Meet The Bee Team
Don’t let the name “Bee Team” fool you. We’ve got the best of the best ready to bring the excitement of bees to your business and help you and your team learn to lead efficiently and effectively; just like a beehive.
Leigh-Kathryn is the Founder and CEO of Bee Downtown, is Southern Living Southerner of the Year, Inc 30 Under 30 Rising Star, Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneur, an Outstanding Young Alumni of North Carolina State University, North Carolina Woman of the Year, and most recently named to the TBJ 40 under 40 list. As a fourth generation beekeeper she brings a wealth of knowledge of bees to the classroom, paired with a dynamic energy through her storytelling expertise and proven ability to build effective teams at such a young age. Leigh-Kathryn graduated Summa Cum Laude and is a Journeyman Beekeeper.
Leigh-Kathryn Bonner
Founder and CEO
Ben is our Chief Api-CULTURE-ist at Bee Downtown. Prior to joining the Bee Downtown team, he worked in bee research for several years where he helped manage over 1,000 colonies while conducting studies that furthered our knowledge of how bees interact with pesticides. Ben has received 2 masters degrees in Higher Education and worked in higher education for a decade where he managed a multitude of educational and developmental programs at a variety of institutions and even started, and coached, a women's rugby team. To top it all off, he is a Master Beekeeper and Certified Level One Honey Analysis and Sensory Expert (in other words, a honey sommelier).
Ben Dictus
Chief Culture Officer + Principal Beekeeper
Lu grew up in Miami, Florida and graduated from the University of Miami with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. In addition to her background in healthcare, Lu has over 20 years experience in administrative management. After rehabbing through multiple injuries and orthopedic surgeries, Lu decided to combine her healthcare background and experience in business administration to start a private outpatient orthopedic physical therapy practice in Raleigh, NC. She sold her practice 6 years ago to focus on raising her 3 sons, and joined the Bee Team in early 2023 as their head of Operations and Finance.
Lu Fink
Operations + Finance
Nick got started in beekeeping almost twenty years ago as a backyard enthusiast and decided in college to make it his career. Before joining Bee Downtown, he spent six years as Project Supervisor responsible for over 300 research colonies at the University of Georgia. Nick is a Master Beekeeper as well as an Internationally Certified Honey Judge!
Nicholas Weaver
Lead Beekeeper
Joe has over 45 years of leading, leadership consulting and teaching in the military, government and non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions. He is an Army Ranger with numerous command and staff assignments in both Germany, and the United States. He served for 13 years on the faculty of the United States Military Academy, to include service as the Deputy Head of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership and the Director (Dean) of the Academy’s Graduate Program, the Eisenhower Fellowship. After retiring from the military, Joe served as a Professor of the Practice of Management at the Duke University Fuqua School of Business, serving as a scholar in the Coach K Center on Leadership and Ethics, and as the faculty advisor to the Coach K Fellows Program. Joe is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and holds a MS and Ph.D in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Colonel Joseph LeBoeuf
Chief Learning Officer
Audrey joined Bee Downtown after beginning her career in the event management and catering industry where she honed her planning and execution skills. Audrey is a Certified Beekeeper through the NCSBA and is our “Queen Bee” of Bee Downtown experiences and programming.
Audrey White
Experience Coordinator
Rachel joined the Bee Downtown team at the height of honey harvest season in 2021 as a part-time honey extractor and bottler. She then transitioned into a full-time Partnership Management role with a proficient background in customer service and a BA in Social Work from NC State University and is now a Bee Downtown Area Manager helping to lead the North Carolina team. Rachel is a Certified Beekeeper through the NCSBA.
Rachel Pfenning
Area Manager
Harrison discovered his penchant and passion for beekeeping and science in college. He fine-tuned his beekeeping skills managing hundreds of hives and conducting experiments all over the country for a large company in the research sector prior to joining the Bee Downtown team. Harrison is a Journeyman Beekeeper and oversees management of our North Carolina Beekeeping Program.
Harrison Bolton
Lead Beekeeper
Josh Harris is considered a pioneer of the backyard beekeeping movement in Tampa Bay. Beginning with one colony in his backyard over 15 years ago, Josh grew his passion for beekeeping into a career, managing over 200 colonies throughout Tampa Bay.
From producing local honey, raising queen bees, selling bee colonies, teaching beekeeping classes, and consulting, Josh Harris is the authority when it comes to experience in Tampa Bay Beekeeping. Since starting as one of only a small handful of beekeepers in the city, Josh has seen the growth of a vibrant beekeeping community and has helped hundreds of new beekeepers get started.
Josh Harris is a native of St. Petersburg where he resides with his wife Rebekah and their seven children. Yes, seven children! When not keeping bees Josh can be found shuttling kids to school and sporting events.
During the winter when beekeeping slows down, Josh also commercial fishes for stone crab and mullet. Josh Harris’ love of the outdoors, knowledge of bees, and passion for communicating with people, combine perfectly for his position with Bee Downtown as Florida Beekeeper.
