Many kids put together a lemonade stand at some point in their childhood — but how many have turned that stand into a successful beverage business with investments from NFL players?
That’s exactly what Texas pre-teen Mikaila Ulmer did, taking her grandmother’s lemonade recipe, which uses honey, and turning it into a popular drink sold at Whole Foods and other grocery stores. The lemonade, called “Me & The Bees,” also helps raise money to save honeybee colonies — a mission that impressed investors when Mikaila was on ABC’s Shark Tank.
But those weren’t the only investors to take notice of Mikaila’s lemonade — not only did she get to meet President Obama...
...but she’s received $810,000 in capital from former and current NFL players like Arian Foster, Glover Quin, Duane Brown, Jonathan Grimes, Omar Bolden, Bobby Wagner, Darius Slay, Sherrick McManis, EJ Manuel and Malik Jackson, according to NBC Sports.
For former Houston Texans running back Arian Foster, it’s not just about supporting a new idea and making money — he told the Houston Chronicle about the importance of backing businesses like Mikaila’s.
“We look for companies that match our main focus of developing a good product, but are also good people and do it for the right reasons,” he said. “It's more than about money to us. We believe that investing in small black businesses is extremely important."
And it also helps that Mikaila is the one in charge.
"She's very special. Obviously, she has a bright future,” Detroit Lions safety Quin said. “Hopefully, I can be a part of it and nourish it and watch her grow. The sky is the limit.”