Speaker
- Founder and CEO Me & the Bees Lemonade
- Founder of The Healthy Hive Foundation
- Investment winner on ABC's hit TV show Shark Tank
- Time Magazine's Teen Entrepreneur of the Year
- Scholastic Eight Coolest Kids
When Mikaila Ulmer was just four years old, she was stung by two bees in the same week. Her parents encouraged her to do some research on the bees rather than being upset with them. Upon discovering the important role that bees play in our ecosystem, Mikaila was determined to help them. Using her Great Granny Helen’s flaxseed honey lemonade recipe, Mikaila launched her business from her home in Austin, Texas in 2009. Landing a deal with Daymond John on the show Shark Tank several years later furthered Me & the Bees’ many business successes. Today, the award-winning lemonade is distributed nationally and is buzzing off the shelves of H-E-B, Whole Foods Market, World Market, among others retailers as well as restaurants around the country.
As a social entrepreneur infusing purpose into her business which is to save the bees, Mikaila established The Healthy Hive Foundation and sends a portion of her company’s net profits to the non-profit dedicated to increasing bee awareness and promoting safe environments where bees can thrive through research, education, and preservation.
Mikaila has been invited to speak on social entrepreneurship at prestigious gatherings over the years including the United State of Women Summit where she introduced President Barack Obama. She has been a panelist at South by Southwest (SXSW), Disney Dreamers Academy, Dreamforce, Dell World, Points of Light, and Women Business and Enterprise Council (WBEC). She spoke before Congress on the importance of entrepreneurship among youth, and was a keynote at Mogul X in New York, at The Social Innovation Summit in Los Angeles, and at the Atlanta Independent School District’s convention. From Budapest to Johannesburg, from D.C to Singapore, Mikaila has been asked to speak around the globe at summits and corporate engagements including for blue chip brands like Dell and Toyota.
Mikaila has received many awards and accolades ranging from “Teenpreneur of the Year” Award by Austin’s Black Chamber of Commerce at age eight to TIME Magazine's 30 Most Influential Teens. Yet, even after receiving awards and recognition, Mikaila has not been distracted from delivering on her company’s mission. She launched her first book Bee Fearless: Dream Like a Kid, from Penguin Random House in August 2020.
Mikaila is determined to quench the thirst of her customers and inspire healthy habits, while also helping educate families about the importance of bees and how to save them. She passionately facilitates workshops about bee conservation and social entrepreneurship.
When not studying in high school, Mikaila is available for on stage or virtual speaking engagements from keynotes and webinars to panels and workshops.