Katie Gamble
VICTORIA – Katie Gamble, founder and CEO of Nature Bee has been honoured with the 2025 UVIC Distinguished Alumni Award for her leadership in sustainability and commitment to inclusive hiring practices from the University of Victoria.
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.
“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,” Gamble stated.
Gamble began her company in her parents’ basement as part of a Gustavson School of Business project in 2018. The project grew into a full-scale sustainability-driven company producing reusable beeswax food wraps, and in 2021, low-waste concentrated cleaning tablets.
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 2016, 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 University of Victoria graduates in 1 of 3 categories: Presidents’ Alumni Awards, Emerging Alumni Awards and Indigenous Community Alumni Awards.
Business Examiner Staff
