Sahar Hashemi started her career as a solicitor and went on to build Coffee Republic, the coffee bar chain, and later Skinny Candy, the guilt-free confectionery brand. She has written a bestselling book on entrepreneurship called Anyone Can Do It.

Sahar experienced first hand the enormous benefit of bereavement counselling after the death of her beloved mother in 2008, and it was her counsellor who introduced her to the much-needed work of Child Bereavement UK.