Zahra Al-Harazi’s life is the picture of resilience and ambition. By the time she was 25, she had given birth to her third child, after being married at 17 in her native country of Yemen. In 1996 they immigrated to Canada to provide a better life for their children, where she was forced to start from scratch. After earning a degree in Visual Communications from the Alberta College of Art and Design, Zahra’s life became an exciting series of achievements. Now two-thirds owner and creative director of internationally award-winning design studio Foundry Communications, Zahra demonstrates her passion by getting involved in The Entrepreneurs Organization, Immigrant Services Calgary, Design-a-thon, L’Arche, and Alberta Women Entrepreneurs. It’s not surprising that she was selected as a Top 40 under 40 or that Business in Calgary has dubbed her “Leader of Tomorrow”. She has also been named a finalist for 2011’s Canadian Woman of the Year by Chatelaine Magazine. Join Zahra as she discusses her inspiring story and her rise to professional and personal success in the face of many challenges.
Highlights
- Find your voice and learn when and when not to use it.
- Hardest Expectations are the ones we make, learn to change them.
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
- Find what works for you and redefine success.
- Things will work out in end. If they haven’t worked out yet then you are not at the end.
- Happiness is something we all can make.
- Asking questions is what makes you smarter.
BIO
Zahra Al-Harazi will not take no for an answer. It is how she is built and is why her success as the award-winning head of Foundry Communications does not surprise anyone.
Zahra grew up in Yemen and until 1996, taught ESL at the Yemen American Language Institute. Knowing no one, she immigrated to Canada with her family nearly 15 years ago. However, her degree was not recognized in Canada, so she went back to school and earned a second degree in Visual Communication from the Alberta College of Art and Design, graduating with accolades and three proud kids at her side.
Best described as a dizzying blur of advancement and achievement, Zahra’s career has been anything but mundane. A pile of awards for local design shop SasgesWright. Head of Design at powerhouse agency Trigger Communications and currently Creative Director and two-thirds owner of hot-shop Foundry Communications.
Zahra is quickly earning buzz for her ability to build amazing brands. She continues to rake in some of the best designers across Canada. High profile clients such as Cenovus, Travel Alberta, Encana, Avi Urban, Celtic, and Golder Associates count themselves among Foundry’s clients.
Foundry is Ad Rodeo and Oilweek’s 2011 Best of Show winner and recognized as one of Canada’s Top 10 up and coming entrepreneurial companies in Profit W100 magazine (2009). Foundry has achieved international acclaim from: Hermes International Awards, HOW International, ARC International, LACP International Awards, and the Marcom Awards to name a few.
Outside of her role as Creative Director, she credits her pro-bono work for Immigrant Services Calgary and Design-A-Thon (an annual 24 hour race to create as much pro-bono work as possible for a number of charities), to keep her grounded.
Zahra also sits on the board of directors for Entrepreneurs Organization, and former member of the Board of Directors for Immigrant Services Calgary, Ad Rodeo Association and Alberta Women Entrepreneurs.
