Voices

Wayan Wardika

Wayan Wardika is a Balinese conservationist, regenerative farmer, and founder of Bring Back The Light — a community-led firefly conservation initiative rooted in the ancestral village of Taro, Bali. Bridging ecological restoration, indigenous knowledge, regenerative farming, and immersive eco-tourism, his work is dedicated to protecting one of nature’s most fragile luminous species while restoring deeper relationships between people, land, and culture.

What began as a personal calling evolved into a self-supported conservation movement through “The Firefly Journey,” an intimate experience hosted on his family farm where tourism directly funds firefly breeding, habitat restoration, local employment, and community education. Rather than waiting for outside intervention, Wayan transformed tourism itself into a living engine for regeneration.

Today, Bring Back The Light is emerging as a powerful model for community-based conservation — demonstrating how grassroots action rooted in culture, long-term stewardship, and collective care can help regenerate ecosystems and inspire a more sustainable future for Bali and beyond.

Ni Wayan Yeni Aspini

Ni Wayan Yeni Aspini is an entrepreneur and advocate for the future of farming in Bali. Growing up as a farmer’s daughter in Tabanan, she once believed agriculture was something to leave behind. Years later, working closely with farmers through her business, she realized that the people she came from were not being left behind by society — they were sustaining it. That realization inspired her life’s work.

Today, through Common Sense Trading, Traveller Espresso, the Common Sense Community Market, and Run for the Farmers, Yeni is building bridges between farmers, communities, and future generations. She is passionate about helping young people reconnect with the land, understand where their food comes from, and recognize the vital role farmers play in society.

Her vision is to create a learning center on her farm where people can experience agriculture firsthand and rediscover the wisdom that lives within it. Her mission is simple: to help bring the farming legacy back.

Made Janur Yasa

Plastic Exchange, founded by Made Janur Yasa in May 2020, is a Balinese social enterprise that enables villagers to trade collected plastic waste for rice and other essentials. Launched in Tabanan and now active in over 200 villages, the program addresses both plastic pollution and economic hardship caused by the tourism-dependent economy’s collapse.

The program has collected over 500 tons of plastic and fed thousands of families, earning Yasa a Top 10 CNN Hero nomination in 2021. It is grounded in the Balinese philosophy of Tri Hita Karana, emphasizing harmony between humans, nature, and the divine.

Swaady Martin

Swaady Martin is a former corporate executive and multi-award-winning entrepreneur. She founded YSWARA, Touché, Divine Indwelling, and LovingKindness Boma, and previously held executive leadership roles with General Electric across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa. An alumna of Harvard Divinity School, NYU Stern, LSE, HEC Paris, and HEC Lausanne, her work has been featured in Forbes and on Oprah’s O Power List for Africa.

Today, Swaady continues to build businesses and platforms that advance conscious leadership, peace-building, and human flourishing.

Sophie Digby

Sophie Digby is the Founder and Publisher of Yak Magazine — Bali’s leading lifestyle and culture publication, renowned for its creative storytelling and commitment to showcasing the island’s diversity and innovation.

With over two decades in media, branding, and communications, Sophie has been a key connector between Bali’s creative industries, tourism stakeholders, and global audiences. Her expertise lies in strategic communications, brand partnerships, and cultural content creation, with Yak serving as a bridge between local authenticity and international curiosity.

Sophie’s deep relationships with Bali’s creative community, hoteliers, and entrepreneurs make her a vital contributor to communications and outreach strategy, ensuring that Bali’s message to the world is both authentic and inspiring.

Zanzan

Zanzan is a Balinese community leader, entrepreneur, and founder of OmUnity Bali, a purpose-driven hospitality and cultural initiative rooted in the village of Sudaji. With more than two decades of experience in global tourism and hospitality, including leadership roles with Hilton and Carlton, he returned to Bali with a vision of creating regenerative tourism models that uplift local communities through cross-cultural exchange, employment, and sustainable development.

Inspired by a profound personal awakening during a 33-day meditation retreat, Zanzan dedicated his life’s work to empowering the youth and future of Sudaji. Through OmUnity Bali, he has helped position the village as an emerging destination for conscious tourism, cultural immersion, and community-led growth. His work continues to expand into neighboring villages, creating replicable models for sustainable hospitality that preserve Balinese values while generating meaningful opportunity and long-term community resilience.

Dr. Kerstin Duell

Dr. Kerstin Duell is a bridge-builder between worlds. For more than two decades in Southeast Asia, she has worked at the intersection of social change, civil society, governance, research, and community resilience. Her work explores how individuals and communities navigate transformation in the face of political upheaval, displacement, technological disruption, and shifting social realities.

Combining strategic insight with deep human curiosity, Kerstin has collaborated with activists, NGOs, foundations, journalists, researchers, and community leaders across Asia, Europe, and South America. She is passionate about understanding what helps people and societies adapt, organize, and thrive during times of change.

Beyond her professional work, Kerstin has taught Argentine tango to Myanmar’s Gen Z, shared mindfulness practices with refugees and activists, documented stories through photojournalism, and inspired healthier, more conscious ways of living within her communities. At her core, she is fascinated by the human capacity for resilience, connection, and transformation — and by what becomes possible when we learn to build bridges between worlds.

