Mikaila Ulmer (11) lands multi-million dollar lemonade deal
A young girl from America is making headlines around the world after
scoring a major distribution deal for her healthy homemade lemonade.
Usually children are scared of bees, but not 11-year-old Mikaila Ulmer. She turned something painful into something sweet and is now one of the youngest entrepreneurs in the world.
Mikaila was 10 years old when she came up with her product, "Me & The Bees" lemonade, and the young entrepreneur managed to secure $60 000 funding on the US TV Show, “Shark Tank”. One year later, she has landed a distribution deal with United Natural Foods, which will see her lemonade being sold in 55 Whole Food stores across America. Talk about success at a young age.
The idea of a bee lemonade came about when Mikaila got stung by a bee and decided to do research on them. Not only did she learn that bees could become extinct in years to come, but in a bid to raise awareness, she decided to sweeten her lemonade with honey instead of sugar. This would not only help save the bees and support beekeepers, but it’s also a healthier option for humans.
"I didn’t enjoy the bee stings at all. They scared me. But then something strange happened. I became fascinated with bees. I learned all about what they do for me and our ecosystem. So then I thought, 'What if I make something that helps honeybees and uses my Great-Granny Helen's recipe?' That’s how BeeSweet Lemonade was born. It comes from my Great-Granny Helen's flaxseed recipe and my new love for bees. So that's why we sweeten it with local honey. And today my little idea continues to grow," she told NBC News.
She is now a bee ambassador and soon to be multi-millionaire!