Daphne Nwobike
Staff Writer
Can pursuing one’s passions, as opposed to simply doing what is expected or normal, garner valuable results? Is taking this route more work than necessary? Let’s look at Ted Dennard (C’89), a Sewanee alum who relentlessly pursued his love for bees and has created so much good for himself and society. On Thursday, March 28th, the Babson Center invited Dennard to serve as the Humphreys Entrepreneur-in-Residence. Dennard, who graduated from Sewanee with a BA in religion and philosophy, is the founder, CEO, and head beekeeper of the Savannah Bee Company. Founded in 2002, the Savannah Bee Company produces all kinds of decadent honey, soaps, lip balms, creams, kitchen utensils, and much more. While managing an incredibly successful enterprise, Dennard is consistently committed to promoting sustainable beekeeping practices and educating young people and adults alike about the importance of saving bees.
Attending Sewanee influenced the trajectory of Dennard’s career. Despite his initial indifference toward Sewanee, he made the most of his college experience. Sewanee was an adjustment for Dennard, who spontaneously quit drinking for two years after arriving on campus. He was surprised by the academic rigor of his courses and wasn’t sure what he wanted to study. Soon, he fell in love with the natural beauty of Sewanee and would watch the sunset at Morgan Steep every day and play ultimate frisbee for fun. He even ran the Sewanee radio station and kept the campus grooving with Reggae music. He eventually found his academic area of interest in the religion department and natural resources classes.
Despite never taking any business classes, Dennard felt that all his experiences at Sewanee helped him feel confident when beginning his career. “I got an amazing education,” Dennard said. “Sewanee gave me this good foundation from which I could go into life feeling confident. I knew as much and probably more than most people about most things, which gave me a little security. That carried me through life.”
Dennard has been fascinated by beekeeping since he was 14. Even though he was terrified of bees, he would work with a beekeeper on the weekends. He was intrigued by the idea that honey came from different kinds of flowers and tasted different depending on the flower and season. “That blew my mind,” he said. Sewanee also allowed Dennard to explore this interest further. He received beekeeping mentorship from his landlord, Archie Stapleton. Reflecting on this mentorship, Dennard said, “He taught me about the finer things like making mead, fortifying wine with honey, and about amazing bee facts that I still retell.” He became even more fascinated with bees due to this mentorship and traveled to Jamaica for Peace Corp, where he worked for two years and learned to love beekeeping and the slow, deliberate practice of interacting with bees.
Learning from the bees is something that Dennard is more than accustomed to after years of working with them. He is constantly motivated by how bees work together towards a common, beneficial goal, how they do no harm but focus on creating benefits, how they store surplus honey for rainy days, and how they utilize a profitable business model for everyone involved. He fashions his business model in ways that emulate the bees. Dennard is able to grow his business while benefiting those around him by providing nutritious honey-based products, advocating for sustainable beekeeping practices, and promoting education about bees in different schools across the United States, Canada, Haiti, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
When Dennard began his honey-making journey by making and selling honey from his kitchen, he would’ve never envisioned the level of success he would attain today. He was skeptical about being able to make a living from making honey despite his passion for it, but he took the leap of faith. Soon, Dennard’s efforts were rewarded as people began seeking his honey, and he was able to create a sprawling enterprise. Although Dennard no longer participates in hands-on beekeeping, he is constantly exploring and finding new flowers that produce delicious honey, such as orange blossom honey, lavender and rosemary honey from the mountains in Spain, and his personal favorite, Tupelo honey gotten from trees that grow in Tupelo swamps.
With all the strides the Savannah Bee Company has made, Dennard cannot help but feel grateful for his accomplishments. “I feel so lucky to be able to work with bees and feel like I’m making a difference. That’s the real gift. It’s so rewarding to have this view of my life—that it has meaning and depth, that I’m giving something to the world and, hopefully, leaving it a better place. You can’t buy that,” remarked Dennard.
He hopes to encourage Sewanee students with these words of wisdom: “Do what you love, and it should lead you to the path you should be on. It will ground you and give you the meaning you came here for. Follow your bliss and trust that it’s going to work out. Don’t go into the world thinking only of making money. Instead, go into the world wanting to make an impact, and the rest will follow.”