For Katie Gamble, making an unbee-lievable difference in the world all started at the University of Victoria.
Gamble, founder and CEO of Nature Bee, has been named a 2025 UVic Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, for her leadership in sustainability and commitment to inclusive hiring practices.
UVic Business grad Katie Gamble is the founder of Nature Bee, which produces and sells reusable beeswax food wraps and other sustainable home goods. Photo submitted.
What started as a business school project run out of her parents' basement has grown into a full-scale sustainability-driven company that produces reusable beeswax food wraps and sells concentrated cleaning tablets alongside other sustainable home goods.
One of the biggest things [I learned at UVic] was how important it is to surround yourself with like-minded individuals and people who are working towards a collective thing. I've taken that with me throughout all that I've done with the company and the people that I surround myself with that our values are all similar."
Katie Gamble
Nature Bee is driving positive environmental change with over $5 million in sales and reductions of over 500,000 single-use plastics and 250,000 single-use bottles. Her venture also supports people with disabilities with meaningful work, and promotes inclusive hiring practices. As a result, Gamble's leadership has been recognized with multiple awards, including BC 30 Under 30, Small Business BC Impact Winner, Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce Emerging Business Person of the Year and Ecopreneur of the Year.
Gamble is one of 15 UVic Distinguished Alumni Award recipients in 2025. Inuk lawyer, activist, educator and sealskin clothing designer Aaju Peter has been recognized for her work in defending Inuit rights in Canada and Greenland. Sahar Sam, who completed a mechanical engineering PhD at UVic in 2026, is a cleantech entrepreneur whose companies support not only generate sustainable energy solutions, but promote women in leadership roles as well.
The Distinguished Alumni Awards celebrate the remarkable achievements of UVic graduates in three categories. Read more about the UVic Distinguished Alumni Awards.
