Brenda Palms

Jobs Generator

President and CEO, Founder of Sweet Beginnings. LLC
Chicago, IL

TOPICS
Future of Work
Social Entrepreneurship
Economic Equity
Work Culture
Activism

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A powerhouse of optimism and integrity, Brenda Palms builds businesses and nurtures organizations that employ folks with a criminal record and in doing so provides a whole lot more than a paycheck. Otherwise known as “the bee lady,” Brenda is the founder and CEO of Sweet Beginnings – an urban beekeeping social enterprise whose honey is now carried in stores across her home state of Illinois. All of this blossomed from her work with the North Lawndale Employment Network where she is – yet again – both founder and CEO and has grown the organization from two to 53 employees with a multimillion dollar budget.

Brenda’s got the good stuff and she’s sharing it with audiences on CNN and TED. She’s racking up MacArthur awards and getting noticed by banks. With a mic in her hand, Brenda reminds all of us what’s possible when we believe in each other’s fundamental goodness and act accordingly.

Honeybees do not discern between weeds and flowers, as they are only interested in drawing the good out of that plant source and transforming it into something sweet and new.

—Brenda Palms

@FRESHSpeakers

RT @VillanuevaEdgar: Funding the Earth's keepers: The need for Indigenous climate philanthropy - my interview in @mashable - https://t.co… about 1 month ago
RT @pritikrishtel: Big news! This summer I’ll be transitioning out of my role as @IMAKglobal’s co-Executive Director. Going forward, my co-… about 1 month ago
RT @VillanuevaEdgar: Thanks, @mashable for lifting up #Indigenous leadership & @DecolonizWealth's Indigenous Earth Fund - moving millions t… about 1 month ago

FRESH Speakers, Inc. is a next-generation speakers bureau, uniquely representing women and people of color--two groups historically left off the public stage. Our speakers range from business leaders to artists, scientists to athletes. They have given ground-breaking TED talks and written best-selling books, but, more importantly, their wisdom comes from real world, lived experiences. FRESH speakers routinely grace the world's biggest thought leadership stages, host nonprofit benefits, and keynote Fortune 100 corporate retreats, university lecture series, leading tech conferences, grassroots organizing convenings, and countless other venues, the world over.

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