For decades, Otara Gunawardena has been a synonymous figure with Sri Lankan entrepreneurship, but her enduring legacy is defined by her transition from the “Queen of Retail” to the nation’s leading voice for animal welfare and environmental advocacy. As the founder of ODEL, the Otara Foundation, and the social enterprise Embark, Gunawardena has utilized her platform to champion a “cruelty-free” lifestyle and a more compassionate national economy.