What happens when you pour your dedication and artistic vision to 150 hectares of land to love, vision, and relentless belief in a better future?

This!

Smiling Gecko. A living, breathing model of hope in Cambodia. Not so long ago, Cambodians suffered through a darkness many of us learned about in textbooks. But to this day, far too many have looked away. As Hannes Schmid, the founder, put it: “Cambodia is like a black dot on the map - so forgotten.” A world-famous rockstar photographer (if you have the chance to flip through his book, you’ll see many familiar faces!), Hannes turned his lense towards the people of Cambodia. You’ll see a video above of a music video he produced for his students - one of many at their state of the art recording studios (learn more on their site!)

Together with his co-founder Leap, and the amazing team including Chef Mariya he built a place where the future is being cultivated - their campus is 150 hectares designed to uplift communities through education, nourishment, and dignified work.

Chef Mariya, who you see explaining their ingredients from Cambodia now leads the kitchen and trains students in the culinary arts - literally putting love into every spoon as she told us herself.

I had the honor of attending a recent dinner at the W Bangkok to support their work. The food, the stories, and the team all carried this quiet, steady kind of courage… the kind that builds, and heals, and never gives up…and beautiful smiles :)

If you ever get the chance to visit the Smiling Gecko, please do, or support their work directly on their page!

#SmilingGecko #PurposefulTravel