Ukraine-born Maria Kalita followed her dream of sharing her knowledge of Tibetan medicine by creating Bangkok Soap Opera, her own natural beauty care brand in Thailand. Offering products that range from natural soaps to perfumes, every item is produce following strict sustainability rules, including the use of 100 per cent local ingredients, no artificial colourants and no unnecessary packaging. Kalita has significantly expanded her production by producing more than 200 kgs of soap made from waste oil, which she then donates to seven charities around Thailand. With three outlets in Bangkok and two overseas in Kuala Lumpur and Delhi, she also ships her products to Hong Kong, Belgium and Poland. Kalita describes herself as a big dreamer who was stubborn enough to follow her own path and believes that if you’re passionate enough, you can change the world.