12. SEEing Change and Innovation in Employment Initiatives Through Social Enterprise with Brenda Palms Barber

We couldn't BEE happier to bring you this next episode of SEE Change! On this episode, we welcomed the amazing Brenda Palms Barber, Founder of Sweet Beginnings, Chicago, LLC and CEO and President of North Lawndale Employment Network for a fascinating discussion about honeybees, business, and how the social enterprise she founded almost 20 years ago is changing lives on the West Side of Chicago.

She talks us through how she identified the root causes of the extraordinarily high unemployment and chronic poverty levels in this part of Chicago and how she came upon creating this innovative job training and employment program through the art, science, and business of beekeeping and, over time, natural skin care products.

The best part about Sweet Beginnings is that it is a market-driven solution to a social issue so in addition to providing fabulous honey and skin care products, they are raising awareness for the issue of mass incarceration through something that is as simple and day-to-day as honey. 

Although before founding Sweet Beginnings, Brenda did not know anything about beekeeping, her can-do attitude, unwavering determination, and ability to seek out the good in people helped her create and grow it into something way beyond anything she could have imagined. It’s a BEEutiful story!

Sweet Beginnings now sells honey and skincare products under the name #BeeLove.