Beyond The Lemonade Stand

Five years ago, Molly and Carly Houlahan (who are now 16 and 14) lost their grandfather to an aggressive form of throat cancer and decided to honor his memory by raising money to find a cure. Instead of going the typical fundraising route, the two sisters looked to create a sustainable business that could continue to raise funds long after they had grown into becoming adults. "We believe the only way the world is going to be changed is with business,” says Molly. “Business is not built on hand-outs, it is sustainable and allows us to make long lasting change in the world."

Throw away ideas of lemonade stands or candy sales, Molly and Carly, who had spent many summers helping their other grandparents harvest honey, decided to sell their honey to consumers—with 100% of the profit donated to finding a cure for cancer. With weekends spent working local farmer’s markets and fairs, Hives for Lives raised $2,000 for the American Cancer Society during its first year of operation and word spread about the business and its mission. The company soon found itself swimming in honey—thanks to donations from other bee farmers and harvesters—and its sales plan expanded beyond the parking lots of farmer’s markets and into the aisles of Whole Foods. Their honey can now be found in 7 of the 11 Whole Foods’ regions and they have donated more than $45,000 to cancer research.

The girls are so grounded in their life philosophy and business strategy that it is often hard to remember they are still just kids--except for the fact that this interview had to happen early evening to accommodate their camp schedule. While they both agree they have learned a great deal about being entrepreneurs, their business venture has taught them a lot about the environment. Says Molly, "We have come to the realization that as humans and animals we are all intertwined. Through the environment we come to not only learn about each other, but rely on each other."

To ensure other kids have the same opportunity to turn their passions into powerful businesses, Molly runs a Hives for Lives Young Business Leaders Club at her school and both girls are often called upon to do school and community presentations. “We want to empower kids so they realize that being a kid is not a weakness, it is a secret weapon,” says Molly. And their business insights work just as well for adults searching to do good with their business success. “Find something you really enjoy,” says Carly. “A simple idea with a lot of passion behind it really will grow into something amazing.”

So, what’s next? Hives for Lives recently launched their “Local Honey/Local Money” initiative that assures consumers that the honey they purchase is from local bees and the money raised goes to fund local cancer research programs and organizations. Molly is working on creating a model of her Young Business Leaders Club that can be launched in other schools—empowering more youth to not only become entrepreneurs, but teach entrepreneurship. And, by 2010, they hope to be best friends with Oprah.

"Seriously, our overall goal is that cancer will be cured," says Carly. But, until a cure is found, Hives for Lives has plans to continue raising funds. "We believe the company should always be run by kids, so we are now starting to think about what that model will look like as we get older," says Molly. "We want to make as much change as we can."