Olivia Bou Antoun

About Beyond Cubicles

📢 #BeyondCubicles is a weekly LinkedIn series created by Carolina D’Souza, born out of her own experience transitioning from a corporate career to independent consulting. Since its launch in June 2024, the series has evolved into a platform that showcases the inspiring journeys of several founders who have redefined the traditional 9-to-5.

Through authentic narratives, #BeyondCubicles highlights themes of courage, resilience, and purpose. The stories feature individuals from diverse industries—ranging from tech and education to wellness and adventure—who share their experiences of stepping away from conventional roles to pursue passion-driven careers. 

✨ Note: All features in this series are unpaid and shared as a way to honor and amplify real stories of transformation.

Every morning, Olivia Bou Antoun took the elevator to the 39th floor.

“And the higher it went, the more I felt my face change looking at the mirror,” she says. “I could feel myself tightening, disconnecting, stepping into a role that didn’t belong to me.”

One day, she stepped out of the elevator, literally and metaphorically, choosing alignment over certainty.

In 2022, that decision led to the launch of Because You Care Dubai, an eco-conscious household care brand offering a non-toxic alternative to conventional laundry detergents. Its formula is made with only three biodegradable ingredients.

The idea started at home. As a mother of two, she searched for genuinely safe products. “Many brands claimed to be ‘green’ or ‘natural,’ but when I looked closer, the formulas didn’t match the promises.”

So she built what she could not find.

The name reflects the intention behind each purchase. Choosing BYC, she says, means “choosing to care, for your family, your health, and the world you’re passing on.”

As she stepped into entrepreneurship, the hurdle was self-judgment. Olivia had internalized a traditional definition of a “real job”, stepping away made her feel “almost illegitimate, even ashamed at times”.

When she fully owned her path, something shifted. “Today, I feel grounded, aligned, and at peace with my work. Not because it’s perfect, but because it’s truly mine.”

Validation came as families began using the products daily. “Not ‘this is successful’, but ‘this is useful’,” she says. “I chose to walk away from a socially recognized status to build something that has real impact, improving the everyday lives of hundreds of families.”

Her role has since expanded into education. She hosts workshops on endocrine disruptors and works with companies on the link between household products, health, and sustainability. “My voice has shifted from founder to guide,” she says. “People know that BYC is not run by a faceless company. I’m behind it. I’m a mother.”

Support from her husband and mentors were the scaffolding on the journey. “Entrepreneurship is not a solo performance, it’s a continuous dialogue,” she says.

Originally from Paris, she moved to Dubai for work. The city became home, where she built both her family and her business.

“I never expected that it was possible to truly love what you do,” she says.