Kunal Singh is a Fellow in JoyCorps' 2024 Fellowship cohort and co-founder of Tenacious Bee.  Created in early 2018, Tenacious Bee Collective is a passion-driven initiative to bring raw, unpasteurized Himalayan honey to honey lovers. The business was founded to revive the dwindling bee population in Kunal's home province, the beautiful Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh in north India, by reviving traditional beekeeping practices that are sustainable for farmers and kind to the bees. We talk to Kunal about entrepreneurship, social impact, and formation.  

On Entrepreneurship and  Venture Building

Kunal thinks of himself as being adopted by the bees in 2017 when he first started learning about beekeeping by attending government-run training. Tenacious Bee has been growing steadily since its inception, both in terms of revenue and the scope of its work. In 2024, Tenacious Bee grew in revenue by 25%. Kunal feels good about the growth trajectory of his venture. He says he feels positive and hopeful. But the journey also comes with some stress. Today, the market is flooded with subpar "organic" honey. "It is very easy," Kunal says, "to get an organic certification just for the sake of it." With so many claims in the market and so many honey brands available to customers- often cheaper- how does Kunal deal with this stress?

“We don’t claim to be organic. Unless the whole mountain is organic, honey can't be.”

Instead, they focus on honesty- ethically and scientifically harvested raw, unpasteurized honey backed by engaging storytelling and community outreach. Tenacious Bee's marketing on social media platforms and direct interactions with customers focus on sharing interesting stories about beekeeping, bees, and their role in the ecosystem, flowers, etc. Kunal loves storytelling and believes in the power of stories to talk about topics like the conservation of bees, which he feels otherwise becomes very difficult for people to engage with. Kunal says they don't think of themselves as honey sellers but as beekeepers. They have built their brand consciously so that people now associate Tenacious Bee with authenticity. Reflecting on his journey as an entrepreneur, Kunal says that he did not understand gratitude before Tenacious Bee. He feels deep appreciation when he sees like-minded people joining him on the journey of bee conservation and compounding its impact.

On Social Impact 

Kunal's entrepreneurial journey with Tenacious Bee has taught him that the impact of his work is much bigger than him and his venture. While he can measure some of it by tracking the metrics of his venture, he cannot measure the significant part of it. Social impact metrics are challenging for Kunal because he does not consider social impact in terms of numbers or the long term.

So, how does Kunal think about the social impact of his work? First, Kunal remains closely connected to the community he built around Tenacious Bee. The women employed in the business are the first indicator of his social impact. When the women are deeply engaged with the company and its work, when they are laughing, or when Kunal overhears them talking about things they are planning with their next month's salary, he sees the impact of his work. Second, Tenacious Bee shows up at fairs and festivals all over the country as a way to engage with customers directly.

Along with his co-founder, Kunal hosts 'honey tasting evenings,' ticketed events featuring appetizers and drinks developed by chefs using Tenacious Bee's honey and enjoyed amid enthralling stories of bees and the ecology. Seeing the joy of customers as they hear the stories of bees and nature and their expression of delight when they taste the honey is also where he sees the impact of his work.

"Anyone who spends even a little time with us, if when they see flowers, they think of bees, that is my social impact. I hope to give people a new way of thinking about nature, bees, and ecology."

On Formation

Kunal comes across as a very confident, self-assured entrepreneur, but he shares that this is not the case. "At least twice daily, I feel like a fraud," he laughs. When people reach out to him as an expert beekeeper, to interview him, or to invite him to speak at an event, he often struggles with whether he is worth somebody's time and interest. This remark leads to his time at JoyCorps Fellowship. Kunal says that it was a deeply satisfying experience. He built very good relationships with his peers and with the JoyCorps team. "My time in the Fellowship pacified me. It has almost justified the work that I do and my views on entrepreneurship". He says the Fellowship renewed his inspiration in his vision. He does not feel alone, adding that when entrepreneurs think they are not alone, they feel satiated.

"We entrepreneurs, we keep pulling ourselves down, and so I feel we need others to pull us up and JoyCorps Fellowship is where I have found this."

On Growth

Kunal does not seek to grow Tenacious Bee very quickly. He is trying to develop the venture slowly and consistently. "The only thing that happens quickly in nature is destruction," he signs off.

If you would like to support Kunal, please contact shweta@joycorps.org