Women who shapes Bali
Women Who Shape Bali: Inspiring Female Leaders Building Impact on the Island
Bali is more than a destination — it’s a living, evolving ecosystem shaped by the people who choose to build their lives and businesses here. Behind the thriving cafés, creative agencies, hospitality groups, and community movements are women redefining leadership, resilience, and impact on the island.
In this edition of Women Who Shape Bali, we spotlight inspiring women from different industries who are not only building successful careers but also contributing meaningfully to Bali’s community, tourism industry, and creative economy.
From marketing leaders to media founders and hospitality entrepreneurs, these women prove that success in Bali isn’t just about building a business — it’s about creating lasting impact.
1. Adryana Meutia
CEO & Founder of STEBASIA
After years navigating the fast-paced corporate environment of Jakarta, Adryana Meutia first came to Bali seeking a pause. What she found instead was a completely new perspective on work, life, and leadership.
Six years ago, she made the decision to relocate permanently. For Adryana, Bali represents a different definition of success,one that doesn’t rely on constant pressure or chaos, but instead focuses on building a balanced, intentional, and meaningful life.
Through STEBASIA, she leads strategic marketing initiatives that go far beyond visibility or sales metrics. Adryana believes storytelling has the power to move economies and shape culture. Her mission is to create campaigns that uplift local communities, empower emerging businesses, and showcase the incredible talent Bali has to offer the world.
However, building a business in Bali comes with unique dynamics. Many key decisions still originate from headquarters in other cities, requiring her to constantly bridge conversations between Bali and Jakarta. At the same time, Bali’s tourism-driven environment means people frequently come and go,making long-term partnerships and team stability more challenging to build.
Instead of resisting these realities, Adryana has learned to embrace them. The island’s rhythm has taught her to stay agile, read the seasons, adapt quickly, and continuously innovate.
Her leadership confidence developed gradually. Rather than waiting to feel completely ready, she chose to step forward and learn through experience. Over time she realized that leadership is not about having all the answers - it’s about having the courage to make decisions and grow from every challenge.
Her advice for women who want to start something but feel afraid is both practical and empowering:
Prepare Plan A for ambition, Plan B for realism, and Plan C for the worst-case scenario - then begin anyway. Perfect timing, perfect resources, and perfect confidence rarely exist. The first step is what truly matters.
When it comes time to celebrate a win, Adryana believes in marking the moment intentionally: champagne for meaningful milestones, and tequila for those spontaneous celebrations that remind her the journey should be just as joyful as the destination. 🥂
2. Karlie C
Founder of Bali Buddies
For many travelers, Bali begins as a holiday. For Karlie C, it became the foundation of a thriving media platform connecting thousands of people with the island.
Originally visiting Bali as a tourist, Karlie quickly developed a deep connection with the island and its people. Over the years she returned for every type of trip imaginable - girls’ holidays, honeymoons, family vacations, retreats, weddings, birthdays, and group trips.
In 2012, she started a small Facebook page where she shared travel tips with friends planning their Bali trips. She named it Bali Buddies - because it was simply meant to help her buddies explore the island.
What began as a casual sharing platform unexpectedly evolved into a powerful media community. As more travelers discovered her practical advice and insider knowledge, the page grew into a trusted resource for Bali tourism information.
Four years after launching the page, Karlie made a life-changing decision: she moved to Bali full-time with her husband and children. That move happened nine years ago and Bali Buddies has since become one of the most recognized digital platforms covering tourism news, local updates, and lifestyle insights for visitors and expats.
Karlie’s journey into entrepreneurship was far from conventional. Before building a media company, she worked as a primary school teacher. Entering the business world brought moments of doubt, especially when she found herself in rooms with seasoned entrepreneurs and executives.
One of her biggest challenges was overcoming imposter syndrome. As someone without a traditional business background, she often felt others knew more than she did.
Confidence eventually came from results. Seeing how her campaigns and content helped businesses gain visibility and grow gave her the assurance that she truly understood the media landscape.
Today, Bali Buddies plays an important role in bridging communication between Bali’s tourism industry, government updates, and the international community of visitors and expats interested in the island.
By presenting tourism news in clear, engaging ways across social media and digital platforms, the brand helps translate important information for global audiences planning to visit or relocate to Bali.
Karlie’s advice to women starting something new is simple yet powerful:
Say yes before you feel ready.
Opportunities rarely arrive when everything feels perfectly prepared. Growth often happens by stepping into the challenge and learning along the way and with today’s access to technology and AI tools, learning quickly has never been easier.
When it comes to celebrating success, Karlie keeps it simple and meaningful. Her favorite way to celebrate a win, big or small, is gathering with supportive women in business, opening a bottle of bubbles, and sharing a cheese board together. For her, success is always better when it’s shared.
3. Desi
Founder of Nataoka
For Desi, building a brand in Bali wasn’t just a business decision — it was a journey of rediscovering purpose and reconnecting with her roots.
Born and raised in Bali, Desi reached a moment after finishing her degree where she felt uncertain about her future. While many people around her seemed to follow clear life paths, she felt the need to step away and explore her own direction. She moved to Australia, where she worked and gave herself the time and space to reflect on what she truly wanted to build.
During that time, she noticed something that stayed with her: many Australian fashion brands were producing their clothing in Bali. That realization sparked a powerful thought — if international brands trusted the craftsmanship and talent from Bali, why couldn’t she build something of her own here?
Fashion had always been close to her life. She studied fashion for a year, and growing up with a mother who worked as a tailor meant creativity and garment-making were part of her daily environment. Eventually, she felt a strong pull to return home and start something meaningful.
That decision led to the creation of Nataoka — a brand that reflects not only her creative vision but also her connection to Bali, its people, and its craftsmanship.
Building a business in Bali, however, came with real challenges. The local fashion scene is highly competitive, with both Indonesian and international brands operating on the island. At the same time, cultural expectations for women can still follow traditional paths, where stability and family roles are often prioritized over entrepreneurship.
Choosing a different path meant difficult conversations with family and moments of doubt. But those challenges strengthened her determination. Over time, they became part of the foundation that shaped her resilience as a businesswoman.
For Desi, confidence didn’t arrive overnight. It grew gradually through experience, setbacks, and the responsibility of leading a team that believes in her vision. Building a company taught her that leadership is never about one person alone — it grows through collaboration, trust, and shared growth.
One of the impacts she hopes to leave in Bali is inspiring more Balinese women to believe in their dreams. She wants women to see that creating their own path is possible — even if the journey is difficult.
Her message is honest and encouraging: the process will be challenging, and there will be struggles along the way, but the experience of building something meaningful makes it worthwhile.
Her advice to women who feel afraid to start something is simple and direct:
The scariest thing isn’t trying — it’s regret. So just start.
And when Desi celebrates a win, her ritual is refreshingly simple. Instead of big parties, she enjoys quiet moments for herself: sitting on the sofa, opening a glass of wine — usually a sweet Shiraz or Chardonnay — with chips and a good movie to unwind after the journey.
The Women Driving Bali’s Future
What connects these women is not just professional success it’s intention.
Each of them demonstrates that shaping Bali isn’t only about building a company. It’s about building ecosystems, creating opportunities, mentoring others, and redefining what leadership looks like on the island.
Bali continues to evolve as one of the world’s most dynamic tourism and creative destinations. Much of that evolution is driven by women who step forward, take risks, and lead with purpose.
Stay tuned as we continue expanding this Women Who Shape Bali series with more inspiring voices helping shape the island’s present and future.