The buzz is building for a Peninsula business creating simple, practical and pretty alternatives to singe-use items and its founder is among the best young entrepreneurs in the province.
Katie Gamble founded Nature Bee, a beeswax wrap company, while finishing her degree at the University of VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Gustavson School of Business in 2018.
Born and raised in the region, Gamble grew up in Saanich and started producing beeswax wraps using locally-sourced, eco-friendly materials in her parentB次元官网网址檚 basement.
B次元官网网址淚 always knew that wherever Nature Bee went, its key pillars of sustainability, impact, community and education would be central. I took this idea from pitching it in a classroom with my peers, got hands on making wraps and attending markets, and today our products are in over 300 retail stores,B次元官网网址� Gamble said.
It has blossomed to full-scale production on Veyaness Road in Central Saanich.
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Gamble is a finalist in the best youth entrepreneur category of the Small Business BC Awards for leading sustainability initiatives.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 truly a pinch-me moment every day and I couldnB次元官网网址檛 have done it without the support of our customers, my team and my family,B次元官网网址� she said.
Alongside the positive impact of the products on the environment, the company is building partnerships with sustainability in mind.
Nature Bee works with Mamas for Mamas, which helps families struggling with poverty-related issues, and eco-conscious groups such as Surfrider Vancouver Island to protect oceans and beaches through donations and beach clean-ups.
Last year, Nature Bee worked with organizations big and small to help them achieve their goals and donated more than $15,000.
B次元官网网址淥ur community is always looking for more sustainable swaps, which led to our product line growth to include items such as Swedish dishcloths and concentrated cleaning tablets. For us, product line growth directly translates into impact. The more items we can find sustainable alternatives for, the more positive impact we can have on our planet. In 2022 alone, using our concentrated cleaning tablets to refill has diverted 50,000-plus single-use bottles from landfills,B次元官网网址� Gamble said.
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The last year has been dedicated to building Nature Bee as a brand, earning recognition with the Business Impact Award from Small Business BC, Rising Star Award from BC Women of the Year, 10 to Watch with Douglas Magazine, and Ecopreneur of the Year with the Synergy Foundation.
B次元官网网址淚t gives you an opportunity to reflect on what youB次元官网网址檝e accomplished as a business and what you want to accomplish in the future,B次元官网网址� she said of the accolades.
This is the 20th Small Business BC Awards, with 613 nominations across 84 communities. To select the finalists in each category, more than 74,000 votes were cast, then a panel of business experts narrowed the nominees to 18.
Others up for the Best Youth Entrepreneur Award B次元官网网址� saluting a business leader aged 35 and younger B次元官网网址� include Afrofusion in Kamloops; Friendly Composting Inc. in Kamloops; Ovry in Revelstoke; and Truly Lifestyle Brand in Surrey.
Winners will be announced at an awards gala June 2 and winners of each category receive a $10,000 prize.
christine.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca
christine.vanreeuwyk@blackpress.ca
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