Dewa Gede Darmawan

Dewa Gede Darmawan is a community-minded entrepreneur, cook, and cultural steward dedicated to the well-being of his village and its future generations. For many years, he has carried a simple vision: to help his community thrive while preserving the traditions, values, and natural beauty passed down by his ancestors.

Through his work as a cook, tour driver, and founder of a Balinese spice business, he seeks to create sustainable livelihoods while sharing the richness of Balinese culture with others. He is also a strong advocate for environmental responsibility, regularly organizing community cleanups and encouraging greater awareness around waste management and collective care for the land.

At his heart, Dewa believes that caring for people, culture, and nature are inseparable. His life’s work is guided by a commitment to strengthening his village, supporting its residents, and ensuring that Bali’s cultural heritage continues to flourish for generations to come.

Bianca Maragaño

Bianca Maragaño is an architect, holistic facilitator, and founder of Satori – The Art of Healing. She is guided by a simple belief: the way we inhabit our spaces reflects the way we inhabit ourselves. Through her work, she creates environments, experiences, and community initiatives that nurture wellbeing, human connection, and a deeper relationship with nature.

Drawing from holistic architecture, regenerative design, bioconstruction, and personal development, Bianca bridges the worlds of physical space and inner transformation. Through Satori, she facilitates women’s circles, educational experiences, and international workshops focused on nervous system regulation, conscious nutrition, and reconnecting with natural rhythms.

At the heart of her work is a commitment to creating spaces — both inner and outer — where healing, connection, and transformation can naturally unfold.

Shane MK Bowen

Shane MK Bowen is a cultural connector, community builder, and Bali Cultural Ambassador who has spent more than a decade immersed in Bali’s traditions, creative communities, and evolving social landscape.

Known for his belief that “there is beauty in everything,” Shane has a unique gift for bringing people, ideas, and cultures together. He helps transform bold visions into meaningful experiences that honor both local wisdom and global perspectives. Over the years, he has produced international gatherings, cultural celebrations, competitions, and large-scale events, serving as a trusted bridge between impact leaders, local communities, and global audiences.

At his core, Shane is passionate about creating spaces where people connect across cultures, discover shared purpose, and bring inspiring ideas to life.

Estela Magic

Estela Magic is an ecosystem architect, regenerative business strategist, and entrepreneur passionate about unlocking human potential. She supports founders, businesses, and organizations in creating healthier, more aligned ecosystems where people, purpose, and positive impact can thrive.

She is currently supporting Profit for Purpose and Clean Up Bali projects.

Jacqueline Connor

Jacqueline Connor is an impact strategist, solutions architect, and social impact entrepreneur dedicated to scaling innovation for global equity. With a career spanning education, international development, and systems transformation, she has led four venture-backed startups through Series C and stewarded initiatives with funding partnerships reaching up to $25 million.

Jacqueline co-led the team behind the $15M Global Learning XPRIZE — an Elon Musk-funded initiative advancing literacy and numeracy worldwide in partnership with UNESCO, WFP, and Google. Her work has scaled across five continents through collaborations with organizations including UNICEF, MIT Solve, Techstars, the Gates Foundation, Fortune 500 companies, and global government ministries.

Jitesh Patel

Jitesh Patel is the founder of Solas:Solas and an accredited Gottman Institute Leader. His work starts with a simple belief: the couple is the foundation of the family unit. The health of our closest relationships shapes everything we build beyond them, including the communities we live in.

Before Bali, he spent two decades as a Business Change Consultant working with large organisations through complex transitions. He brings those same skills into the most important human relationships. Originally from London, Jitesh lives in Ubud with his wife and two sons. He cares about how communities develop from the inside — not just what gets built, but how the people within them learn to relate.

Jessica

Jessica is passionate about helping changemakers bring their visions to life. After experiencing firsthand how coaches and mentors can transform the course of a person’s life, she chose to dedicate her talents to supporting those who serve others. With a gift for seeing patterns, creating structure, and turning ideas into actionable plans, she helps purpose-driven leaders bridge the gap between inspiration and implementation.

Over the past six years, Jessica has worked alongside coaches, facilitators, and entrepreneurs, helping them clarify their message, strengthen their strategy, and create sustainable pathways for growth and impact. Her work is rooted in a simple mission: helping those who are changing the world create the foundations that allow their gifts to reach the people who need them most.

Grigory Sokolov

Grigory Sokolov is a real estate developer, systems thinker, and entrepreneur passionate about turning complex ideas into tangible realities. Over the past sixteen years, he has led the development of residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects across Russia and Southeast Asia, guiding projects from early vision and feasibility through design, construction, and delivery.

Since relocating to Bali, Grigory has focused on supporting innovative development projects while exploring how technology can improve the way we design, build, and collaborate. Alongside his consulting work, he is co-founding New Systems, a software company developing tools to help architects, developers, and construction teams work more effectively together.

At the heart of his work is a fascination with systems — and how people, processes, and places come together to create environments where individuals and communities can flourish.