Our Values

INNOVATION: We believe that challenging norms and seeking creative solutions to improve beekeeping practices is a fundamental part of progress.


SCIENCE-DRIVEN APPROACH: We use science to guide our design choices and business practices. Our understanding of honeybee biology is the foundation of our approach to making effective and eco-friendly products.


TRANSPARENCY: We are open about our business processes and marketing and will never rely on gimmicks to make a profit. We believe that honesty is the foundation of trust with our customers and community.


QUALITY PRODUCTS: We create top-quality products that excel in the apiary, and we're committed to using sustainable materials and methods to ensure a better future for beekeeping.


SUPPORT FOR BEEKEEPERS: Our goal is to help beekeepers become better at their craft, enhancing honeybee health. We want to help build a stronger community of beekeepers who share knowledge and resources.


RESPECTFUL COLLABORATION: We treat all beekeepers and fellow industry partners with respect, acknowledging diverse perspectives and goals. We encourage open dialogue and cooperation to strengthen the beekeeping community.


ENJOYING THE JOURNEY: We take pleasure in this journey, knowing that our passion for beekeeping fuels our commitment to creating positive change in the industry.

 

Our Plan

PHASE 1: PRE-LAUNCH

March 2023 - October 2023

For the past eight months we have been carefully planning our go-to-market strategy. We have conducted market research, held focus groups, and developed several operational plans that account for different fundraising scenarios. After investing significant amounts of time and money into this project over the years, we decided to raise capital through crowdfunding because it allows us to 1) validate our concept, 2) launch at a scale that correlates with demand, 3) retain full control of our company, and 4) take on a tolerable amount of financial risk.

Our current plan is to sell direct to consumer, but we are not opposed to partnering with existing beekeeping equipment manufacturers and retailers. If it catches on, we believe that our design has the potential to reshape the global backyard beehive market. If you own a company that shares our values and are interested in collaborating, we would love to hear from you.

 

PHASE 2: SOFT LAUNCH AND PROMOTION

October 2023 - May 2024

The fact that you're reading this means that Phase 1 is under way! During this phase, we will be promoting our campaign and monitoring overall interest. As we gauge the demand for pre-orders at launch, we will prepare for executing the appropriate operational model. 

 

PHASE 3: CROWDFUNDING

June 2024

The moment of truth! If you like our products and want to see us succeed, we encourage you to pre-order a hive and share our campaign with the other beekeepers in your life. If you're a non-beekeeper, making a donation pledge will help us launch a product that has the potential to make a big difference in the lives of beekeepers and help improve the health of honey bees.

 

PHASE 4: PRODUCTION AND FULFILLMENT

July 2024 - December 2024

We don't want to over-promise and under-deliver. Depending on the success of our campaign we anticipate that the production and fulfillment of pre-orders may take months, which means that hives may not reach backers until Q4 of 2024. 

 

PHASE 5: PROFITABILITY AND CONTINUED INNOVATION

January 2025 and beyond

Our 3 year goal is to have a stable, profitable company that delivers high-quality hives at affordable prices. In addition, we plan to continue to fine tune our products and develop others along the way. Your continued support will go a long way in helping us achieve this goal, so thank you for your interest!

 

Us!

  • George Datto

    Co-Founder, Co-Inventor

    George began as a hobbyist beekeeper in 2008 with an apiary at his farm in southeastern Pennsylvania. He is the co-founder of Revolution Bees, which promotes sustainable beekeeping and honeybee education and is one of the top regional producers for local honey and artisanal honey products. George manages 70 hives at seven apiaries, including Winterthur Museum and Garden in Delaware and SIW Vegetables in the Brandywine River Valley.

    George is President of the Chester County Beekeepers Association (CCBA), where he created the apprentice and citizen science programs for the 700-member organization. He also leads the queen mating program and manages the CCBA nucleus colony apiary, which helps promote and distribute high-quality local genetics.

    The Keeper's Hive is the product of years of observation and education about bee biology, as well as a keen understanding of the challenges facing backyard beekeepers. George drew on his experience as a retired physician and scientist to create a hive that allows for engaged, efficient and productive beekeeping.

  • Nat Wolfe

    Co-Founder, Co-Inventor

    Nat is a proud grandfather and a Master Carpenter who first met George through work. In addition to being an expert woodworker, he is also a highly knowledgeable mechanic, electrician, welder, plumber - you name it. With an innate talent for engineering and product design, Nat is a born inventor who embodies the do-it-yourself mentality.

    Nat was introduced to beekeeping by George, and immediately started thinking about ways to reduce the physical demands of the Langstroth hive. The first prototype they created was a two queen hive called "The Nat Hive" in honor of Nat's contribution to the design. Today we call it the Two Queen Keeper.

  • Dave McNeeley

    Co-Founder, Manager

    Dave befriended Nat’s youngest son when they were in fourth grade and from that point on was like a part of the family. After high school, Dave left his home town in Delaware for college and eventually relocated to Brooklyn, NY in 2012. There, he spent eight years wearing many hats at a cutting edge photo booth startup, where he gained valuable experience with the nuts and bolts of managing and scaling business operations. Dave is currently based in Philadelphia and is Operations Director at 8AM Creative, a content strategy and creative agency.

    While Dave does not currently have any bees of his own, he'd love to acquire some in the future. In the meantime, he's happy to borrow bottles of honey from George and Nat.

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Some Background

The concept for the hive was first imagined in 2016 when George invited Nat to tag along while he went to check on some of his hives. Nat was immediately struck by how labor intensive it was to perform hive maintenance… repeatedly lifting heavy, honey-filled supers was a lot of work! So, in true Nat fashion, he started thinking about ways to alter the Langstroth design and eliminate the need for any lifting. The two of them got to work and started building prototypes, eventually creating an early version of what is now the Two Queen Keeper. 

George took their prototypes from the shop to the field and put bees in them. Over time, they observed how the bees responded to small design changes and worked through the early flaws. They hit the road and brought their hives to several beekeeping conventions, where they were met with equal parts skepticism and enthusiasm: skepticism from those who saw “two queens” and “no lifting” and didn’t bother to give them a chance, and enthusiasm from those who decided to stop and take a closer look. It was immediately clear to them that they had created something valuable, but they had one major problem: beyond making small quantities of the hive themselves and selling by word of mouth, they didn’t know how to scale their business and take things to the next level. It wasn’t long before the pandemic hit, beekeeping shows took a hiatus, and their progress was stalled. They continued to develop the product (enter the One Queen Keeper) but had no clear path forward - they knew they needed help, but they had no promising leads.

Dave first heard about the hive project while visiting with Nat’s family in 2018. After the pandemic, Dave got a job in marketing and moved back to the area. While hanging out with Nat’s son at a Thanksgiving get together in 2022, he asked him how the hive project was coming along. After learning that Nat and George were in need of someone that could help them bring their products to market, he immediately offered to help. After a handful of meetings, the three of them decided to partner and The Keeper’s Hive was formed in the Spring of 2023. 

The next chapter of our story hasn’t been written yet, but we hope that you’ll be a part of it!