Thistle & Bee Enterprises

What Thistle & Bee Enterprises does

Thistle and Bee Enterprises Inc. is a Memphis-based 501(c)(3) social justice enterprise founded in 2015 that operates a two-year residential program and an associated social enterprise employing women survivors of sex trafficking, prostitution, and addiction for up to 18 months in artisanal production. The commercial arm produces and sells handcrafted food and wellness goods, including local Memphis wildflower honey harvested from 53 bee hives maintained by program participants, small-batch honey-sweetened granola, herbal teas, beeswax candles, wellness products, textiles, apparel, and fair-trade felt crafts sourced from artisans in Nepal and Kyrgyzstan.

The business generates revenue through a diversified multi-channel model: direct-to-consumer sales via a Shopify e-commerce storefront and a newly opened Memphis retail storefront at Chickasaw Oaks Village; wholesale distribution to over a dozen regional retail outlets; a fundraising program for schools, churches, and community organizations that retain up to 40% of sales; farmers markets and pop-up events across Memphis; and charitable donations supported by employer matching gifts. Pricing is unit-based ($2.75–$145) with a Subscribe & Save subscription option offering 5% savings on select products and $9 flat-rate domestic shipping. Distribution is US-only.

The organization is led by CEO Autumn Chastain, supported by a small team of approximately six staff including a Clinical Director (16+ years of clinical mental health experience), a Program Director who is a program graduate, a Production Manager, an Executive Admin, and Marketing & Design. Strategic partnerships include GrindHouse Coffee Roasters (honey-infused coffee co-product), Thistle Farms (reseller of essential oil products), and a co-located Healing Hive & Wellness Clinic adjacent to the Memphis storefront. The organization is independently funded through product sales and donations with no venture capital or private equity backing.

Name

Thistle & Bee Enterprises

Legal name

Thistle and Bee Enterprises Inc.

Website

https://thistleandbee.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Thistle and Bee Enterprises is a Memphis-based 501(c)(3) social enterprise that runs a two-year residential program and employs women survivors of trafficking and addiction to produce and sell handcrafted honey, granola, teas, candles, and wellness goods via retail, wholesale, and e-commerce channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Food Products

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Value-Added Bee Products Manufacturing (Candles, Cosmetics, Supplements, Mead Ingredients) (AFAEAHAM)

Keywords

• Artisan honey products
• Handcrafted granola
• Social enterprise food
• Beeswax candles
• Survivor-made goods

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Product Sales: Online sales through Shopify storefront including honey, granola, teas, candles, wellness products, apparel, felt crafts, and gift boxes. One-time purchase and subscription (subscribe & save 5%) options available.
2. Wholesale / Retail Distribution: Products sold to retailers in bulk at wholesale pricing. Over a dozen retail outlets currently carry Thistle & Bee products.
3. Fundraising Partnerships: Schools, churches, and community organizations run fundraisers selling Thistle & Bee products. Organizations keep up to 40% of each sale while the remainder supports survivor employment and recovery programs.
4. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donations fund residential program operations, household essentials, and Survivor Leader positions. Employer matching gift program amplifies donation impact.
5. Farmers Markets and Pop-up Events: Direct-to-consumer sales at markets and events around Memphis and beyond.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Thistle & Bee Enterprises is a Memphis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise that produces and sells handcrafted food products (local wildflower honey in raw, whipped, and hot-infused varieties; baked granola; loose-leaf teas) and artisan lifestyle goods (beeswax candles, wellness items, textiles, felts, apparel, pet treats, curated gift boxes). Proceeds from product sales fund a residential recovery program, job-skills training, and supportive employment for women survivors of sex trafficking, prostitution, and addiction.

