WhO Are We?
Bee 901 Co. is a 501c(3) organization founded in January of 2017 for the purpose of promoting the good in Memphis with honey. Our honey, sponsors, and beneficiaries are all located in the “901” area code.
WhY ARE WE DOING THIS?
Honey is more than something you put on your oatmeal. Honey is a symbol. It represents the output of thousands of bees working together over an extended period of time so that all members of the hive can thrive. Bees are selfless, hardworking, and committed to their community. This is the purpose of Bee 901 Co. We are creating better lives for Memphians in need while also having a conversation about what it means to “Bee 901”. To “Bee 901” means to be loving, supportive, and generous to everyone and provide them with an encounter of unconditional love. Think of Memphis as your hive. Think of Memphis as our hive.
Team
Nathan Bland (Finance Director) and Kevin Woods (Creative Director) have known each since high school. Their careers could not be more different. Nathan is an accountant and Kevin a creative, so they make a pretty good business team. Give Nathan $10 and he'll turn it into $20 just help someone out. Give Kevin $10 and he'll probably spend it on bubble gum and baseball cards, but will come up with the creative ideas along the way.
Nathan Bland
Finance Director
Nathan is our guy that handles the money, donations, and sponsorships legally so we don't get thrown in jail.
Kevin Woods
Creative Director & BEEKEEPER
Kevin is the guy that handles the creative: advertising, marketing, and branding. He's also the guy who makes sure the bees are healthy, taken care of, and are producing honey.
STORY
It all started with a text from Nathan one Saturday morning while Kevin was eating cereal and watching Psych. Nathan was given a sum of money. Because Nathan is a good dude with a huge heart, he didn't want to spend the money on himself but rather find a way to use that money to help Memphians in need but needed a good idea. First couple of ideas were... well, not that great. After a couple weeks of brainstorming, Kevin said "What about honey? We won't have to make anything. Bees can do that."
So, Bee 901 Co. was founded to use honey to promote the positive in the city of Memphis. Neither of them knew how to raise bees or honey when they started this journey. It just seemed like a cool thing to do. They joined the Memphis Area Beekeepers Association, signed up to be mentored by an experienced beekeeper, bought a couple beehives, and the rest is history.
There's more to the story but we're sure you're you tired of reading this. Ask us anytime and we'll be happy to tell you the whole story.