Cafe entrepreneur conferred with honorary award

ONE of the world’s leading entrepreneurs has joined a list of prestigious people conferred with an honorary fellowship at Waterford Institute of Technology.

Sahar Hashemi, a co-founder of Coffee Republic and one of Britain’s most successful and prominent young entrepreneurs, has been conferred with the honour.

Addressing postgraduate students from the School of Business and members of the business community in a leadership forum prior to her conferring, Ms Hashemi said it was apparent during an earlier career as a lawyer that her strengths of optimism and enthusiasm were not wanted. Rather, she had to leave part of herself at home each morning.

“I realised that you should do something that closely aligns your personality and work,” said the co-author of Anyone Can Do It — Building Coffee Republic From Our Kitchen Table.

“Too many people are required not to be all of themselves when they are at work. I’ve always asked ‘why can’t work be fun?’ and define success as a weekday morning when you’re getting up early for work and don’t really mind because you love what you do.”

Having been conferred with her honorary fellowship by Waterford Institute of Technology governing body deputy chairman Cllr Jack Walsh and Waterford Institute of Technology director Prof Kieran Byrne, Ms Hashemi said she had no doubt pride and passion will see the university of the south east created.