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Tareq Hadhad (born Tareq Hadhad; October 21, 1992) is a Syrian-Canadian Entrepreneur, international public speaker, and philanthropist, living in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. Hadhad is known for his confectionary business Peace by Chocolate, of which he is the Founder and CEO, and for his public speaking engagements which are referred to as Peacefully Speaking. His speaking engagements are organized through Vox Management Agency.

Life before Canada and Education
Hadhad and his family had to leave Syria during the country’s civil war. Prior to this, Hadhad’s father, Essam Hadhad, made chocolate in Damascus, Syria for over 20 years. Their facilities in Syria were bombed, and Tareq and his family left their home and lived as refugees in Lebanon for three years until arriving in Canada in 2016. Previous to leaving Syria, Tareq had completed four years of Medical School with the intention of becoming a Doctor. With two years left in his schooling, it was no longer safe to attend school in Syria. While living in Lebanon, Hadhad provided medical services to those in need. After arriving in Canada, he started his Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish. After immigrating to Nova Scotia in 2016, Hadhad reopened the family’s chocolatier business. They are now working in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and employing newcomers to Canada and residents of the community.

Prime Minister Trudeau supports Peace by Chocolate
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shared the story of Peace by Chocolate and the Hadhad family in 2016 to a forum of world leaders, diplomats and dignitaries at the UN Refugee Summit in 2016. In June of 2019, Trudeau gifted U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi with Peace by Chocolate, stating, “Peace by Chocolate is something Canada is very proud of”, to which she replied, “Peace by Chocolate, sounds like an International Agreement."

Citizenship
On January 15, 2020, Hadhad participated in a citizenship ceremony at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax. Hadhad received a 100% score on his Canadian citizenship test.

Public Speaking
Hadhad gave his first speech in February of 2016 after being asked to speak at a community breakfast. He spoke about his experience in Syria and Lebanon, as well as his fresh start in Canada. He spoke for an hour and 15 minutes. He has now attended over 350 speaking engagements across Canada sharing the story of his family and Peace by Chocolate. Hadhad's speaking engagement topics are "Resiliency through Adversity: Perseverance from Pre-War Syria to the United Nation", "One Peace Won't Hurt: Building a cause through Entrepreneurship and Community", and "Peace is Beautiful in Every Language: How Offering Kindness is the Key to Accelerating the Integration of New Immigrants".

Awards & Accomplishments

 * September 2018
 * Google National Hero Case - Google Canada
 * October 2017
 * Start Up Canada’s National Newcomer Entrepreneur Award - Start Up Canada
 * November 2016
 * NS Good News Award
 * June 2020
 * Top 25 Immigrants to the Maritimes