240 Tareq Hadhad - The Founder & CEO of Peace by Chocolate - Perseverance Through Adversity

Tareq Hadhad was a Syrian refugee and now living his new life with his entrepreneurial family on Canada’s east coast. He is the founder and CEO of Peace by Chocolate, the recipient of the Ernst Young (EY) Atlantic Entrepreneur of The Year 2021, named one of the Top 25 Immigrants in The Maritimes, selected by Google as the National Hero Case, and was awarded RBC’s top Immigrant Award and Entrepreneur of the Year in 2020. 

Since Tareq’s arrival on Canada’s East Coast in 2015 as a Syrian – Canadian newcomer, he has been invited to speak to countless audiences across Canada and internationally. He has had the privilege to meet former President of the United States, Barack Obama, Canadian Prime Ministers, and had conversations with many World Leaders.

Discover more about Tareq's business at   https://bit.ly/3Q1Rtuv

Tareq's speaker website: https://bit.ly/3Nn4RYH

Tareq shared insight into his family's chocolate business in Damascus, Syria which was the second-largest in Syria prior to the bombing during the Pre-Syrian War. Not only did they sell some of the world's finest chocolates in Syria, but throughout the Middle East and in Europe. Issam is Tareq's father and he has over 30 years of experience as a chocolatier expert, extraordinaire, he states "Chocolate makes people happy."

Tareq shares an empowering backstory about the day of the bombing and how it shattered his dream of being a physician, and his family's business being sidelined by the death and devastation of the bombing, it is very compelling and yet, ties into how to persevere through adversity, it resulted in his family becoming refugees in Lebanon.

Tareq made his way to Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and over time, three years to be exact, his parents and siblings were able to immigrate to Canada. He has an amazing family and they are in an amazing community with heart-centered leaders and citizens.

One of the most powerful statements Tareq shared was about immigrating to Canada and making a difference, not to take anyone else's job but rather building a business, and hiring employees of who they are doing while sharing their gift of chocolate with Canada and the rest of the world.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shared Tareq and his family story with people at the United Nations and President Barack Obama was in attendance and Tareq met him and other world leaders. 

When it comes to the Ukrainian War, Tareq knows what the people are experiencing because he experienced it in the Pre-Syrian War which led to his refugee experienced and ultimately immigrant experience. Today Tareq and his family are citizens of Canada and are contributing to their society, culture, and community through entrepreneurship. hiring employees and sharing their gift of some of the world's best chocolate.

Not only does Tareq have an amazing book, Peace by Chocolate, but also a movie Peace by Chocolate. I highly recommend you purchase the book and view the movie which is being screed at Cineplex theaters in Canada, and in the U.S. 

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