Product overview

Thistle & Bee Enterprises is a social enterprise offering handcrafted food products, wellness items, and lifestyle goods alongside residential support services for women survivors. The core product portfolio includes honey varieties (wildflower, whipped cinnamon, hot infused), granola (premium, love me chunky, berry banana), teas (mint & lemon balm, chai, bee well), caramels, spices and rubs, wellness journals, beeswax candles, textiles, apparel, and handcrafted felt items from fair trade artisans. The organization operates a social enterprise program providing up to 18 months of employment for program participants who produce honey from 53 bee hives, bake granola, and create various products sold through retail outlets, farmers markets, and the e-commerce storefront. Supporting services include a two-year residential program, job skills training courses, and a fundraising partnership program for community organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Local Wildflower Honey (Raw, Whipped Cinnamon, Hot Infused)

Quantifiable outcome

• 53 bee hives maintained and harvested by survivors
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GrindHouse (Memphis)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThistle & Bee collaborated with Memphis-based GrindHouse Coffee Roasters to create 'Honey in the Roast' — a Medium Roast Coffee with granulated honey added directly during the roasting process. This product is sold through Thistle & Bee's e-commerce and retail channels. The collaboration supports survivor-made goods.
• Thistle FarmsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThistle Farms supplies essential oil products (aromatherapy sets, bug spray, essential oil rolls) that Thistle & Bee resells through its e-commerce and retail channels. Thistle Farms is a related social enterprise focused on women survivors. The products are branded as Thistle Farms products sold through the Thistle & Bee store.
• Healing Hive & Wellness CliniccoreOthersA separate wellness clinic co-located at or adjacent to the Memphis storefront, welcoming individuals of all ages for care, resources, and community. Referenced on the main website with a direct link. Both organizations share the Memphis community and serve overlapping populations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Burt's Bees: Major bee products brand (lip balm, skincare, candles) now owned by Clorox. Directly overlaps in beeswax candles and honey-adjacent personal care; comparable as a broad incumbent in the bee-product category, though commercial rather than social enterprise.
• Newman's Own: Mission-driven food brand that donates 100% of profits to charity. Sells premium grocery products through national retail — broadly comparable as an established mission-driven consumer food brand, though at vastly larger scale.
• L'Occitane Foundation: Corporate foundation supporting women's economic independence through entrepreneurship and literacy programs globally. Comparable at the social-mission level, though L'Occitane operates as a corporate-backed initiative rather than an independent social enterprise.

Direct peers

• Equal Exchange: Worker cooperative sourcing fair-trade coffee, tea, chocolate, and snacks. Comparable as a mission-driven small-batch food brand with a strong wholesale, gifting, and subscription distribution model.
• Thistle Farms: Nashville-based social enterprise employing women survivors through body care and home products (soaps, candles, essential oils). Directly comparable mission and product overlap (Thistle & Bee resells Thistle Farms essential oils), and they are explicitly listed as a partner.
• GloryBee: Oregon-based honey and bee products company offering raw honey, beeswax, and bee pollen to retail and wholesale channels. Comparable as a vertically integrated honey and value-added bee products business with wholesale distribution.
• Greyston Bakery: Yonkers-based bakery using an 'Open Hiring' model to employ people facing barriers to employment (including those with justice histories). Closely comparable social enterprise employment model combined with small-batch food manufacturing and wholesale distribution to retail outlets.
• Bee Local: Small-batch honey brand sourcing from urban and regional beekeepers with a craft, hyperlocal positioning. Closely comparable in artisanal honey, regional beekeeping narrative, and premium gift/SKU mix.
• Ten Thousand Villages: Fair-trade retailer sourcing handcrafted goods (textiles, home goods, gifts) from artisan cooperatives worldwide. Comparable in the curated-gift-box and fair-trade handcraft (felt) categories carried by Thistle & Bee.

Emerging players

• Half the Sky Foundation: Nonprofit operating residential programs and social enterprises for women survivors of trafficking in China and beyond. Comparable at the mission and residential-program level, though less commercial-product focused.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thistleandbee
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ThistleAndBee
• Facebookfacebook.com/thistleandbeeenterprises
• Instagraminstagram.com/thistleandbeeenterprises/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@thistleandbee.org

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Thistle & Bee Enterprises