Maria Westerbos

Background

About Maria Westerbos

Profile Maria Westerbos, founder & director Plastic Soup Foundation, Tastemaker & Change Strategist.Maria Westerbos (born in Ethiopia on 10 September 1961) is an expert in mass communication, focusing on both traditional and new media. She combines a taste for inspiring social change projects with strategic insight and near flawless intuition covering a wide range of target groups. In 2011 she did set up - grass roots - the Plastic Soup Foundation. With their first campaign, Beat the Microbead, the Foundation established change in the use of micro plastics by international businesses, local and national governments, consumers and NGOs. Maria is a flamboyant woman with a zest for life who is able to motivate groups with inspiring stories about taking a positive approach to complex problems for permanent change.Education: graduated in social sciences with a minor from the School of Journalism. Started as a science journalist but gradually became involved in the world of television. She worked for more than 25 years (primarily freelance) for broadcasting companies and production companies. Initially as editor/researcher, but then as producer, production coordinator, editor-in-chief, executive producer, business-unit manager, delegated producer and creative producer. In February 2011 she founded the Dutch Plastic Soup Foundation and started creating awareness all over Holland, Europe & the world for this severe environmental problem. Because of that Maria ranked in 2021 number 25 in De Dikke Blauwe: a list of the 100 most influentials in 'The Land of Do Well'.If you want to invite Maria as a speaker or in a panel: send an e-mail.She is also available to help you improving your communication or brand awareness, but only if it is related to the plastic soup. Twitter:@mariawesterbosEmail: maria@plasticsoupfoundation.org