail, publishing and social enterprise. She became widely known after co-founding Coffee Republic with her brother, Bobby Hashemi, and helping introduce the American-style coffee-bar experience to Britain.
Her story began with a simple idea, limited experience and the courage to act. From a first coffee shop in London, she helped create a high-street brand, wrote a bestselling business book and later launched a national movement supporting women-founded brands.
Today, she is best known as the founder of Buy Women Built. She also serves as a director of the ScaleUp Institute and remains active as a speaker on creativity, customer focus, innovation and entrepreneurial behaviour. Her life motto, “Leap and the net will appear”, reflects the bold decisions that shaped her career.
Who Is Sahar Hashemi?
Sahar Hashemi is a British-Iranian entrepreneur who was born in Tehran in June 1967. Companies House records her nationality as British and her country of residence as England. In September 2026, this makes her 59 years old.
Sahar Hashemi received an OBE in the 2012 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to the UK economy and charity. She was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and has held board positions in business and social enterprise.
Family Roots and Education
Sahar Hashemi grew up in a family that valued education and professional achievement. She studied at the City of London School for Girls before earning an LLB in Law from the University of Bristol.
Her brother Bobby worked in investment banking, while Sahar trained in law. Their different skills became important to Coffee Republic: she brought brand thinking and customer understanding, while Bobby contributed financial experience.
From Solicitor to Entrepreneur
Before entering business, Hashemi worked as a solicitor at Frere Cholmeley in London from 1989 to 1994. She spent five years in the profession but later explained that law did not match her natural interests or ambitions.
Her direction changed after a visit to New York. She noticed the relaxed American coffee-bar culture and became interested in the gap between that experience and the choices available in Britain. At that time, takeaway coffee, skinny lattes and informal coffee shops were not part of everyday British high-street life.
How Sahar Hashemi Built Coffee Republic
The Idea Began in New York
The Coffee Republic idea grew from a conversation with Bobby. Hashemi had enjoyed American-style coffee and believed British customers would welcome it. She returned to London and studied possible locations.
The siblings built their plan from their mother’s kitchen table. With no experience of running a national food chain, they learned finance, staffing, property, branding and customer service as the business developed. Their early progress came from persistence rather than perfect preparation.
The first Coffee Republic store opened on South Molton Street in London in 1995. The company later raised money through the Alternative Investment Market and moved to the main London Stock Exchange in 2000. This gave the business access to capital for expansion.
Growing from One Shop to a National Brand
Coffee Republic did not become successful overnight. The company had to teach customers about new coffee names and a different way of buying drinks. Hashemi focused on marketing, feedback and close attention to each shop.
Within five years, the chain had grown from one outlet to more than 100 stores. Business sources give a peak of 110 shops and annual turnover of about £30 million. The company employed hundreds of people and helped change Britain’s coffee culture.
Leaving Coffee Republic
Companies House records show that Sahar Hashemi served as a director of Coffee Republic (UK) Limited from March 1995 until April 2001. She also served as a director of Coffee Republic plc from October 1997 until April 2001. Her formal company roles ended as she moved towards writing and new ventures.
Coffee Republic later entered administration in 2009, years after Hashemi had left. She remains proud of its growth while recognising that expansion can weaken company culture.
Anyone Can Do It: Building Coffee Republic
A Book Based on Real Business Experience
After leaving the coffee chain, Sahar Hashemi co-wrote Anyone Can Do It: Building Coffee Republic from Our Kitchen Table – 57 Real-Life Laws on Entrepreneurship with Bobby Hashemi. The first edition was published by Wiley and Capstone in 2003 and contains approximately 224 pages.
The book follows the siblings from their first idea to planning, fundraising, opening the first shop and building a brand. It also explores doubt, risk and perseverance.
Its message is direct: successful entrepreneurs are not a special type of person. People develop confidence by taking action, learning from mistakes and solving real customer problems. This approach helped the book connect with new founders and people considering a career change.
The World Economic Forum describes the book as a bestseller translated into six languages and the second highest-selling UK entrepreneurship book after Richard Branson’s books. Hashemi has also said it led to her work with The Prince’s Trust.
Skinny Candy and Further Business Ventures
Creating a Sugar-Free Confectionery Brand
In 2005, Sahar Hashemi founded Skinny Candy, a confectionery company based on sugar-free sweets and chocolates. The brand reached prominent retailers, including Harvey Nichols, Selfridges and Waitrose, and responded to demand for lighter treats.
Companies House records show that Hashemi became a director of Skinny Candy Limited in September 2007. The company is now dissolved. Business biographies state that the brand was sold to Glisten plc in 2007, giving Hashemi another experience of creating, developing and transferring ownership of a consumer business.
Buy Women Built and Her Current Work
A Movement Built on Everyday Spending
Buy Women Built began with a simple idea: people may not be able to invest in or mentor a female founder, but they can buy from a business built by a woman. Hashemi developed the movement after seeing a message during the 2020 lockdown that highlighted the power of consumer choice.
She worked with Barny Macaulay to turn that idea into a business movement. It began with a small WhatsApp group and grew into a community of more than 2,000 women-founded consumer brands. It uses retail partnerships and a recognised mark to help customers identify those businesses.
Buy Women Built has worked with major retailers and helped create a dedicated women-built aisle at Ocado. Its central belief is that regular purchases, loyalty and word-of-mouth support can help businesses grow.
Companies House records show that Hashemi became an active director of Buy Women Built Limited in December 2021. The company remains active, and she continues to serve as its founder and leading public voice.
Supporting Scale-Up Culture
Sahar Hashemi is also an active director of the ScaleUp Institute, a role she began in December 2018. Earlier, she co-chaired the UK Government’s Scale Up Taskforce, which examined the barriers faced by growing small and medium-sized businesses.
Her advice is shaped by experience. She believes companies should listen to customers, remain curious and avoid allowing procedures to replace good judgement. She encourages leaders to test ideas and improve customer experience.
She has held advisory roles with Change Please, a social enterprise that trains people facing homelessness to work as baristas. She also served on the board connected with The Hundred cricket competition and advised Curaden Global.
Sahar Hashemi’s Age, Husband and Family Life
Sahar Hashemi was born in June 1967 and turned 59 in June 2026. Her date of birth is recorded in official Companies House filings, making this the most reliable age reference.
Sahar Hashemi Husband and Children
Sahar Hashemi is married and has children. In a SheerLuxe interview, she said that she did not marry until she was 41 because she had not met the right person earlier. In later professional conversations, she has referred to her husband and family.
Her husband’s name and career have not been consistently published by dependable sources. A responsible biography should therefore state that she is married without adding an unverified name. She keeps her family life separate from her business work.
Companies House Appointments
The official company record shows nine appointments, including director and secretary roles. Her active appointments are Buy Women Built Limited, ScaleUp Institute and Anyone Can Do It Ltd.
Her former appointments include Coffee Republic (UK) Limited, Coffee Republic plc, Skinny Candy Limited and Malachite Advisors Limited. She also held secretary positions at both Coffee Republic companies during the early development of the chain.
The Lasting Legacy of Sahar Hashemi
Sahar Hashemi’s wider contribution lies in showing that a person can move from a respected profession into an unfamiliar industry and build something influential through action. Through Buy Women Built, she applies those lessons to helping women-founded brands become visible, trusted and commercially strong.
From a London law office to a coffee shop kitchen table, Sahar Hashemi has built a career based on courage, curiosity and persistence. Her story encourages people to take the first step with confidence.
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