| Mikaila Ulmer | |
| Birth Date: | 28 September 2004 |
| Birth Place: | Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Known For: | Teen Social Entrepreneur |
| Education: | Emory University |
Mikaila Ulmer (born September 28, 2004) is an American entrepreneur who started a lemonade business in Austin, Texas. Her lemonade is sold in over 1500 stores.[1]
Mikaila Ulmer was born in Houston, Texas.[2] Her parents, D'Andra and Theo Ulmer, both have business degrees.[3] She is from Austin, Texas, where she attended St. Stephen's Episcopal School.[4] By 2009, Ulmer was in front of her house selling her lemonade inspired by her great grandmother’s 1940s recipe, using honey from local beekeepers which includes flaxseed.[5] The lemonade sold well and she was asked by a local pizza shop to supply her product to it, which is how bottling her lemonade started. Since her humble beginnings, Mikaila has donated 10% of the profits to charities that are concerned with saving the bees.[5] As the business grew her parents became involved.[6] Mikaila is enrolled as a student at Emory University.[7]
Ulmer appeared with her father on the television show Shark Tank in 2015 where she successfully received a $60,000 investment to support her growing business. Daymond John put up the money.[8] Ulmer was invited that year to meet President Barack Obama at the White House.[3]
Ulmer introduced Barack Obama at the United State of Women Summit in 2016. Obama called her "an amazing young lady".[3] In 2017, her business received $800,000 as an investment made by a consortium of football players.[3]
In 2017, her lemonade, "Me & The Bees Lemonade" was being sold in 500 American shops in 500,000 bottles a year.
In February 2020, Me & the Bees was in over 1,500 stores nationwide, including Whole Foods, Cost Plus World Market, Vitamin Cottage Natural Grocers, H-E-B, Kroger, and The Fresh Market.[9] Me & the Bees has also expanded its product line to include lip balms made from bee’s wax.[10]