Our Team – A Family of Beekeepers

Bill – Founder & Lead Beekeeper

Bill’s fascination with bees began at just ten years old when a kind neighbor — amused by his fearless curiosity — taught him the art of beekeeping. He’s loved bees ever since.

Today, Bill has earned the trust of multiple Southern California universities, collaborating closely with their Agricultural, Chemistry, and Engineering Departments. These partnerships have led to hands-on learning opportunities, innovative discoveries, and city collaborations that helped establish a five-acre teaching apiary, where community members can experience the magic of bees up close.

A lifelong learner, Bill continues to explore the science within the hive while leading with curiosity and purpose. To him, beekeeping is an art, a science, and a shared responsibility — one that empowers communities through knowledge, data, and stewardship of pollinators for generations to come.

Laurie – Founder & Director of Sustainability (a.k.a. Mama Beekeeper)

Laurie went from flailing her arms at the sound of buzzing wings to becoming the calm, confident heart of the apiary. “I’m proof that education can completely change a person’s view,” she says. “The more you learn about bees, the more amazed you are by them.”

As our Director of Sustainability and the honey side of the operation, Laurie leads with heart, knowledge, and an unshakable commitment to the well-being of honey bees and the other pollinators. She was the driving force behind our transition to organic, sustainable hive management many years ago — proudly reminding everyone, “We eat this honey, and so do our family and friends. Organics only in those hives!”

Laurie insists that bees should share space and forage with all pollinators, creating harmony within every ecosystem we touch. She serves as our liaison to schools, festivals, and community programs, spreading the message that organic hive practices truly work and that anyone can help create a pollinator-friendly environment.

Laurie keeps our mission grounded in sustainability, education, and heart — ensuring that both bees and people thrive together.

Gavin – Founder, Youth Outreach & Research Lead

At just sixteen, Gavin has been keeping bees for over half his life. His journey began at age seven, when he helped collect bees for groundbreaking genetic PCR testing to distinguish between gentle European honey bees and the more defensive Apis Mellifera Scutellata (Africanized honey bee).

By fourteen, Gavin had earned an ongoing internship in a mass spectrometry lab at the University California Irvine — researching honey bee health at the molecular level. Still utilizing that internship, he also leads our high school outreach and internship programs, giving students hands-on hive experience while inspiring them to pursue real science and data-driven solutions.

A natural mentor and communicator, Gavin’s passion seamlessly bridges research and education, all while advancing his beekeeping skills.

Grady – Founder, Youth Educator & Quality Control Officer

At ten years old, Grady is a true hands-on beekeeper and has also been keeping bees for over half his life. Grady is in the bee yard assisting with hive splits, building nucleus colonies, and proudly calling himself the Quality Control Officer and Head Honey Taster. (“Boy, I love the honey!” he says.)

Known as one of our best queen spotters (though Gavin may debate that), Grady also speaks at the Orange County Fair, in elementary school classrooms, and many other events, helping raise awareness about honey bees and their importance to our food system, always with an observation hive in tow to teach queen spotting.

Grady is collaborating on an important honey bee swarm behavior project with the California State University Fullerton. This is where we will gather significant information regarding local swarm behavior. Along with offering up his beekeeping skills he will be part of the data collection team, and establishing re-queening techniques that provide the highest success rates.

When not in the apiary, Grady loves fishing, golf, and anything that involves his big brother and the bees.