The 2022 Women of the Year Awards: Rising Stars – Winner – Katie Gamble

Winner
Katie Gamble
Founder, Nature Bee

True to her name, Katie Gamble took a chance in 2018 by launching Nature Bee out of her parents’ basement. “I was actually going in to work as a social worker,” recalls the UVic commerce grad, whose company makes reusable beeswax wraps. “But I realized at a certain point that I wasn’t going to be able to live my life the way I wanted to, just with impact and everything.” 

The 27-year-old decided on her business by asking a question: What products do people use every day that could easily be swapped with eco-friendly alternatives? The answer was single-use plastic wrap. “With Nature Bee, I was able to combine my passion for sustainability and education and impact, and then also hire people with disabilities,” Gamble says. 

From just four pairs of helping hands–her mom and dad, and two staff members–Nature Bee has grown to 12 employees. The Saanichton-based company, which sources its wax from nearby Country Bee Honey Farm, also offers Swedish dishcloths and concentrated cleaning tablets to reduce the waste associated with repurchasing cleaning products. 

So far, Nature Bee has landed 350 retailers across North America, launched a dishcloth collaboration with Kelowna-based interior designer Jillian Harris and filled custom orders for Lush Cosmetics. It also works with brands to make “eco-swag” by printing logos on its wraps. 

Rather than overwhelm people with the zero-waste movement, Gamble wants to make it easy for them to buy plastic alternatives. Hence her company’s motto: “One small change has the biggest impact.