About Me

Hi there! I am an award-winning social entrepreneur, coach, dancer, world traveler and surfer. I rely on each of these skills in Surf Life Executive Coaching to help clients make connections and transitions, and find personal empowerment in their lives and businesses.
For my coaching practice, I tap into my entrepreneurial and leadership expertise, which I honed over many years as the Founder of a non-profit, C.E.O. Women. I started this venture with just $1,000 and with a lot of persistence and determination, my team and I eventually grew it to an annual budget of almost one million dollars, helping over 2,000 aspiring low-income immigrant women entrepreneurs take leaps in business and in life. Some of my most favorite businesses my team and I had the pleasure of helping launch are Eji’s, La Luna Cupcakes, and Bravo Kids!
My work and successes with clients reflect my passion for helping people make purposeful transitions in their lives. Indeed, I have myself transitioned to do and be many things. This includes being a member of the U.S. National Karate team in my youth, to creating Brown Girl Surf, an organization dedicated to fostering a diverse, alternative women’s surf community in the San Francisco Bay Area and around the world.
I graduated from Tufts University with a B.A. in Economics and Philosophy. I am a certified, Co-Active Coach® from the Co-Active Training Institute, a certified NeuroTransformation Coach from BeAbove Leadership, and a leadership coach with both Compasspoint Nonprofit Services, and The Rockwood Leadership Institute. I am a participant of BeAbove Leadership's Neuroscience Intensive, an international study group for certified coaches wishing to advance in their study of neuroscience and its application to coaching. I'm a member of the William J. Worthen Foundation Collaborative, a curated network of specialty consultants and industry-wide experts working in the fields of architecture and design. I also serve as an Advisor with SFMade, providing coaching, support and guidance to leaders of San Francisco's vibrant manufacturing sector of locally made products. I’m proud to have served my country as an Americorps/VISTA volunteer and to have served on several boards of non-profits. I’ve received many awards for all the work I did for C.E.O. Women, and am eager to share my experience and knowledge with you.
I have traveled to over 50 countries. I love to dance, and am trained in the North Indian classical and Tahitian Ori traditions. I reside in Northern California and enjoy surfing all types of waves on California’s Northern and Central coasts.
In life, like in surfing, I manage the ebbs and flows, and fear of the unknown. I figured out how to combine this skill with my 20 years of practical entrepreneurship and leadership experience, and have infused it within Surf Life Executive Coaching's offerings. In Surf Life I harness my love of travel and movement, as well as my values of independence, freedom and connection. These ideals have informed my own life-long commitment to fostering social change and to coaching individuals and teams to lead with purpose, choice and impact in service to their values, the well-being of humanity and our planet.
If you'd like to learn more about me and other aspects of my work, I invite you to visit my personal website: www.farhanahuq.com.
If you are interested in having me come speak to your business, organization or group, please visit my speakers page here.
For my coaching practice, I tap into my entrepreneurial and leadership expertise, which I honed over many years as the Founder of a non-profit, C.E.O. Women. I started this venture with just $1,000 and with a lot of persistence and determination, my team and I eventually grew it to an annual budget of almost one million dollars, helping over 2,000 aspiring low-income immigrant women entrepreneurs take leaps in business and in life. Some of my most favorite businesses my team and I had the pleasure of helping launch are Eji’s, La Luna Cupcakes, and Bravo Kids!
My work and successes with clients reflect my passion for helping people make purposeful transitions in their lives. Indeed, I have myself transitioned to do and be many things. This includes being a member of the U.S. National Karate team in my youth, to creating Brown Girl Surf, an organization dedicated to fostering a diverse, alternative women’s surf community in the San Francisco Bay Area and around the world.
I graduated from Tufts University with a B.A. in Economics and Philosophy. I am a certified, Co-Active Coach® from the Co-Active Training Institute, a certified NeuroTransformation Coach from BeAbove Leadership, and a leadership coach with both Compasspoint Nonprofit Services, and The Rockwood Leadership Institute. I am a participant of BeAbove Leadership's Neuroscience Intensive, an international study group for certified coaches wishing to advance in their study of neuroscience and its application to coaching. I'm a member of the William J. Worthen Foundation Collaborative, a curated network of specialty consultants and industry-wide experts working in the fields of architecture and design. I also serve as an Advisor with SFMade, providing coaching, support and guidance to leaders of San Francisco's vibrant manufacturing sector of locally made products. I’m proud to have served my country as an Americorps/VISTA volunteer and to have served on several boards of non-profits. I’ve received many awards for all the work I did for C.E.O. Women, and am eager to share my experience and knowledge with you.
I have traveled to over 50 countries. I love to dance, and am trained in the North Indian classical and Tahitian Ori traditions. I reside in Northern California and enjoy surfing all types of waves on California’s Northern and Central coasts.
In life, like in surfing, I manage the ebbs and flows, and fear of the unknown. I figured out how to combine this skill with my 20 years of practical entrepreneurship and leadership experience, and have infused it within Surf Life Executive Coaching's offerings. In Surf Life I harness my love of travel and movement, as well as my values of independence, freedom and connection. These ideals have informed my own life-long commitment to fostering social change and to coaching individuals and teams to lead with purpose, choice and impact in service to their values, the well-being of humanity and our planet.
If you'd like to learn more about me and other aspects of my work, I invite you to visit my personal website: www.farhanahuq.com.
If you are interested in having me come speak to your business, organization or group, please visit my speakers page here.
Awards:
- Ashoka Fellowship
- Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year National Finalist (Supporter of Entrepreneurship Category)
- SBA Women in Business Champion Award
- East Bay Business Times 40 Under 40
- Jefferson Leadership Award
- Stevie Awards Finalist
- South Asian Bar Association Community Impact Award
- KQED Women’s History Month Local Hero Award
- Indian American Women Empowered Outstanding Young Leader Award
- City of Oakland Women of Greatness Award