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.

She graduated in social sciences with a minor from the School of Journalism. She started as a science journalist but gradually became involved in the world of television. Maria 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 2018 number 18 in De Dikke Blauwe: a list of the 100 most influentials in 'The Land of Do Well'.