This 10-year-old girl got a $60k Shark Tank investment in her lemonade stand
10-year-old Mikaila Ulmer is basically fearless. She’s not afraid of bees, even though she was stung twice in one week, and she’s certainly not afraid of the intimidating panel of investors on Shark Tank.
She just appeared on the series to pitch her special concoction of BeeSweet Lemonade and landed a MAJOR deal with one of the investors.
But let’s back up a little: Six years ago, when Mikaila was just 4, she got stung by a couple of bees and wasn’t happy about it. To prevent her from a lifelong fear of bees (we hear that), her parents encouraged her to research the importance of honey bees in the ecosystem. At the same time, Mikaila also was trying to figure out what she would contribute to the Action Children’s Business Fair and Austin Lemonade Day.
Shortly after, her great grandmother sent her the recipe for flaxseed lemonade. “I wanted to put mint and flaxseed in lemonade, and I tried it, and it was really good,” says Mikaila in her company’s mission video. And, um, yeah, that sounds DELISH. Thus was the birth of her (thriving) lemonade business when she was only four years old, and now it’s flourishing at youth entrepreneurial events.
But what does lemonade have to do with bees? Mikaila doesn’t use anything like caffeine or high-fructose corn syrup—she uses honey from the local bees—thanks to her bee research. She also donates a portion of her profits to organizations dedicated to preserving the honeybee.
“They’re like little tiny robots buzzing around the garden,” says Mikaila in the video. “Saving the bees is fun, and I know that saving the bees is something I should be doing.”
We totally agree, and apparently, Shark Tank investor and FUBU CEO Daymond John does, too. . . because he’s invested $60,000 for a 25% percent stake in her company to help her make more lemonade and meet demands. “Partnering with Mikaila made perfect sense,” he said in a statement, according to Black Enterprise. “She’s a great kid with a head for business and branding. She’s got a great idea and I’m happy to help take BeeSweet to the next level.”
Obviously, BeeSweet lemonade going places, thanks to Mikaila’s dedication. “I’m so excited to have someone with as much experience as Daymond on my team,” she said about the investment. “This is a great opportunity to have more people try my lemonade and save even more bees.”
Mikaila is a reminder that you’re never too young to follow your passion—and possibly, land a Shark Tank deal. (Who knew?) Now that she’s pretty much a mogul, she’s got some advice we’re totally taking to heart: “The more passionate you are about what you do,” says Mikaila in the video, “the better you do it, and the more fun you’ll have watching it, and you need to have perseverance to make your business bigger and better. . .courage, passion, and perseverance.”
Check out Mikaila’s company video, because it’s pretty beautiful. And maybe after that, order up some BeeSweet Lemonade on her website. Or you can just go to your local WholeFoods and pick some up. Yeah, they’re already at WholeFoods. NBD.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYwTAJMbFy8
