Mikaila Ulmer is only 10 years old, but she’s already a pro at negotiating business deals with her company BeeSweet Lemonade. Mikaila, who appears on ABC’s Shark Tank, accepted an offer of $60,000 for a 25 percent stake in her company from mogul and FUBU CEO Daymond John.
Mikaila won John over with her business expertise and passion. Mikaila, who started BeeSweet Lemonade when she was 4, got the idea after being stung by two bees in one week and then researching the importance of honeybees in the ecosystem. Ulmer’s grandmother later gave her a cookbook, and that’s where she learned how to make flaxseed lemonade.
BeeSweet Lemonade is made with flaxseed and locally sourced honey to sweeten and add omega-3 essential fatty acids to the drink. The lemonade is naturally caffeine-free and has no artificial ingredients or high-fructose corn syrup.
Mikaila and John will now work closely together to expand her business, and John will serve as her mentor. “Partnering with Mikaila made perfect sense,” John stated in a press release. “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.”
The $60,000 will allow Mikaila to increase her production and enable the company to create larger batch runs of its signature lemonade in order to keep up with demand.
“I’m so excited to have someone with as much experience as Daymond on my team,” Mikaila stated. “This is a great opportunity to have more people try my lemonade and help save even more bees!”
To learn more about BeeSweet Lemonade, visit beesweetlemonade.com.