Bee Sweet Lemonade Shark Tank Update

By Rob Merlino3 Comment

xt, 10 year-old Mikaila Ulmer and her dad, Theophilus Ulmer, pitch Bee Sweet Lemonade, a line of fresh-squeezed lemonade drinks sweetened with Texas wildflower honey, flaxseed, and mint, in Shark Tank episode 628. Mikaila got interested in bees when she got stung at age four. Her grandma sent her some recipes for lemonade to help her deal with the trauma. As Mikaila got interested in lemonade, her interest in bees grew too.

Over the years, she became fascinated by bees and their role in the ecosystem. She also got real good at making lemonade. Mikaila sold Bee Sweet Lemonade at youth entrepreneurial events and her own lemonade stand and advocated for the bees; she donated a portion of her profits to various organizations devoted to saving bees too.

Fast forward a few more years and Mikaila has Bee Sweet Lemonade all over Austin area markets and restaurants, including Whole Foods Markets, TOMS, Peoples Rx, MAX’s Wine Dive, Farmhouse Delivery, Quickie Pickie, East Side Pies, Barton Hills Market, henri’s, and The Natural Gardener. She’s likely looking to the Sharks to help her expand into more markets. Will a Shark be sweet on Bee Sweet Lemonade?

Bee Sweet Lemonade Shark Tank Recap

Mikaila and her dad enter seeking $60,000 for 10% of their business. She explains that her lemonade is not only good, but good for you. She talks about using flaxseed as an ingredient which supports bee populations. Next, she hands out samples and Lori says she’s impressed with her composure.

Sales, she explains, were a little over $25,000 the previous year. Kevin asks where she was selling (see above). When Mark asks about how she adds the flaxseed, she says “it’s a secret,” and she’ll only share it with her business partner. Her dad shares that he has a marketing background and the lemonade business is his second full time job. The funniest moment of the pitch was when Mr. Wonderful told the 9 year old “school has got to go.”

Kevin is the first to go out citing the premium price and the fact that he’d be a full time partner. Robert is next citing the competitiveness in the beverage market. Mark tells her to come back after she’s done with school. Lori praises Mikaila, but she can’t drink lemonade. That leaves Daymond. He offers $60,000 for 25% on the condition that his east coast distributor can get it into stores. Mikaila accepts!

RESULT of the pitch: DEAL with Daymond for $60,000 in exchange for 25% equity.

Bee Sweet Lemonade Shark Tank Update

The Shark Tank Blog constantly provides updates and follow-ups about entrepreneurs who have appeared on the Shark Tank TV show. Since airing, sales increased over 350%. Mikaila scored an $11 million distribution deal with Whole Foods which started stocking the product in 55 stores. She even got to meet the president and the first family at the White House Kids’ State Dinner in 2015!

She gets an update segment in episode 1206 in season 12 where a now very grown up Mikaila updates the Sharks on her business and rebranding to Me and the Bees. The lemonade is now in 1,500 stores nationwide, including Whole Foods, Wegmans, The Fresh Market and hundreds of smaller venues. As of October, 2022, the company is doing $5 million in annual revenue.

The business gets an update segment in episode 1421. In the update segment, a grown up Mikaila is now a freshman at Emory College. She’s still the CEO of the company. Since appearing on Shark Tank, she’s made $10.2 million. She’s contributed $250,000 towards saving the bees. The lemonade is available in all 50 states in HEB, Target and Publix stores. Daymond helped design and license a “Start Your Own Lemonade Stand” kit with tips from Mikaila. Mikaila has been traveling around the country talking to students about being a social entrepreneur. Daymond says Mikaila has the DNA of an entrepreneur and tells the students via Zoom screen that they’re the most powerful generation ever. Mikaila says she wants to be a Shark!