Zahra Al-Harazi
- Award-Winning Entrepreneur
- Purpose-Driven Leadership Expert
- Bestselling Author, 'What it Takes'
Travels From
Canada
Zahra Al-Harazi Speaker Biography
Zahra Al-Harazi is among Canada’s most successful entrepreneur and leadership expert known for her exceptional keynote addresses that have motivated and inspired the world’s largest organizations. She embodies her message of growth and resilience through the power of purposeful leadership and developing a winning attitude in both business and life.
A survivor of two civil wars, and both a refugee and an immigrant, Zahra landed in Canada with her three children with no education or connections. Her entrepreneurial spirit quickly led her to start her own company, Foundry Communications, which, within a few years, went on to become an internationally recognized design agency.
Since then, she has been honoured with accolades including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, One of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women by WXN, RBC’s Top 25 Immigrants to Canada, and Canada’s Top 40 under 40. Zahra has served as a former UNICEF Ambassador, and delivered her first Ted Talk in 2017. She also became a HarperCollins Best Selling Author in 2020 with her book, What It Takes.
Currently, she is building her third company, Skillit, an online skill-sharing marketplace. Zahra also serves as a consultant, working with Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, entrepreneurs and professional organizations. Zahra has overcome decades of cultural and societal challenges to become a successful entrepreneur who found her own voice. Having spoken to audiences of thousands in over twenty countries, she is continuing to build and inspire. She currently sits on the Opportunity Village board and the Greater Good council.
The Power of Purpose: Organizational Values that Thrive
Your brand is a reflection of your organization’s culture, which is determined by your daily habits, values and guiding purpose.
In this presentation, ZAHRA AL-HARAZI draws on powerful stories from extraordinary leaders who have learned to build, shape and unlock their purpose. She proves that the key to building a great company lies in how well you enable learning and connection. She shows you how to reverse engineer your purpose into your organizational reason for being and thrive in a world that is constantly changing. She explores how to create compelling brand propositions, as well as how to lead and motivate your team to bring out their powerful talent within.
What It Takes: A Story of Purpose, Strength, and Laughter
Today, ZAHRA AL-HARAZI is a successful entrepreneur, a consultant to some of the world's biggest companies, and a sought-after international speaker. Her voice is clear and confident – but this was not always the case. Zahra was raised in a country where women didn’t have a voice. Growing up, her goal was to stand out as little as possible. In 1996, she found herself in Canada as a refugee, with no understanding of the culture or business world, and no higher education. She had little confidence in what she had to say. Through perseverance, she managed to find her voice. In this inspiring presentation, Zahra shares her journey of how she channeled frustration into courage, the mistakes she’s glad she made, the milestones that propelled her, and how a compelling voice can help anyone get what they want most in life.
Dreamer to Leader: Building Powerful & Purposeful Leadership
To build the life we’re meant to live takes more than ability or luck — it takes the right mindset. Today, it’s more important than ever to be a learner, adapt and teach yourself new skills. This insight formed the basis of ZAHRA AL-HARAZI’s latest entrepreneurial journey - Skillit - an online skill-sharing marketplace that makes learning new skills fun at any age. In this keynote, Zahra outlines key insights from the new science of motivation and learning to guide audiences through a journey of building resilience and grit, and why adopting a growth mindset is the key to success in today’s fast-paced world. Using evidence from large-scale behavioral experiments, and new findings from science and the business world, Zahra guides audiences through a journey of resilience, an enlivened attitude, and an openness to adapting for success.
