Bio

Tareq is the founder and CEO of Peace by Chocolate. He is a Syrian-Canadian entrepreneur and a public keynote speaker, the recipient of Start Up Canada’s National Newcomer Entrepreneur Award, named one of the Top 25 Immigrants in The Maritimes and selected by Google as the National Hero Case for 2018, and won EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Atlantic award 2021. He was awarded RBC’s top Immigrant Award and Entrepreneur of the Year in 2020 and Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Medal. His business won the Business of Diversity Champion Award and Emerging Business Award. All this has happened since Tareq’s arrival on Canada’s East Coast in December 2015 after losing the family chocolate-making business in Damascus in 2012 to the war. A former medical student at Damascus University and a long-time peacekeeping advocate, Tareq joined medical relief efforts after arriving in Lebanon and then he was welcomed to Canada on a community-based sponsorship. In January 2020, Tareq received his official Canadian Citizenship which garnered international attention. Passionate about peace and entrepreneurship, he and his family relaunched the family business to recreate the chocolates and their story turned into an international inspirational phenomenon. Tareq has a focus on job creation, utilizing a network of local community members and refugees from across Nova Scotia and Canada to help support the local economy. In September 2016, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau detailed the family’s success story in a global speech and gifted it to the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi. He has had the privilege to meet former President of the United States, Barack Obama, Author, Jon Tattrie wrote a book about the Hadhad’s story which has become a best seller. A feature film, Peace by Chocolate, also based on the family’s story premiered and launched in Cineplex theaters across Canada in the spring of 2022. The film won several film festivals awards and accolades. Tareq has spoken at the Summit of The Americas, Amnesty International’s Human Rights Conference, TEDx events, and Chambers of Commerce Dinners. He delivered keynote presentations in Jamaica, London England, Paris, and Copenhagen, and has done over 500 interviews with different news teams across the globe. Tareq speaks on the compelling story of his family, the positive impact of newcomers, and the spirit of resiliency, entrepreneurship, and giving back. Tareq's website: www.tareqhadhad.com News articles: https://peacebychocolate.ca/blogs/news For bookings, please email stephanie@voxagency.ca