Mikaila Ulmer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mikaila Ulmer
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Portrait by Anna Wilding in 2016
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| Born | September 28, 2004 Houston, Texas, U.S.
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| Education | Emory University |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, student |
| Known for | Teen Social Entrepreneur |
Mikaila Ulmer was born on September 28, 2004. She is a super cool American entrepreneur who started her very own lemonade business in Austin, Texas! Her special lemonade is now sold in more than 1,500 stores all across the country.
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Mikaila's Early Life and Business
Mikaila Ulmer was born in Houston, Texas. Her parents, D'Andra and Theo Ulmer, both studied business. Mikaila grew up in Austin, Texas, where she went to St. Stephen's Episcopal School.
When she was just four years old, Mikaila was stung by two bees in one week! This made her a little scared of bees. Her parents encouraged her to learn about them instead. She found out that bees are super important for our planet, but they are also in danger.
Mikaila decided to help save the bees. She remembered her great-grandmother's special lemonade recipe from the 1940s. It used honey, so Mikaila thought, "Why not make lemonade with honey from local beekeepers?" This way, she could help bees and make a tasty drink!
She started selling her lemonade in front of her house in 2009. Her lemonade, which also includes flaxseed, became very popular. A local pizza shop even asked her to supply them with her lemonade. This is how her business, "Me & The Bees Lemonade," began bottling its drinks.
Giving Back to the Bees
From the very beginning, Mikaila decided to donate 10% of her profits. This money goes to charities that work to save bees. As her business grew, her parents helped her manage everything. Mikaila is also a student at Emory University.
Appearing on Shark Tank
In 2015, Mikaila and her dad appeared on the TV show Shark Tank. This show lets entrepreneurs present their business ideas to famous investors. Mikaila successfully got an investment of $60,000 from Daymond John to help her growing business.
That same year, Mikaila was invited to meet President Barack Obama at the White House. It was a huge honor!
In 2016, Mikaila even introduced President Obama at the United State of Women Summit. President Obama called her "an amazing young lady." In 2017, her business received another big investment of $800,000 from a group of football players.
Me & The Bees Lemonade Today
By 2017, "Me & The Bees Lemonade" was sold in 500 stores across America. They were selling about 500,000 bottles each year!
In February 2020, the lemonade was available in over 1,500 stores nationwide. These stores include popular places like Whole Foods, Cost Plus World Market, Vitamin Cottage Natural Grocers, H-E-B, Kroger, and The Fresh Market.
"Me & The Bees" has also expanded its products. They now make lip balms using beeswax, which is another way to use bee products and support bee health. Mikaila Ulmer continues to be an inspiring young entrepreneur who helps save the bees with every bottle of lemonade sold.