Josh Harris
Beekeeper
Kristina (Tini) grew up on the coast of N.C. and graduated with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Business Administration from N.C. State University. She spent 5+ years in the people technology space at differing companies helping them track and analyse their employee data.
Searching for a change of pace her friend Rachel suggested working at her company's honey house for the summer. After 3 months of honey extracting and bottling she felt the calling to join the Bee Downtown beekeepers on their quest for liquid gold. Kristina is a member of the Wake County Beekeepers Association and will become a certified beekeeper March 2025. When she isn't playing in the bee yard you can find her hiking with her dog, watching Real Housewives, or skiing in the mountains.
Kristina Sherman
Beekeeping & Field Operations
Nick joined the Bee Downtown team in 2024 and is excited to share his love of learning, the outdoors and passion for connecting with others. Always curious and willing to ask a thought-provoking question, Nick has followed his curiosity into the world of honey bees after 10 years working in a variety of corporate finance and operations roles at large multinational companies. In his free time, Nick enjoys spending time with his wife, daughter and dog, and can often be found out in the garden or hiking, biking and distance running around town.
Nick Accordino
Partnerships Manager
Taylor joined our bee team after honing her abilities through custom artwork creation, a home design internship, and as as a representative at the Bienenstock Future Designers Summit. In May 2021 she graduated from North Carolina State University with a degree in textile design. Taylor enjoys all things in the arts such as painting, graphic design, and up-cycling clothes.
Taylor Williams
Artist-in-Residence
Ashley joins our team with over 15 years experience in events development and execution. She’s been a beekeeper for 8 years and loves anything and everything outdoors. When she’s not in the bee yard, you’ll find her hiking with her husband and 2 daughters, gardening, and long distance running.
Ashley Meldrum
Beekeeper & City Lead
Maryann, a Charlotte native and proud University of South Carolina alumna, began her beekeeping journey eight years ago as a backyard hobbyist. Her passion for bees led her to become a Certified Master Beekeeper, and she has dedicated herself to mentoring others in the field. Maryann has held multiple leadership roles in the beekeeping community, further demonstrating her commitment to advancing the craft of beekeeping.
With more than 15 years of experience in customer-facing roles, Maryann excels at creating positive experiences, resolving issues, and building lasting relationships with partners. She brings a blend of organizational skills, customer-centric focus, and a passion for beekeeping to every project.
Maryann Helton
Beekeeper/Partnerships Manager
Mariah joined the Bee Team in June 2024 as an Experience Coordinator shortly after graduating from Kennesaw State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science. Mariah is super excited to bring her passion for learning and sustainability to Bee Downtown experiences and to cultivate joy by sharing the magic of the bees with our corporate partners! Outside of office hours, you’ll find Mariah camping, hiking, baking, or crocheting.
Mariah Butts
Experience Coordinator
Caroline joined The Bee Team in November 2024, after beginning her career as an educator. With a background in teaching and a B.A. in International Relations from Rollins College, Caroline is looking forward to continuing her love for community building and social engagement through her position as an Experience Coordinator at Bee Downtown. In her time away from the Bee Team, she can be found exploring all the wonderful trails N.C. has to offer and often cozying up with a great book.
Caroline Klouse
Experience Coordinator
Eliza joined the team after meeting Leigh-Kathryn in a community garden in 2016. With a background in agriculture, Eliza immediately connected with the mission of Bee Downtown and has since helped the company in areas of community partnerships, hive painting, honey bottling, landscaping, and more! She is truly our “Jane” of all trades! Eliza has her Master’s in Landscape Architecture and loves geeking out on all things pollinators, farming, and gardening! If you have time, and only if you have time, make sure to ask her about PawPaw’s…but again, make sure you have PLENTY of time!
Eliza Lawdley
Warehouse & Operations
Jackson spent years pursuing fine art, eventually settling on beekeeping as his favorite medium. Over time, the hobby became his profession, successfully managing over 150 hives across the Triangle area. He finds joy in the many opportunities to learn from and educate others about the amazing honeybee. When he isn't tending hives, you'll find him on his bike, kayak, or playing guitar.
Jackson Brinkley
Beekeeper
Elise joined the Bee Team in 2024 after a 14-year career in academic and corporate healthcare research, holding a PhD in Aging Research and a Masters in Neuroscience. Her beekeeping journey began when she started keeping bees in her community garden, sparked by a passion for community, sustainability, and bees. When she isn’t playing with the bees she can be found hanging with her family, snuggled up with a good book, or dancing bachata.
Elise Valdes
Experience Coordinator
Paul’s background in professional services and business ownership has provided him a broad functional background. He started his career as a CPA with Price Waterhouse moving to the Performance Improvement Consulting Practice at Ernst & Young, where he worked with global companies to reduce costs, increase productivity, and improve quality and customer experience. He purchased his first company which he and his team rapidly grew and sold to Cintas Corporation (NYSE: CTAS) in 2004. Following the sale, he started a company also in the business services space which was purchased by Aquaventure Holdings Ltd (NYSE:WAAS) in 2018. He is a graduate of Lehigh University and holds an MBA from Duke University.
Paul Van De Putte
Advisor
